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September Fan Talk
Posted on: Thu 30 Sep 2010
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What a contrast in the last two games at The City Ground. We all know Swansea play delightful football with little if any physical contact being made between opposing players. Ok it got them nowhere on Saturday as we replied with some exquisite football of our own. So could we repeat it against Sheff Utd and what should BD do in terms of team selection? Would he keep the same eleven that played so well or counter the Blades more direct and fighting approach with our own man of steel up front. Poor Billy found himself in an impossible position. He would be chastised by those saying we should keep a winning team or piloried by others demanding a team selection capable of handling the hard men from Yorkshire.
In the end I think BD got it right bringing on Adebola after 60 mins. The game changed from that point with our short passing being replaced by a constant barrage of high balls to our robust and sturdy man up front.
Before that we played the ball on the ground with regularity.How pleasing to see Mr Camp being able to roll the ball out to his colleagues and thereby keep possession. From that point however we seemed to lose the ability to push forward and create problems to Sheffields defence. It may help if some of our players are picked to play in their customary positions. For my mind following a superb game against Swansea Chambers looked most uncomfortable on Tuesday night as he tried to move forward along the left side of the pitch.
Shefield made it very difficult for us of course with some compromising tackles going unchecked by one of the worst referees seen at The City Ground for ages. Regrettably we also demostrated a certain naivety in our play but in the end we got another point against a team determined not to leave empty handed.
I sincerely hope in addition to playing good football we also demostrate we are able to give as much as we receive as I`m quite sure we will have to battle hard in our next two games if we are to come away with anything.
John Rider (Old Timer) Worksop
Just want to say well done to all the Forest staff, from the Board through to Billy and the players, down to the ticket sellers and tea lady, for helping to make a relitively sucessful start to the season. All things considering, we're getting things together nicely and could be in with a real shout of promotion with a few tweaks, additions, plenty of detirmination + work, and a little luck.
4pts out of Swansea + Sheff Utd is a good return, and if the lads can keep their feet on the ground and continue to follow Billy's philosiphy of playing like men and avoid the influences of the glass-backed model wannbee's so many footballers are nowadays then we'll go far.
The future's bright. The future's Red.
Red Jester
An excellent win on Saturday and I agree with TB Red that Mcgugan could play behind Blackstock bearing in mind that he is now our top goalscorer. It is obvious that the left back position is the first position that has to be filled on a permanent basis. Bertrand is an obvious pick but I can't see Chelsea letting him go they appear to be struggling with injuries already. I have also tried to see how Julian Bennett is faring at Crystal Palace but he played for the last 45 minutes in the last match when they got beat 5 - 0 by Derby. Also he has struggled a bit with Hamstring problems. The January window will all too soon be upon us. I am sure this problem is uppermost in the mind of the management and I do'nt expect to know what the plans are as regards new players that maybe coming in. In fact I hope we all keep quiet (fans included) come January. Rumour control will again rear its ugly head with a lot coming from players agents trying to earn another fee!!! My only other point is that it is strikers who in the main score the goals. Look at Jamie Mackie (8) and QPR Goal Difference +20.
Rod W
APOLOGIES READERS
In the excitement and celebration of having witnessed the Reds defeat of the Swans, I got my Tysons and Perchs mixed up, when commenting on the own goal scored by our Ex Red Warrior - James Perch.
It was only after seeing on the website, in advance of tonight's match against the Blades, that Nathan Tyson was in line for a recall to the team, that I realised my mistake. Apologies Nathan for the premature notification of your transfer to Newcastle!! It was only a rumour, mistakenly started here!! Hope Billy picks you to play tonight!! However, if he does make sure you score at the right end!!
Hopefully a big crowd tonight, with the ever increasing volume of support from the loyal Red faithfull celebrating another home victory.
Come on Ye Redddddddddddddddds
RED EYE
Good performance on Saturday, hoping that the Reds can do the same again, against the blades. I am aware that Mcgugan and Majewski are competing for almost for the same spot but I would be interested to see them both play together, because in my opinion Mcgugan might as well play up front he is great in and around the box and is good with his back to goal. But did no one else spot how classy Majewski looked when he came on for ten minutes, picked passes, quick feet and hardly lost the ball once, and although Mcgugan played extremely well Majewski just looked to get on the ball more. He almost looked a class above and took his goal superbly. I just wonder whether Mcgugan could play upfront and have Majewski in the team, I think that would be an extremely talented team in the Championship, either way I believe we have great options and generally believe that we dont need Pratley as Mcgugan is like a new signing. The spine of our team is good. I genuinely think if we bought Pratley we would have too much competition in the middle of the park, a wide player like Nathan Dyer would certainly have an impact at Forest.
