My take on the Forest game

I went to the game with a Forest season ticket holder who I work with. As I work in the East Midlands there are a few Forest fans at work (along with Derby fans) and I get to hear their weekly reports on their club's fortunes. Going into this game my work colleague was saying that they were typically bossing the midfield in games, looking very solid at the back, but were not taking their chances up front. I didn't give us much of a hope before the game and thought we'd do well to get a point. Over a pre-match pint I said that Darius Henderson had been a real pain in the backside to us over the years and so I was glad that he wasn't starting.

For the first five minutes we were bright and were the better side. We started at a good tempo and had a couple of half chances. Inevitably, this didn't last, and I say that not because of any failings on our side but because Forest are a strong side at home. Their midfield started to create the chances. They were constantly looking for the little slide pass to their two forwards and we were struggling to cope. We were lucky to keep them out until we did and, at that point, I did think we might be on for a 4 to 5 goal hiding.

But we got the penalty. I can't say from my vantage point of the away end whether it was a penalty or not, but my Forest workmate said Perkins didn't need much contact to go over. A good penalty from Chris and were back in the game.

The rest of the half was theirs. We had two main problems from what I could see. Firstly, Dawson. He repeatedly kept drifting in to the middle of the park from his right-side position. The space this gave Andy Reid was criminal. Reid may not have the physique but he certainly has the brain of a Premiership footballer. On a number of occasions he used the space afforded to him intelligently and, quite simply, we rode our luck for some time. The second problem was M'Voto. If we were playing against a hit-it-high team then he'd be okay; he wins his fair share of aerial ball, but against a team who play it on the deck, oh dear. He struggled repeatedly and I have to say it was with some relief that we didn't see him in the second half.

Of course by this time we were 2-1 down and deservedly so. An early goal would've killed us but we rallied and we started to play a higher line. We got back in to the game and, whilst I wouldn't say we ever had Forest on the ropes, we were certainly making a bit more of a contest of it. Playing Jim in the middle ahead of either Mellis or Cywka was a strange one, and Cywka's introduction was welcome. His free kick for 2-2 was a belter. It went in like a bullet, though there may be a question mark over the position of the Forest wall.

Forest then came back at us again but we were holding on and I was beginning to think that we just might steal a point. Then Henderson came on and I thought 'here we go again' and, of course, there we went again.

I can't complain at the final score. Over the 90 minutes they definitely deserved it and, for me, they'll be in the top six at the end of the season. As for us, I'm not too disheartened. I'll feel more confident when we get Cranie and Nyatanga fully fit.

For today, I'd like to give praise to Chris O'Grady. Strong intelligent play, just unfortunate that he has little support alongside him. Perkins made himself busy, but still holds on to the ball too long and runs into trouble. I hardly noticed Etuhu or Jennings.

The away support still seem to be behind Flicker and for that I'm glad. So we should be. A point at Bournemouth and three at home on Saturday and it'll look a whole lot better.

 

Great post, as always.

Agree with all of it, too.

 

I was disappointed with Etuhu, he was hardly in the game. I'd like to see him burst forward with the ball using his power and pace but whenever he got the ball he just passed it sideways. He didn't get close to their midfielders out of possession either.

I'd like to praise Dawson, I thought he did well. The commentators on the stream gave him our MOTM. I thought Reid played just as centrally as Dawson did.

 

That's the game I saw. I wouldn't necessarily blame Dawson though. I think he was asked to play inside. I thought the problem was we didn't play with a right sided midfielder, not that Dawson drifted away from that position.