Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Watching MOTD this morning
In the Forest match was it a case of which player squealed the loudest
In the Forest match was it a case of which player squealed the loudest
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Re Utd and Amorim.
I will go back to the day Amorim’s sporting team beat City earlier this season. City were all over Sporting. They just Couldn’t score. Eventually they scored on the break, quite regularly unfortunately. But you had a player like Gykores up front. He was massive that day and still is. Utd don’t have massive players. Amorim was doing a job at Sporting with players no one had heard of. They worked to his tune. I don’t care who United bring in, they have a shower of rammel squad who I don’t think are up to it. Amorim needs time and money.
There are many many problems at Utd but the manager is not one of them. For the record, Sir Jimmy Radcliffe might be a fantastic business man, but am not sure he has the football brains to turn this around on his own
I will go back to the day Amorim’s sporting team beat City earlier this season. City were all over Sporting. They just Couldn’t score. Eventually they scored on the break, quite regularly unfortunately. But you had a player like Gykores up front. He was massive that day and still is. Utd don’t have massive players. Amorim was doing a job at Sporting with players no one had heard of. They worked to his tune. I don’t care who United bring in, they have a shower of rammel squad who I don’t think are up to it. Amorim needs time and money.
There are many many problems at Utd but the manager is not one of them. For the record, Sir Jimmy Radcliffe might be a fantastic business man, but am not sure he has the football brains to turn this around on his own
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
I don’t know the answer, but what is Forests run in like from here.
Just had a look, February is a very tasty Month indeed. Get through that and if you’re in a *old position then start dreaming.
Indeed, we've got a very tough run coming up. And it's just the latest thing the pundits and "experts" will use as a reason to continue to write us off.
Maybe everyone thinks the same about their own club, but there is ALWAYS a media/pundit/expert narrative with Forest.
Prior to the start of the season it was that we'd struggle a great deal - with a fair few predicting our relegation (Spitty Carra and his side-kick Neville the Clown, The Leicester loving Crisp Eater, Cundy, countless "YouTubers" etc).
Then, a few games in when it was obvious we were nowhere near that, it became "Oh well, Forest have had a good start, but they won't keep it up."
Then, when we hit December it was still "Forest have had a good start", but add in to that "Look at their December - they'll be lucky to get more than a couple of points from that run."
Then, towards the end of December when it was apparent we were still flying, it switched to (read this in a nerd voice) "Oh but Forest are in a false position. If you look at the advanced metrics table, they're right at the bottom of that so they can't sustain it."
Once we'd seen off December, suddenly and for some reason, our game against Wolves became "the acid test" because the experts doubted we'd continue our good run after Christmas.
After that game, they decided that Wolves wasn't the "acid test" after all and that Liverpool was - because we were bound to lose to them, right?
Wrong. The current best team in the country threw everything at us but the kitchen sink and it took an incredibly rare defensive error on our part for them to get one goal and draw the game.
And then despite Anthony Taylor's best efforts to screw us over yesterday we're still right up there and the pundits and experts STILL can't bring themselves to admit that we have a decent chance of maintaining a CL spot. Because Man City. Because Chelsea. Because Newcastle. Because we have a tough run coming up. Yeah, they've become complimentary of us now - but it's still all done with the tone of someone congratulating a toddler for finishing their dinner, with the caveat that it can’t possibly last.
As the great man once said “We play some good football. We try to entertain. And you never know, you and your profession might actually realise we’re a good side.”
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
You're not
Do elaborate on that. And why apparently it’s such a hilarious idea, given the smiley?
Over half the season has gone. We are joint second in the league. We are six points clear of the team in fourth place.
By definition, we are in the title race right now at this moment. Yeah, you might join all the pundits and “experts” who predict that we won’t be there at the end of the season. But right now, why aren’t we in the race? Why are teams that are four or more points behind us in it, but we aren’t?
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Because there is no title race. Liverpool have it won already, barring a bottlejob of epic proportions. A title race doesn't mean one team running away with it and two more struggling to keep up.
The main thing for Forest is, you've cleared that magic 40 point mark so it looks like you'll stay up.
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
Because there is no title race. Liverpool have it won already, barring a bottlejob of epic proportions. A title race doesn't mean one team running away with it and two more struggling to keep up.
The main thing for Forest is, you've cleared that magic 40 point mark so it looks like you'll stay up.
I mean, that's a really big shout.
Swango1980
Well-known member
It's the people that Radcliffe brings in to run the football club that will be judged more for me. Sure, he will have to make decisions to bring those people in. But, once they are in, what is it that they are doing?
My support of ETH on this forum was well known, and I'll still always insist that he couldn't polish a you know what, and that it is far too simplistic to think he was given a blank cheque book to sign exactly who he wanted, for as much as he wanted. He needed good people above him, to ensure he had good players working under him. He didn't.