TB Red
Just like to congratulate Billy and the team for an excellent win on Saturday. we played some lovely football at time and the build up to Andersons shot was amazing we must have passed the ball 30 or more time. Some excellent individual performances but it would be unfair to mention names as the team were all up to the mark. Loved the way that Lee Camp ran down to celebrate with the players when Raddy scored the 3rd goal, just goes to show what a tight neat squad we have that want to be and play together. Just one little thing we still need a couple of loans to give us some back up in case of injuries or suspensions, however we do need to be careful and not rock the boat by getting the wrong players.
So lets look forward to Tuesday and secure a second home win and 3 more points.
COME ON YOU REDS
Garry Rugby
Excellent performance gunning those Swans down.
Stay focussed Billy and your Warriors become inspired to produce great performances.
Thank goodness we didnt get Mr Pratley, based on yesterday's performance.
Looks like Tyson was a good sell by the Board, particularly in view of his excellent OWN goal for Stoke against Newcastle today!
Bertrand, our England U21 loanee left back from Chelsea, is a class player and gives us an additional attacking dimension. He can also cross the ball as well as tackle.
Great atmosphere and plenty of noise throughout the game on Saturday - Well done the Red Fans!!
Now lets put the Blades to the sword on Tuesday!!
U Redddddds
RED EYE
Well what a great advert for Championship football. I thought both teams were lively and creative but Forest were a class act. The movement and positive energy was great to watch and as always the fans responded to the efforts of the players. Thank goodness Lewis is showing Billy what the rest of us knew all along. Brilliant performance from him. It also goes to show what a red herring all this transfer business is. A few players really shone on Saturday and Pratley certainly wasn't one of them. (wouldn't mind Dyer though) Swansea are one of our main competitors in this league and we had them run ragged at times. Forest were first to everything and moved the ball forward and to feet with real pace. Superb performance - keep it up lads.
Garybaldi Red
I just wanted to say what a fantastic performance against Swansea.
As a set of fans most would admit we're all to quick to criticise when things aren't perfect.
So I just wanted to heap the praise on the players, the manager, and his staff.
The players worked there socks off.
The tactics were spot on, the 2 holding midfielders doing the man to man work on Pratley and I think it was Allen by The Moose and The Captain respectively worked perfectly, the tactics we're spot on and the players we're top draw. I thought Moose was man of the match.
McGugan will surely keep his place in the side, he ran and ran, and the unexpected becomes the norm with him, not always the hardest worker, but I thought he really put in a shift Saturday, and is deservedly in the side at the moment.
Great day all round and I look forward to following it up against the blades Tuesday, love turning them over and if we play like that again there is no doubt we will!
Andy Walker
Chuffed about our result against Swansea. Will give Mr Pratley something to think about...Ha! I may be being unfair if the circumstances are that Darren wasn't allowed a transfer.
Lewis Mcgugan is playing out of his skin. At last he is showing what he has always promised to do. Not just Lewis though, I thought Luke Chambers also played a blinder.
This season has a familiarity about it. Not completely identical to last season but there are signs that it could go the same way. Which is the worry. Steady progress into mid season and then they may start to feel the pinch. I hope the progress continues but along with many I am more than serious about strengthening the squad, as the guys we have just might feel that pinch come January. That's when the familiarity will show again and we will not be strong enough to cope. Strong enough in numbers that is.
The team is pulling together really well at the moment, after the cold start they have warmed up slowly, with those irritating score draws which were plentiful, but at least were not losses. I believe they helped us to gain a mentality that we can hold our own against anyone.
Overall I am happy right now with the progress. Not shooting off like QPR who I hope will run out of puff at some point. Steady progress will help get an understanding about where we are and what we will need to do. QPR are flying and I hope they are harbouring a false sense of security. We'll see.
C'mon you reds, onwards and upwards.
Rowen Udell.
Well Done, Billy Davies and all of the squad. Returning dare I say to the good old days of the beginning of last season, exciting football up front and a secure defence - well nearly, Why the transformation good luck or bad luck has a part to play but also giving free rein to Lewis up front ala Gerrard but Lewis with better ball control skills! We all might now be saying whittingham and padley who are they ? Luke was always a centre back and not a right or left back and his last two matches have confirm the defence is more secure with him there than with Kelvin,and a small wager that he will score at least 5 goals in the season. Betrand must put pen to paper in January to avoid the same slip ups as last year. Finally some extra striker as an option up front - Healy, Austin\/
martin of wysall
Excellent win against Swansea.
