Harmony is Key

Rafik Djebbour has been paid off and as such will head off elsewhere. And thus a major problem in the squad at the back of the squad has been removed. That is an under-performing new signing on very high wages, upsetting those players who out performed him on much less.

I think at work it's always one of those things when you see someone else earning more for you but for doing it seems much less. It doesn't seem fair and it fosters discord. Well football is no different. Offloading Djebbour would have been a priority anyway, but the fact that his being there upset fellow players just adds to that.

There has been a lot of conjecture about who earns what at Forest. People seemingly upset at what Abdoun or Mackie are reportedly on. A lot of it guesswork, but a lot of its accurate guesswork.

When we nearly dropped down after McClarens disastrous preseason a common rumour frequently hard was that some of the players who had been there when we made the playoffs and lost to Blackpool or Swansea, felt annoyed and devalued by the signings of Miller and Derbyshire. Players on double what they earned, and doing nothing, whilst Morgan, Chambers etc. toiled away on their old contracts. People like Moussi got raises because his deal expired, the club didn't reward those who'd done well before, and reacted to contractual needs as and when needed, rather than pre-emptively. It was awful planning.

I think Fawaz has clearly been burnt by this deal, and will accept now that glitzy foreign imports don't always work. Signing players who are up and coming, and with incentivized pay is far better. Last summer he clearly decided to pay whatever it took, and with Billy rubbing his hands together in glee it meant big signings on big wages. The Fawaz led signings were the most expensive, and those are the ones now using up so much of his cash.

The thing you always hear from any major tournament is about squad harmony, because if you have a happy camp they play better. It shouldn't make a difference, but if your mind is clear and not full of recriminating ideas and your all buying into a philosophy it means you all know what each other is doing. Our defence at times did look like 4 random individuals thrown together (and in essence due to injuries it was)

Last season was not a harmonious squad. Is this a part of why we implode. Well there's a list of reasons that this comes on and not in the top few, but it played a part. No doubt injuries played the largest role, and it really ripped the heart out of our season, but the fall out of the post Davies era and the Brazil interim spell is that there are rumour rumours, and I stress rumours, of a squad ridden by factions and dislike and in fighting. I think these things are usually a little exaggerated, but no doubt animosity at well paid players not earning their wage occurred.

There is another rumour… I didn't want to mention it but I heard it from more than one source. Djebbour when he first came was making runs but not being found. Not getting passed too. And this was deliberate. Now one suggests this was done to Billy giving a directive to not allow a none Billy signing to shine, and thus make Djebbour look crap to keep Fawaz out of transfers. It's possible, but I think unlikely.

Another one is that the players were unhappy with Djebbour being bought in on an inflated wage and as such didn't pass to him. Ignoring the Algerian on the field in all essence and again as such made him look bad, knowing this Brazil later completely dropped him. Again I struggle to believe this, but still felt I should acknowledge and look at these rumours.

But yes, squad morale needs to be kept good. But the sounds coming out the club are positive. It bodes well.

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