Forest fans are thinking that there might just be a God this morning. Bournemouth have just gone from being one of the most boring clubs in the league – even their badge is dull – to a kaleidoscope of comeback colour with a miraculous 4-3 victory over Luton Town. It’s very satisfying for Forest fans but it’s only temporary relief until Saturday. If Luton beat us on Saturday, we could be as much as nine points below them.
There are plenty of games to go – more than enough to move out of the relegation zone – and there will be more peaks and troughs to deviate our stress levels. This season can’t be good for the health of Forest fans because, since the Arsenal defeat at home, there has been so much to think about, and the most significant aspect of Forest’s performances is the points deduction that hangs over us like a nuclear winter.
I’m now seeing Forest move into full depression mode, disintegrating into a mediocre Championship side before my very eyes as they fail to concentrate for the entire game, gifting the opposition with needless freekicks, unforced passing errors, and displaying an absence of composure in front of goal.
Who is actually enjoying this season?
There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered surrounding the club and it’s been an ugly monster of a season.
I can’t imagine any Forest fan saying that they have actually enjoyed the Premier League this year. Even looking back, my future self is unlikely to meet another sane Forest fan who is going to say what an enjoyable 2023/24 they had, witnessing a combination of good football and sublime refereeing techniques.
Regardless of the league position, all Forest fans are thinking the same: in 2024, Premier League football is utter shite.
Forget the injustices, Forest have messed up and they only have themselves to blame.
We’ve had injuries, AFCON, points deductions, crap referees, pointless VAR, PSR and FFP; a manager dismissal, ball displacement, Harry Arter’s contract, a set-piece coach, poor recruitment and loan deals that only make sense in a parallel universe but, despite all this negativity, back-to-back wins will resolve all these problems and see us clear of the relegation fight.
The emotion of football is draining for football fans and it must be even more emotional for the Luton players who would’ve prepared for the Bournemouth game and gone in at halt-time with a sense that the game had already been won with three points in the hat.
Luton fans will be blaming the players for throwing the game away but, similarly, Forest have also messed up against so many teams this season. The culmination of previous results now means that the game away to Luton is, without any stretch of the imagination, a must-win game. It doesn’t matter which way we look for the blame, Forest should have won more games on their own merit; with their innate match-winning capabilities.
The players need to take the external factors out of the equation and put in performances that overwhelm whatever a referee can get away with. If the referee and VAR fail to send a player off for a career-threatening challenge on Neco, or Boly gets sent off for making a perfectly timed challenge, the players should react and seek revenge with a passing display to rival an exhibition game in Rio.
If Forest can just defend well for the next ten games, complete a string of successful passes and provide a sublime finish that makes Leonardo da Vinci look sloppy (Although da Vinci was renowned for taking ages to finish, he was a perfectionist par excellence), Forest will stay up.
Despite the disgraceful refereeing decisions and a VAR that isn’t fit for purpose, Forest are treading water in a deep relegation battle and they only have themselves to blame. Luton Town versus Nottingham Forest is a shoot-out.
Forest fans don’t need your apologies.
Forest fans feel so frustrated by the whole list of poor refereeing decisions that you’d be right to think that there is some kind of conspiracy with a corrupt Premier League mafia controlling the games to ensure that Liverpool wins the league in Klopp’s final season and the Manchester clubs maintain their status as a top 6 club.
The thing is – and most Forest fans are of this opinion – no matter how many apologies, letters or explanations are provided for Mark Klattenberg to pontificate over, it changes absolutely nothing; no additional points will be returned and the forthcoming points deduction will not be cancelled.
We can’t hide behind these poor decisions and Forest needs to show more creativity in front of goal, stop making so many unforced errors, and defend like survival depends on it, because it does.
The echo of complaints from Forest appears to exacerbate the situation. The more Forest complains, the more decisions seem to go against us. The Moder challenge on Neco was so late and vicious, that it could’ve been rehearsed as a shower scene in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It was shocking from every angle and had Neco’s foot been firmly planted, he would have needed a new ankle.
Control is Everything
Luton sees themselves as favourites going into the next game, they will sense victory, and Forest will need to control the game and take their chances in front of goal. Luton will be as aware as I am that Forest has only won six games from twenty-eight and they will analyse how Forest are like a team of vampires from an Anne Rice novel: vulnerable from crosses.
The game against Brighton saw our 18th goal conceded from a set-piece this season and they can’t let themselves get in the position of vulnerability against a team that loves crossing as much as a young Van Helsing.