Credit where credit is due and nice to see BD, the coaching staff and players rolling up the sleeves and knuckling down with what we have. Lewis McGugan finally coming good.
Still think we should get some more players in but I am not in charge am I.
Come on Reds lets beat the Blades Tuesday and get motoring!
Adele McGuinness
Hello Red Eye, Can't talk for other fans, but Forest needed to add to the squad not make it smaller-what more can I say. All the other news seems to be linked with injuries to our squad. The results so far have been average, newly promoted teams we should have done better like Watford against Millwall. Forest can't take our chances-games we have played are the same one good half, one bad-think we all agreed and were saying the same thing last season. The news now all revolves around injuries.
Good luck Forest, wish Earnie a speedy recovery.
Tony-Harrow
If we fans are being told the truth, then something is wrong.........VERY WRONG!!!!!!!
If it is true that Billy has recommended 60 players and it is true that money is available then why no results. We have been promised loan players but still nothing.
May I suggest that the Transfer Panel Mark Arthur & David Pleat are the ones not working.
Let Billy do his job. He got real bargains last year or is it that Pleat & Arthur expect more bargains again?
And for those that are saying Billy is knocking the team you should LISTEN to what is being said.
It is not better players we need it is more depth.
Think what will happen with even more injuries than we have now.
I must add that it was a great team performance against Millwall, Preston and Hull So well done to the Lads & Billy. Also to the fans who stuck with the team for the full 90min.
Did notice though that Mr Arthur waited till the team came on to the pitch before he took his seat against Milwall. Even then he was wearing dark glasses.
It is almost as if he did not want to be noticed.
YOU REDS!!!!!
Jon G Main Stand D Block
What has happened to the Reds fans? Why are you all not communicating via Fans Talk? Have we all been overwhelmed by that first away win for nearly a year and have been stunned into silence? Have the moaners lost the excuse to moan? Have the optimists reached such a euphoric state following that one win that they are focussing on working out the routes to the Premiership grounds next season? Are the waverers just waiting to see what happens against the Swans on Saturday? Maybe you have all set off for the City Ground already and havent time to write. Does this mean we will have a Full House on Saturday?
Billy D seems to have got the message from the Red Followers and appears to have stopped moaning for the time being. Well done Billy, we, like the Board, can only take so much of your moaning. Hopefully you are now fully focussed on Motivating our Red Warriors.
Looking forward to seeing the City Ground full of Noisey Red Fans on Saturday, as our Warriors help the Swans maintain their appaling away record!!
Hope the usual many correspondents with Fan Talk get back on the keyboards soon - in this instance Silence is Not Golden and if we dont use it, we may lose it!!
Come on Ye Redddddds
RED EYE
Good well fought game (Hull), should have come away with a goal or two. Earnie shame the linesman was level. Bertrand really is making a difference. And hey least we didn't lose, that means my Forest bathtime duck has been spared target practice. Great to see Mark Halsey fit and well again.
Happier Alnwick Red
I went to the P.N.E match last night, as it was practically a home game for me. First time I've managed to see us this season, and I thought it was a good performance. However, a few things sprang to mind: 1) We still need somebody who knows where the back of the net is (I do, but I'm a keeper with a ropey defence in front of me!) 2) Give Lewis a run of games. Let him show whether he's got a real future at the club. 3) Get Ryan Bertrand signed permanently in January or close season, he's quality. Me and my lad will be at the ground for the Swansea match. In the meantime, more of the same against Hull please.
You Reds.
Andy - Chorley Red
WELL DONE YOU RED WARRIORS - AN AWAY VICTORY AT LAST!!
Billy, please note, NO NEW PLAYERS PURCHASED, YET THE EXISTING RED WARRIORS PLAYED MAGNIFICENTLY AND WON!!
Keep faith in your existing squad, get the best out of what you have got, show faith in them. They have proved over the past year, THEY CAN DELIVER! STOP MOANING, about the lack of new signings etc, you have a sufficiently experienced squad of talented players with which to work. Get stuck into the job your employed to do. Focus on motivating your players to achieve their maximun potential for Nottingham Forest.
KEEP IT REAL BILLY AND SUCCESS WILL FOLLOW!!