INEOS then came in last season, and backed ETH going into this season. Again, I had no issues with that. Brought some decent players in, but there were still fundamental issues in that squad. Especially in possession of a football, and players like Rashford who are clearly having issues behind the scenes as well as in front of them. They then decided to sack ETH after the poor start. Utd were often creating many chances, but pathetic at converting. We were actually playing football I was often quite excited by, until the shouting and swearing began when the final shot or pass was messed up spectacularly. I can see why they sacked ETH. I was disappointed, but given the media and many others where bashing him every day, it just became relentless and it was probably for everybody's benefited that the relationship ended and give us all room to breath a bit again. And, they brought in Amorim quickly, which seems to have been a popular choice for fans (including opposition fans) and media.
Amorim has come in, and so far we have been worse than we have been in a very long time. I don't blame Amorim, it is still the players. But it isn't just that there are many low confidence and poor players, he also doesn't have players who can play his system. Did the guys working for INEOS expect him to click his fingers and get the current players to play brilliant, high tempo football? Or, when they signed him up, did they also have a plan to start rebuilding the squad again by getting rid of more deadwood, and bringing in the types of players he needs? Been very quiet in this transfer window, so no idea what they are planning or not planning.
At the moment, it is easy for Amorim to be absolutely honest, call Utd the worst Utd team ever, etc. because he still has all his credit in the bank. Some will say that is one reason he is better than ETH. However, if Amorim is still at Utd in 1 year or more, there is no way he can still come out with statements like that if Utd are still poor. Because, media and fans will start pinning full responsibility on Amorim as to the players that have come into the Club. But, I don't see Amorim as a full time scout. I see him as a guy that will say "I need players in these positions, with these qualities, and I need strong characters, and we can get rid of these players". It is then up to the guys above him to do the work and find those players, and do the deals without getting fleeced.
The jury is out for me as to whether the new ownership model will do any better, but still happy to give them time given that I never believed they could turn Utd around in a year or 2. And perhaps things do need to get worse before they get better, when the remnants of players with no future are still at the club. I just worry that patience is a quality that most people lack when it comes to football, and Amorim will become the laughing stock in 6 months time, he'll get all the blame, and then we just move on to the next fall guy.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
If you read every one of my posts I've been in support of Forest maintaining this run until the end of the season, so please don't get your back up that I don't think you're in a title race.
Why aren't you?
Because there's only one team in it now. Its already over unless they have major injuries.
You'll finish top 4 easy. Title - not a chance! We weren't in a title run last season when we were sat in second at Xmas - same thing for you now.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Is it though? They are 6 points clear and their game in hand is against Everton isn't it? I don't have the stats but how many teams have bottled a 9 point lead in Jan/Feb? Newcastle in 95/96 is generally considered the biggest bottlejob ever, and they were 10 points clear after Christmas (according to Wikipedia), which was cut to 7 points when they lost to United shortly after. It's done and dusted. Forest are playing for top four, which, let's face it, is still incredible.
Swango1980
Well-known member
If you don't think you will win the title, then surely in your opinion you are not in a title race?
I'd have thought you can only be in a title race if you actually think you have a chance of winning the title.
I'd say it is a subjective remark anyway. For me, I think you are in a title race as I think you could win it, albeit the odds are slim.
Swango1980
Well-known member
But Everton just beat the mighty Spurs. Everton could be at the start of a great run of results
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
No, its not at all actually.
Your season is brilliant so far but look at the table, you're still more than capable of dropping down to 8th, stop getting carried away about title races and just enjoy it for what it is at the moment!
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
My back isn't up, I just genuinely wanted to know why you considered that we weren't in a title race.
My assumption was that you considered that Arsenal were, and possibly Man City, Chelsea and maybe Newcastle. Sounds like I made the wrong assumption though, because Liverpool have already won it.
Yes, of course Liverpool are favourites at this point and it would take a brave man to gamble against them. But nevertheless, considering it's January, I think it's a massive call to say the title race is over.
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
I think we've got as good a chance as anyone else up there, that's my point.
But if I was a gambling man, I'd put my money on Liverpool.
It seems I'm in a minority in believing that the title isn't a 100% foregone conclusion though.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Even if Liverpool don't win, it won't have been a title race, it would be a bottlejob and someone else picking up the pieces.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
City are out of it - but probably finish top or 5. All depends on if they can pretty much do a City and win the remaining 17 odd games in a row.
Arsenal - weren't in it from week 1, no back bone and just keep slipping up.
Chelsea - too inconsistent - probably finish top 6 though.
Newcastle - were on a great run but stalled this weekend. They're in with a shout though.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
Even if Liverpool don't win, it won't have been a title race, it would be a bottlejob and someone else picking up the pieces.
Yeah I agree, the races were between City and Liverpool when they had 98 and 101 or something, 2/3 years of real battles acorss the whole season.
This season is more falling to the standard - top at Xmas means likely top after 38 games.
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
Even if Liverpool don't win, it won't have been a title race, it would be a bottlejob and someone else picking up the pieces.
Heh heh. Fair enough.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Think most looked at Forest for potential relegation due to the fact that the previous two seasons they finished 16th and 17th