The Luton Town game is like a paradoxical play-off final. We know that Forest must win the game but it still has the added benefit of survival despite the result. The points deduction may well be in place by Saturday, the team will know before the fans, and Forest will need to take all three points away from the game. It’s a must-win game on a psychological level as much as anything.
Gunned Down by the Gunners
Going back to the Arsenal defeat, it must be said that it wasn’t an overwhelming victory for The Gunners. It was clear from the first five minutes that Arsenal were there for the taking.
Unlike against Brentford, Arsenal were without a superstar, gambling target man who could take us down with one displaced freekick.
If Turner’s legs weren’t as wide as a Kardashian’s at a reggae festival, Forest would’ve maintained their undefeated record at home against the Gunners.
Almost robbed by the Robins
Forest gave the fans value for money on a cold Wednesday night in the F.A. Cup when they left it late to beat Bristol City. Taiwo Awoniyi marked his return with yet another match-winner, albeit with the 5th and final penalty of a tense shootout.
Having watched the Blackpool and Bristol games whereby Forest scraped through, it worries me and makes me wonder if this is our level; if Forest are a championship club for another two decades.
Same old story
A bird renowned for pinching stuff is the magpie, and yet again Forest were defeated by poor refereeing decisions against the Newcastle Magpies where a penalty opportunity was taken from us.
Ultimately let down by the absence of VAR technology which clearly isn’t fit for purpose, we must ask the question ‘What is VAR there for?’
The Taiwo trip was an obvious penalty as the keeper’s flailing arm intentionally rose to a height convenient enough to unbalance the Forest striker who occasionally has a touch like a baby elephant.
If there was ever a time for a team of paid assessors to intervene in the face of a clear and obvious refereeing error, the Newcastle game was it.
If the same happens when Marcus Rashford is tripped in the same manner, there will be no hesitation from the referee to award a penalty. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that Liverpool won’t face the same injustice in Klopp’s last season. A referee won’t deny a top-six side the chance to gain an advantage away at a small, provincial club like Forest.
Premiership Status for Forest Fans
Before the Newcastle defeat, I was being shot down by those who correctly informed me that the Newcastle game wasn’t a must-win contest. Obviously, Forest can still stay up if they fail to lose several forthcoming fixtures as long as there is no point deduction and the teams below us fail to take any points from the next ten games – neither of which is going to happen.
Like many other Forest fans, I have been thinking about relegation long before we got to this point because statistics and data is there for a reason. Patterns and historical facts tell us why certain events culminate in disaster. Take this weekend for example. This weekend could be decided with quite a few goals, in a closely fought contest where Forest concede goals from crosses, because that is what the stats tell us. Luton score goals and Forest are incapable of getting through 98 minutes without conceding. Forest switch off for moments and that is an issue for us.
Luton create chances – there will be an onslaught – they are certainly capable of punishing us, and Forest need to be absolutely perfect in front of goal.
The rut has to stop; trends have to come to an end, and Forest will need to work hard to readjust the data. Every mistake Forest make – and this is worse than any other team – results in a goal for the opposition.
Everton in Reverse
The change in the FFP rules and the duality of Everton’s points reversal shows that, unfortunately, the people running the show don’t know what they are doing. More importantly and positively, this equates to a feeling that Forest may only suffer a small points deduction rather than a hefty one.
Like VAR, FFP and PSR do nothing but further the success of the big clubs and serve no purpose for those clubs who can’t even afford to get embroiled in an FFP breach. The figures they are playing with are archaic, especially when you consider that half of Forest’s squad equates to the value of Declan Rice, England’s most overrated defensive midfield player.
Inconsistencies and basic errors.
The unforced errors and the shoddy defending from set-pieces have got to stop. There are goals in this Forest side and if the squad can maintain the habit of averaging 2 goals per game, they just need to ensure that they only concede one, as opposed to the odd 2 or 3 from corners, freekicks, not tracking back, and the obligatory stray pass at the back.
Teams around us such as Crystal Palace, Brentford and Bournemouth aren’t as safe as they looked a month ago and, despite the reversal, Everton are no strangers to points deductions and they must feel like an interrogated CIA captive who just can’t give any more information; just waiting to be blindfolded and dropped in a Haitian jungle at the dead of night.
Unpredictable Premiership
As corrupt and unjust as the Premier League may seem, it is also very unpredictable. Who would’ve bet on Sheffield United going to Kenilworth Road and taking all three points? Who would’ve put £50 on Bournemouth scoring four second-half goals against Luton last night?