Come on YOU REDS
RED EYE
Not much to say about the Millwall game other than another three points gone against another newly promoted club. Thought Forest with experience in the Championship are just not able to change up the gears and take the chances up front, can't afford a missed penalty, fantastic home support and agree with old timer, Mc Gugan made a decent impact and we managed to change up a gear, do we need more leaders on the pitch. Defence needs to keep a clean sheet, another major concern now is the injury, this time to Earnie.
Tony-Harrow
The Millwall game proved to be almost a repetition of our first match against Blackpool last season. We had our chances particularly in the second half but things simply didn`t go our way with David Forde in goal having the game of his life for the visitors. A missed penalty only added to our woes but if lady luck had been on our side we would surely have got the three points we thoroughly deserved.
A much improved performance then but I`m bound to say there are still problems to be sorted out, I`m sure the manager knows only too well what has to be done but as we are all aware his hands are tied well and truly behind his back.To make matters worse however long suffering Forest fans see teams such as Cardiff previously on the edge of administration being allowed to get a premiership player on their books and have his wages bankrolled in the process.
No moans about the performance on Saturday then? Well sorry---yes. We got caught out yet again with a simple looking cross into our penalty area which should have been defended easily. Regrettably this has happened too many times this season.
On the plus side the long overdue introduction of Mcgugan ten mins from the end of a very out of sorts Mckenna immediately injected life into the rest of the team. All of a sudden we appeared to be running around with more purpose with players actually wanting the ball.Why oh why are we unable to do that all the time?
On the other hand we have now played the three teams that gained promotion to The Championship this season. All their players are undoubtedly still full of confidence-----an attribute that sadly is lacking in our team at the moment. Hopefully a couple of wins will put that right?
John Rider (Old Timer) Worksop
Our club's management is a curious story, isn't it? Our chairman is a hugely successful businessman who has sunk a fortune into the club. As an investor in businesses through his company the message to management is "swim or you're out", and to cut funding to businesses that are going under, rather than pouring in good money after bad. But money poured into a football club is nothing but good money poured after bad. There's a saying borrowed from Freddie Laker (of SkyTrain fame in the airline industry) about how to become a millionaire soccer club owner: become a billionaire first and then buy a club.
The big financial problem with soccer is that it defies the normal logic of an industry that the biggest participants make the most money and the losers go under. The losers do not go under because a sugar daddy usually emerges, or else the courts allow the club to evade its debts to the Inland Revenue (i.e. to the taxpayers).
Then biggest participants have the largest losses - look at Barcelona.
So, for an owner, where is the best place to be? It has to be about 12th in the Premiership where the TV money is still rolling in but you don't have to lay out £200 mil to get from 6th to 3rd (Man City's predicament). Then you tread water there until the rest of the industry implodes. Forest fans ought to be perfectly happy with that (I would despair if they weren't after all that has happened).
This is what I find so puzzling, that our chair does not appear to be ruthlessly driving the club to the position where the financials make more sense to him personally, and getting rid of people in the management set-up who don't deliver. This sees to me like a stance that is 180 degrees different from the policies towards the non-soccer companies in which he invests.
Bob
Thames Ditton
I'd just like to voice my appreciation of Mark Arthur's explanation of Forest's disappointments in the transfer window and to thank the club for communicating this to the fans freely.
I honestly had no idea Nigel Doughty's personal contribution had been so much and any Forest fans that has been criticising him lately should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. The club is in an envious position: not only financially, but also in the fact that it is owned by a local fan, rather than someone with money to throw away on a folly that they don't properly understand, someone who's commitment is questionable. My appeal to Nigel is for him to remember that there is a vast silent majority who do not share the ignorant views of the inevitably more vocal boo boys. Most of us really appreciate everything he's done for the club and hope he'll continue doing so for many years.
Finally, thanks to Billy Davies for getting on with the job despite the undoubted frustrations we've had so far. From listening to the excellent coverage on radio Nottingham and reading the report (I moved to Australia 8 years ago) it sounds as though we've simply been unlucky so far. A bit of luck here and there and we'd have been in the top six. At the end of the day only three teams have lost fewer league games than us in the championship so let'd be positive and get behind the team. I certainly intend to when I'll be privileged to see them again in a few weeks when I return to Blighty.
Come on U reds!!!
Algis Kuliukas
I think that the team did great today, and us fans were back on form too!!
Anyway can i make a suggestion it may sound as if i am thick but if we don't have any money for new players can we ask nottingham county council for a share of the car park money they rake in every forest home game, when they charge for us forest fans ( and some away fans ) a fiver to park on the river embankment, they must take enough every home game to pay at least one players wages a month!!! Afterall its only when forest play at home they charge a fiver a car so we could ask for a share!! just a suggestion.
