Forest fans currently have a lot to be frustrated about. If it’s not VAR and poor referees, it’s FFP, PSR, injuries, AFCON and silly defensive errors coupled with non-existent goalkeepers.
But do Forest have themselves to blame for putting themselves in a potential relegation position?
Since the beginning of last season, Forest have dropped 49 points from winning positions, and the 19 points they have dropped so far this season would’ve seen Forest rise to a top-six position.
The reality is that Forest have lost 3-2 five times this season and four of those games were away. If you go away and score 2 goals on four occasions, you would expect to come away with at least a point. Instead, Forest have conceded unnecessarily.
Cheating is a Paradox
We are all aware of how the most creative players look to gain an advantage whenever possible; looking for an angle or a slight window of opportunity, and how this often results in cheating.
Apparently, young children who tell lies are upheld as intelligent as they have learned to manipulate a situation by shifting the truth and breaking rules.
Cheating is paradoxical. A Gibbs-White goal that follows a slight of hand over the referee’s foam would be cheered and celebrated by Forest fans. It’s like laughing at a sick joke only for our faces to take on a serious countenance and say, “I don’t think we should be laughing at that.”
We will continue to applaud and be appalled by ingenious cheats.
It’s a competitive world out there and everyone seeks to gain an advantage when and wherever they can, and footballers are no exception. There are boundaries in all walks of life and people will continue to push them.
We’ve all seen defenders deliberately chop down quick wingers when they can’t keep up with them, and it’s called a professional foul. The defender takes a hit for the team with a yellow card and the rest of the team pat him on the back after the game and congratulates him for stopping the opposition from potentially scoring.
Two of my all-time favourite players, Diego Maradona and Thierry Henry were both creative, very entertaining to watch, skilful, inspirational, and cheats.
The Maradona Show
I remember the state of confusion after being incensed by the Hand of God incident against England and then being captivated and amazed by El Diego’s incredible second goal, twisting and gliding like an eel through England’s futile defence.
Maradona’s sublime first touch that allowed him to change direction and gain momentum was even labelled as the Maradona turn, and we practised it religiously as kids.
Often voted the Goal of the Century, I have come to forgive Maradona for his crime because he somehow redeemed himself with a beautiful goal that I never get tired of watching.
In fact, the irony is, the second goal probably wouldn’t have stood today either because there was a clear and obvious foul on Glenn Hoddle prior to Maradona receiving the ball.
An amazing player with an almost unbelievable talent, Maradona showed his abilities on the biggest stage and I was delighted to see him deservedly lift the World Cup in that tournament, despite knocking England out.
Like Messi, he was Argentinian and the best player in the world at the time, and we like to see the best players win. There is some justice in that.
I’m not saying that what Toney did was justified but that is what winners do, they find ways to win.
The Thierry Henry Show
For those of you who can’t comprehend why I have labelled Thierry Henry a cheat, I’ll ask you to cast your mind back to November 18th, 2009 – https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/thierry-henry-handball-france-vs-ireland-world-cup-2010-play-off-controversy-explained/bltbd0d04e8348f4b96
In the second leg of a World Cup play-off in Paris, Thierry Henry provided an extra-time assist for William Gallas after scooping the ball with his hand to prevent it from going out of play.
The goal was so controversial that the Irish FA and Irish politicians were vehemently engaged in a battle with FIFA to resolve the injustice by replaying the game.
Of course, FIFA refused to grant Ireland a replay and France subsequently qualified for the 2010 World Cup.
Similarly, Forest were incensed with Ivan Toney’s intellectual outwitting manoeuvre and subsequently complained to the Premier League and the PGMOL which, apparently, nobody likes because sore losers are frowned upon.
How to Stop the Cheats
Coincidently, following Thierry Henry’s handball, former Forest and Republic of Ireland legend, Roy Keane, blamed the Irish defence for allowing the ball to bounce in the six-yard box. He wasn’t overly concerned with the cheating because it’s not avoidable; it happens. However, the defence could have thwarted an opportunity for a player to benefit from cheating.
You might not be able to stop the cheats but what you can do is ensure that your team doesn’t have results determined by the actions of the opposition.
If Mangala hadn’t made a clumsy challenge on the edge of the area, Ryan Yates had committed to his instincts and moved the wall, and Matt Turner hadn’t assumed the persona of a ghost, Ivan Toney’s return would have been a mundane affair that left Brentford fans content with his inevitable departure to a ‘bigger and better club’.
The Shit Show
To be honest, the whole thing was a shit show. Brentford welcomed his return like a victory parade and the SKY pundits gave him the adulation of someone offering sexual favours.
The BBC discussed Ivan Toney’s return following his gambling spree but they didn’t discuss Danilo’s superb volley, a perfectly legal goal that will arguably rival the very best goals of the season.
Jamie Carragher said himself that he was going to give Toney the Man of the Match award before he’d even kicked a ball. The whole drama just stinks of everything that is wrong with football.
This is a man who, through his own actions, had sidelined himself with no remorse for his incessant gambling.
He received wages and support from a club where he has no intention of remaining. He has no loyalty to Brentford.
Toney then tried to justify ball displacement in a game where his performance on the day was nothing more than mediocre. His goal wouldn’t have stood if the referee had been more vigilant.
We all knew Toney was a cheat and we all knew where he was going to hit the freekick, just like Forest knew the rules regarding FFP and PSR.
When BetFred Toney lined up to hit that freekick with the look of a pensioner approaching a coin-operated fruit machine in a Las Vegas Casino, I stood up in front of the television, shouting, “He’s going to hit it near post like he did before….he’s gonna go near post!…. He’s gonna hit it n……………FFS!”
Unlike Match of the Day, I’m going to mention Danilo’s goal and submit it for the Premiership Goal of the Month award.
Unfortunately, with Match of the Day being based in Brentford, Roulette Toney’s freekick will probably receive an award to celebrate his return and his outspoken wish to leave Brentford.
Where do Forest go from here?
Nuno has got his work cut out and Forest only have themselves to blame. I don’t want to make this sound like Eminem’s rap in 8 Mile but Forest did break PSR; Forest did throw points away from winning positions; Forest did make amateurish defensive errors and goalkeepers at Forest need to keep more clean sheets.
You can’t come back at me with anything after that because it’s all too bloody true. I know there is some mitigation in the PSR charges but, let’s face it, we are looking at a points deduction.
Progressive and Exciting
There are a lot of positives to take into the rest of the season that might just help Forest get out of this mess in 2024.
For a start, Ivory Coast play Senegal this weekend which means that we will see the return of some players – hoorah!
Chris Wood is looking more like a Premiership striker now and Taiwo is looking over his shoulder. Elanga will hopefully be back soon, as will MGW, and the football under new Nuno management is far more progressive and exciting. Despite the setbacks and similarities to Leicester City last season, I really think Nuno can light a spark within this Forest side and get us away from relegation.
Again, I’ve not got much love for the Bristol City game. Of course, I’d like to see Forest come away with a win and progress, but I just see the tie as a nuisance, bringing forth the potential for injury and fatigue before a vital home game against Arsenal.
If Forest lose without injury and beat Arsenal on Tuesday, it won’t be as frustrating as next year’s PSR rule change when we’ll be saying, “If Forest had come up last season, there wouldn’t have been a breach.” Having said that, we can’t look back in anger at the season, we just have to get on with it and start to win more games without having to score at least 4 goals per game – COYR!