Even the Sheffield United manager himself was so overwhelmed by the unlikely victory away at Luton that he planned to contemplate the result by getting absolutely shitfaced.
I don’t think Chris Wilder intended to intoxicate himself in a celebratory manner either. I reckon he was so shocked by the result that the disbelief hit him like someone who had just been abducted by aliens.
Despite the realisation of the existence of extra-terrestrial beings, he just wanted to enjoy the chance in a million encounter, and the only way he could deal with the disbelief was through lager infusion. Alcohol was the only way to realign his senses and prepare him for further encounters.
Put your money on Forest this weekend.
Forest getting a points deduction and being shafted by crap referees and a useless VAR panel is where you should be putting your money right now.
I have to stop myself when discussing football clubs such as Brentford, Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Luton Town because I can’t believe that I find myself comparing them as equals to Nottingham Forest with, potentially, a superior status from the start of next season.
I mean, potentially, the worst of this year’s Premier League plus Leicester and a team such as Coventry City or Ipswich Town could be playing at a higher level than Everton and Nottingham Forest next season.
Well, at least Ipswich Town have more than 12,000 home fans per game and have won a major European trophy.
Hammering the Hammers
West Ham put four past Brentford the other night making the Forest performance look like a perfect show of attacking football and defensive prowess. The 2-0 victory against The Hammers was reminiscent of a team that had found the kind of momentum required to move on and up the league, away from the points deduction and the threat of relegation. Instead, West Ham are now seventh and Forest are seventeenth!!!
Danilo is the most inconsistent Brazilian since Adriano.
A Forest Fan’s favourite since ariving from Palmeiras, Danilo can be a sensational wonder on the ball and I love our Brazilian stars at the club. However, for every two great games, he is a woeful shell and puts in a performance that rivals a hallucinating drunken master caught in a straightjacket. For those of you who can remember Adriano, you will recall that the former Inter Milan striker made inconsistency an art form. Similar to Danilo, he could be man-of-the-match for two games and then play the next two games like the worst player in the league.
It wasn’t that Danilo didn’t do anything spectacular with the ball against Villa, without the ball he just wasn’t a real presence; marking fresh air and shadows at times. Against Brighton, Danilo couldn’t pass a parcel if it was ticking. He needs to shine in his next game because he is due a good game.
Les Éléphants in the room
Another disappointment is ACFON champ, Ibrahim Sangaré. He came with all the anticipation of a midfield-commanding general with the touch of Zidane, but the Ivory Coast star has the persona of a player who struggles to get out of bed in the morning.
If his autobiography is ever published, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it spent his playing days at Forest competing on FIFA until 4 am, binging on Netflix, drinking Jägermeister, and spending £40,000 on Deliveroo takeaway food.
Too many Villains at Villa
You can’t pin the defeat against Villa on one particular player, the majority of them were equally culpable.
The choice of left-back was a surprise and Yates’ slice that plunged into the Holte End was probably the worst miss of the season. Elanga lost the concept of time in front of goal, Murillo looked like an average Championship player, and the catalogue of defensive errors that paved the way for Villa’s fourth goal was like watching Division Five in a Sunday morning league.
However, Forest are scoring goals under Nuno and I feel that, within the last 12 games, Forest can dig themselves out of this unholy mess if they just stop leaking goals like a supertanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company.
I’m not taking anything away from Villa as they were quite exceptional and Forest were beaten by a much better team. Having said that, I feel that if Forest had concentrated for the full 90 minutes, they could’ve got something out of the game.
Morgan took his goal well but one of the few Forest players who came out of the game with any credit was Origi. If Elanga had put his chance away, Origi would’ve had two assists for that game. I don’t want to criticize Niakhate too much either because he’s not the only defender to lose a dance battle with Leon Bailey and Villa aren’t fourth in the league because they are crap.
Villa are a really good side and started particularly well. If you cast your mind back to the corresponding home game, Unai Emery said that Villa found it difficult because they conceded away from home very early on, courtesy of an Ola Aina strike.
Villa were particularly poor when they faced The Reds at the City Ground game but they really turned up at Villa Park and proved what a great team they can be when they ignite, and Forest hand them opportunities with unforced errors down one side.
Tactically, Forest didn’t work against Villa but at least Nuno’s changes thwarted the onslaught in the second half. At one point, it felt as if Forest were heading for an embarrassing 7-0 defeat with 9 men because both centre-backs were on early yellow cards.
Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been looking forward to the Manchester United Cup clash but I just couldn’t be bothered with it. It’s no surprise that the BBC chose to televise a VARchester United game and no doubt the pundits spent 30 minutes talking about the woes of arguably the most famous club in the world and the potential tie with Liverpool, even before a ball had been kicked.
Jermaine Jens had to remind them where they were and what the occasion was.
Rashford was the most talked about player of the evening, despite his mediocre performance and the inevitable VAR decision that gave favour to United. I’m sure the BBC will be happier when the Premiership consists of just six big clubs.
“If you don’t play nicely, I’ll take your ball away.”
Honestly, I wasn’t disappointed to see Forest lose against Liverpool, it was how they lost the game that was so painful. I was deliriously happy that they didn’t pick up any more injuries following the FA Cup tie as it was obvious that Forest would need a fit squad of strong players to face a Liverpool side that has been flying since the announcement of Klopp’s departure.
It was always going to be a difficult game but, since Klopp’s public farewell, it seems as if the team have been motivated to push on and win everything within sight. Coincidently, it appears to have encouraged referees to play an additional nine minutes if Liverpool aren’t winning.
Naively, despite the poor defending record against weaker teams, I still thought that Forest could get results against either Man U or Liverpool.
I’m not surprised that VAR gave VARchester United the nod but we would’ve got a point against Liverpool if the referee had played nicely and given our ball back.
R for Relegation
I can’t lie, I’m nervous about relegation and the Luton game. It’s creeping ever closer, like Jimmy Savile’s shadow in the last few miles of an evening marathon, approaching an unsupervised orphanage as the sun sets over Yorkshire.
Brighton and Over the ball with studs showing.
It’s every week now and a show of defiance against referees now ensures that the big decisions go against us. Even the Brighton fans, watching on from the seats of the Amex library, were anticipating the removal of Jakub Moder after his reckless challenge on Neco Williams – deservedly our player of the month.
Again, Forest weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and they dealt with a cross like the Prince of Darkness in a Hammer House of Horror display at the near post.
Like the depleted Arsenal side, Brighton were without key players and it was an opportunity to go there and take a point or three into the Luton game on Saturday.
It wasn’t a great performance, it wasn’t even a poor performance, it just wasn’t a winning performance, and this is what you get: bottom-of-the-league relegation battles.
Dog Kennel Road
I like Luton, I hope they stay up. They have a depressing stadium with hardly any fans but they have spirit and they don’t employ destructive egos at the club. Subsequently, on merit, they probably deserve to stay up. They appear more determined than Forest, more positive in attack, and they aren’t shy on the counter either.
On paper, you’d put Forest a good eight places higher than Luton in the League but, if Forest fail to score on Saturday – something they haven’t done for a good 4 ½ hours now – Luton will stay up and Forest are going to be the lame dog that leaves Dog Kennel Road and trundles up the A52 to Derby again next season with its tail between its legs.
Forest are now due a goal or two but I still feel a draw in my bones. If I unwind my Garibaldi scarf and look at the game from a neutral perspective – perhaps that of a Manchester United fan who lives in Rotterdam, Hull, or Manilla – I would go for a 2-2 draw, maybe even 3-3.
Which Forest team will turn up on Saturday?
Will it be Villa at home or Villa away?
If Forest can remain completely focused, fire on all cylinders in front of goal, and get Elanga and Hudson-Odoi powering up the wings to create opportunities, Forest can win this game comfortably as long as they don’t get sloppy at the back.
I don’t think it will be a goalless affair for either side but Forest need to take the initiative and play with energy and intent.
The psychological edge rides with Luton on this one because they are looking at the horizon with nothing to lose. Forest, however, have the talent and the experience to bring us hope but, alas, the club has everything to lose as the points deduction will crash home like space debris if we don’t get three points away from home this weekend.
If Forest can win convincingly, Luton will feel that it’s all over after the Bournemouth defeat. Similarly, Forest may also feel downtrodden following the continual refereeing injustices – week-in-week-out – and the impeding deduction.
I mean, what was the Luton team talk at half-time? Where they laughing and joking, adding the three points to the table and contemplating points at home to Forest on Saturday? They really messed up, big style.
We can blame officials as much as we like but, if we are looking up from the Championship next season, it will be because we lost to the likes of Luton Town and are deservedly back in the second tier of English football, where many like to think we belong – COYR!