Yes i think we should have won, but getting the atmosphere back and drowning out the millwall fans made a draw a bit more bearable., It just proves how much fans think of the club when they get behind the team like we did today, we all love our club lets keep it up.!!
Lastly billy, dont want to tell you how to do your job but, can you please play mcgugan from the start so we may have a better chance of winning every game, dont know if its just me but we always up the tempo when he comes on!!!
well done lads and fans
karen
forest4eva
What a fantastic crowd today. I was proud to be a fan. Proper fans supporting the team. Billy said we were 12th man and Kenny Jackett said we were a great crowd. Just shows that the real fans turn up and do what real fans should do. Yes we express frustration and are unhappy with the recent bizarre events at the City Ground but we don't go to games to protest we go to games to do what we should do. When we do it well, we make a diference. Those that Mark Arthur refers to have proven to be very much in the minority and my guess is that they weren't even anywhere near the City Ground on Saturday. Take note Nigel.
Mark, Arnold
14 shots on target = one goal scored= quality striker needed.
Millwall = 6 shots on target = one goal scored = lazy Forest defence AGAIN= quality defender needed.
5 games played = 4 points on the board. 17th place. I dont think its good enough. Although its only 5 games in so plenty of time to get going and hopefully get amongst the high-flyers like Leeds.
Next 2 games away at teams who believe it or not are below us in the table. One of them should be a win at least or I feel that we shall be under too much pressure and players heads will drop.
We need 3 quality players to get going unless of course the chairman is happy to be a lower-midtable team. Although we cant keep drawing games and need to win some to at least stay up dont we?!
Adele McGuinness
I was pleased to hear that the club finally communicated with the fans about the reasons for not signing the players. I am somewhat concerned though that with the lack of signings it will mean us not being able to challenge like we did last season. A real concern!
I think Nigel Doughty has done great for the club myself but he needs to be careful making comments that we'll spend this and that in the summer and we want Premiership football. If he walked away now then I wouldn't blame him. The true fans crave Premiership football at all costs but in reality it isnt their money!
Why have we reduced the size of our playing squad if we knew we wouldnt sign players?
Hopefully we will have a steady season or maybe be in a position to challenge in January - Lets hope so!
Come on Forest!!!
Wesley, Ilkeston
In my opinion Mark Arthurs statement came too late for most of Nottingham Forest fans. There are many supporters who have lots of questions that he did not answer, for example why have players gone out on loan when we have no replacements?, why was James Perch 'SOLD' when others have not, I think it was good business if we got the money reported. But not to have replaced or added when we have a small squad, raises questions as to are we going backwards and has got fans excited expecting players who were replacing him. Also it is crystal clear we are not as strong as last season, how can we be?
Don't like Mark Arthur's suggestion or my interpretation ND will walk away from the club or not invest as it comes over as, don't question what's going on, just be happy you have a club. Not much empathy shown to the fans in my humble opinion.
Every fan would like to thank ND for putting in £2 for every £1 spent. Had ND not invested in players last season and we went down would he putting in even more than the £2?, if we don't achieve the playoffs, or because there were no signings what will this mean ND again has to pay more than £2?. I thank ND for the money he has invested in the Club and hope the club reach the Premiership and he makes a profit, which he deserves. Are we good enough, we will have to wait and see, one thing we have got whatever our opinion is love for the Club. I will always be a red and will only be supporting ND and anyone who wears the famous red shirts.
Tony-Harrow
Just a message to Billy Davies! Could you Please Please stop Moaning and Groaning about the lack of players coming into the Club!
It is starting to get very very boring now,yes i'm as annoyed as every other Forest Fan and i can't believe that we did'nt build on the squad in the Summer,but don't you think it's time to let go and just get the players we've got motivated and focused!
It's not helping keep coming on T.V and slating the Board! Yes we are totally useless at getting players in, but lets just get behind the lads and see what happens!
Come On You Reds
West Hallam Red
Time to leave the chairman alone people.
Give him and the team your BEST support and we will see a successful and prosperous Forest.
Mr. Doughty has been fabulous for this club, his business sense has made us financially secure.
Plain fact is we don`t, and probably never will, have the financial clout to win the Premier League.
So what; as long as we`re competitive in the Championship, which is a better league anyway, we`re OK.
The manager needs to accept this fact along with the supporters and enjoy working at our brilliant club.
Good luck to the lads for the rest of the season, maybe a few players brought in would be good but it`s NOT essential.
Brian Bowers
Billy just stop moaning and groaning and get on with the job. All this gripping just transmits negativity to the players who he is effectively saying aren't good enough…..How is that going to motivate the squad. The squad is pretty much the same as last years and we did ok with them, why aren't they good enough now?
Apparently its ok for Billy to moan about the players but if the fans boo or moan you then BD has a problem. Double Standards!
This rubbish statement he has come out with "My job is on the line", that's because he is talking his way out of the job. If I was as critical to my employer as BD is, then I wouldn't have a job. BD has done a great job up till now but if he carries on in this vein then I would be happy to see him go.
Just get on with it and coach the team we have.
Martin
Southern Red
Great interview by Mark Arthur, honest and succinct in my opinion.
Now let's get off their backs and see what happens.
Anyone intending to protest at the weekend must be one short of a six pack or plain stupid, given last years finishing position and the fact we are only a handful of games into the season it's so wrong to aggravate the situation, anymore than it is.
Don't forget we are not a big club, we are a club with great potential which is being run to balance books, I would hate to see Forest in a situation like Portsmouth.
This club does not pay wages over the odds, that is probably why Whittingham and Pratley never came in and other potential, media projected, loan targets are not arriving.
We, as Footy fans, spend to much time listening to newspaper men sensationalising situations to create a continuing media subject
Mansfield Micky
I am not one of the ardent anti-Doughty following and think that he tries his best to bank roll the club and move it forward. He has been let down over the years by some managers and players but has continued to put his hand in his pocket regardless. However following the clarification by Mark Arthur of the situation regarding transfers in the summer, I have just read an interview with the Manager in the Evening Post. In it he comments that the failure to land players will now lead to the club not being in a position to challenge for promotion this season. Now I can understand the manager being disappointed with no new arrivals but over the next month or so we will have Gunter and McGoldrick back, Bennett is gaining valuable playing time at Palace and the loan window is open. I know Billy Davies is prone to using the press for motivational purposes to get more out of his players, to prove him wrong, but what is that saying to the supporters. Its saying that the management have given up on promotion already. If that is the case then there is no alternative but for him to leave the club at the earliest opportunity and to get someone in who believes these players can get the promotion we all crave for. If it is just the local paper once again making mischief then we should be told sooner rather than later.
Chris Philp
Sheffield
Oh dear....same old 'same old' in the 'what the papers say' press section i.e. Billy and the Board fracas! Is that all there is to talk about? Is there really any truth in the stories? If there is some truth then say goodbye to Premiership football for next season and say goodbye to a new stadium within the next twenty years i.e. after we get, not only, a new manager, but also, when we....er....you get a new owner. If there is any truth in the reports, about discontent between Billy and the board, do tell them to grow up. If there isn't any truth in the reports get them to make a televised statement dismissing it as media propaganda. However, I am an old cynic, and, in the fullness of time, we will (probably) find out that is, and always was, just a ruse to get media attention! There, I have covered just about all the permutations - lets look forward to a happy and successful season!
Southern Red
The interview with Mark Arthur was interesting, though were other factors. This interview should have been made earlier. The main reason for fan dissent is the fact that the Chairman and the Chief Executive built up their hopes and expectations at the beginning of the season. I didn't say "We will strengthen the squad" "The players targetted want to come and play for th club" etc. I just believe that we were going to push on from last season and move forward. No one is saying the squad is bad, it was small last season and its smaller now! Its ok for Mark Arthur to say that for every £1 the fan puts in the Chairman puts in £2, but, everything is relevant a person paying £1058 for 2 main stand season tickets on an average wage of £20,000 (some on a lot less wage) is 5.29% of his gross earnings, add in the travel money, programme, drink etc and you can stick on another £10 - £20 a match, add children and visits to the club shop etc, especially now that its franchised and season ticket holders no longer get a 10% discount, that fans £1 becomes a lot of money and we understand the Chairman gurantees loans and borrows the club money, but, without books to scrutinise, most of this is conjecture as to the levels of investment/debt etc. The point I have laboured is the club, needs to become better at communicating with its fans and the interview that was conducted should have been done as a full press conference and not the stage managed questioning that we saw. All I ask for is communication from the club in a timely fashion, which will stop this build up of bad feeling. I have been following Forest for over 40 years and I know that I will still be there long after the current owner, manager and team. My main aim is just to support the team, because they need it more than any moaning from the fans. They were good enough last year and will be this year. So no booing, just cheering and singing from start till the end of every game, so that the players know we are on their side. The board etc. just take some lessons in communication and tell the fans, we deserve to be told the truth at all times.
C Macdonald
The well prepared speach by Mr Arthur was all very reasonable. But like the best of politicians he has answered a different question than the one being asked.
What Forest fans question is whether this was a god-sent opportunity to push on to the Premiership this season. A chance that might not repeat itself for a very long time. The increased parachute payments, 48 million over 4 years, will give relegated clubs a massive advantage. Yet this season none of the teams dropping from the Premiership look likely to go straight back up. Given we finished 3rd last season, we were (at first) rightly installed as favourites to go up this time.
It is missing this opportunity that lies at the heart of the disappointment. We don't believe Nigel Doughty has bottomless pockets, but do believe that if his aim is really the Premiership, then he may have thrown away the best chance he will ever have.
Mr Pleat may have set his valuation of Whittingham and Pratley perfectly. But he is valuing the reasonable going rate for players in the final year of their contracts, whereas Billy Davies and most Forest fans are valuing the same player on his worth to a Forest team on the verge of being good enough for promotion. Substantially different figures I would guess.
If Nigel Doughty genuinely wants promotion to the premiership, I think that despite the poor return from the first 4 matches, we nearly have a squad capable of getting there. We just needed a bit more depth and a bit more quality. Now where have we heard that before?
Nevertheless, time to move on, shake of the despondency and get behind the team on Saturday.
Mark Simons
Not written in for a while, not a lot to say about the succession of score draws. I'm still in the 'early days' camp.
I am a bit worried about Mark Arthers comments regarding Nigel Doughty. For every pound the supporters put in, Nigel puts in two. Where no one can deny or question any financial effort ND has put into the club, for which I am sure everyone respects to the full, these comments for me are a bit elevating in stature for ND and are demeaning for the supporters.
It would be interesting to read anyone else's opinions regarding the comments, which I am sure are meant to be supportive of ND but in my eyes only raise ND above everything else. Including the supporters and the club itself.
Rowen Udell
I think we all heard the key phrase: "for every pound a supporter puts in, Nigel Doughty puts in two." The message is loud and clear to all fans - shut up, know your place, grovel before the mighty rich man. If you don't, he'll be off.
On behalf of a few supporters that were at Nottingham Forest football club before Mr Arthur and Mr Doughty and will be here long after, I have a few things to say before they head off. How much money would you put in, how players would you be able to buy, how many TV cameras do you think would want to film at the City Ground if the ground was empty every matchday? You see, small things that don't seem very important actually just might matter more than you think. Those annoying bugs and small stuff that make us ill / eat our garden plants actually keep nature ticking along even though us humans think we are bigger and better than them. The same just might be true of us annoying supporters. We don;t seem to flash the cash, and certaintly can't afford to buy a player on our own, but without us the club is NOTHING. It would not exist. There would be Sky Sports New at the gates, no corportate smooching, no internet lectures to the grumbling natives. Indeed, without us Nottingham Forest Football Club does not actually look like much at all from years gone by. The shirt and badge changes colour and style, the players come and go (some faster than others), the ground itself changes, where I used to stand now hosts a corporate box dining out on the name of a stand that I and many other nameless thousands made famous. The grumpy manager, the tatooed defender, the petulant midfield genius, the non-scoring striker - all come and will soon be gone. Only muggins here with the thousands andf thousands like me are still watching the team. And where do we rate in the scheme of Sky TV money, the casino that sponsers the shirt, the rich individual who waves his wad around in our face when cross - right at the bottom, a little speck that really should shut up, eat the City Ground pie, sing along to the tannoy when instructed, wear the branded clothing and then get out.
Well, a football club is me, my parents, and my children, as it is yours. I know this might not seem much to Mr Arthur and Mr Doughty, but if they think my pound is so pathetic, I'll save Mr Doughty his two quid by not spending it at the City Ground. I thank him for reminding me of my place, but one day, I suspect, I and thousands like me will still be there - and where will he be?
Adam Wilson
Colchester Red
Thankyou to Mr. Arthur for at last breaking the silence, in what i thought was a very level headed and honest manner. The squad we have is a good one and the team needs all the support it can get - not negative vibes from the fans. Can you imagine what it must feel like to work in front of thousands of people who think you are not good enough and are praying for somebody "better" to be purchased to replace you? These players got us so close last year and if we had managed to secure a left back and not had to rely on players out of position we may have made it all the way. Now is the time not to protest but to let the players do the talking and us do the supporting and bring a healthy atmosphere back to the City Ground! It takes more than money to win - look at Man City et al. I for one would rather see us stable than drowning with millions of pounds worth of debt and playing good honest football that dazzled the likes of West Brom last year!! Let the season start now - everyone unite at the City Ground!!
Come On You Reds!!
David Matthews
Forest do not manage what is said to the fans very well at all; this is a major problem. They say nothing when something needs to be said and then say something when it really shouldn't be said.
Every fan at every club wants to see a unified club with everyone (especially Chairman, CEO and Manager) working together and singing from the same hymn sheet. Carefully managing information from the key parties will help to build a positive relationship with the fans. The information doesn't have to contain details (such as the players we want to sign for example) but a regular idea of strategy, direction and the broad state of play would help. This would negate the need to come out publicly when things have got out of hand. No information leads to mis-information and frustration. Criticism or player acquisiton (or lack of it) and disposal from within the ranks will naturally leads to public anger. This leads to accusations about lack of ambition, incompetence and the rest; warranted or not. Please think long and hard about how you are managing communication, it is something you could do so much better and help build the relationship you have with fans should you value it.
Mark, Arnold
I just wanted to thank Mark Arthur and Nottingham Forest for the interview which is currently on the website.
All we ask is for honesty and communication, and I think we got that.
He is right, it is difficult to bring in players better than we have, especially from promotion rivals, and when he says they tried everything we have to believe that.
To fans wanting a plan b and plan c, that means spending our resource players not better than what we have - and what would be the point in that?
Wouldn't it be better to wait until better is available, and use the loan window as plan b which will be open anytime?
As for Nigel Doughty, he has financially supported the club with huge investment with no club in football giving backers reasonable returns, and I thank him very much for the support he continues to give. No one complained when 9 players came in last term, and no one would have complained now if Pratley and/or Whittington had come in, and if we believe them when they say they tried everything they could to get them then what more do we want?
He is also right when he says we have a very similar squad to that that finished 3rd, but with a year more experience, and a year more together, and so in theory we should already be stronger. Whether that is enough to compete with the other clubs that have been able to attract players - we shall see, but if we do finish in the playoffs, the panic and anger this summer has created will be forgotten.
One thing I would have liked to have questioned MA on is the supposed uncertainty over the manager, and there feelings about BD's constant outbursts, and the relationship with the club and BD, nothing pressed on that one - either it means there's nothing in it, or a lot in it - either way time will tell.
So - now nothing huge can change until January, I for one want to give my full support to the cause, and will enjoy giving everything I can from the stands saturday!
I am sure lots of fans will not agree with a word I have said, and I welcome anyone to put a reasoned argument against my thoughts.
Andy Walker
Although I have been disappointed with the lack of new signings in the transfer window, I am glad that Mark Arthur has done this interview and cleared up why we were not successful in adding to the squad. The club is becoming more transparent and as a supporter who will always renew his season ticket, I feel the club has improved in the way that they communicate with us fans. I do feel though that this interview has been put out in response to Billy's recent media rants. Billy is a great Championship manager there is no denying that but the way he touted himself for the Celtic job after last season and the way he claimed to know nothing about Perch being sold when he clearly did is a disgrace. If the fans turn on Doughty it would be a huge mistake.
Nigel Doughty will not financially back a manger that is using the press to get his point across. We are now left with this "Mexican Stand Off" which can only end with either Billy or ND leaving the club. I know who i'd rather stay - the man that puts his hand in his pocket each year and pays out millions to keep Forest going, not the man that would walk out of this club if any struggling Premier League club came in for him as their new manager. We now know what squad we have until January and it is our job as supporters to get behind the lads unconditionally.
Luke Sellors
Forest Till I Die
Like a number of others no doubt, I've just listened to Mr Arthur give a frank, honest and in many ways courageous interview on the website. I think the time has come for us all to pull together, put the disappointment of missing out on signings to one side and row in behind Nigel Doughty, the players and his management team. Ok, so people have their views on Mr Pleat's involvement in whatever the transfer panel is called, but fairs fair, the fella (ND) has shelled out that much money we should happily let him have Donald Duck on there if it makes him feel better.
Seriously though, whilst we'd all dearly love to be back in the Premier League and get frustrated because we're not, we shouldn't do something we'll live to regret and hassle Nigel Doughty to the point where he bails out of the Club.
Ian Emerson Cleethorpes
Congratulations Nottingham Forest, for making the interview with Mark Arthur available free of charge on the website. This type of open communication has to be praised and will help to generate more goodwill and understanding and possibly less suspicion on the part of fans, who otherwise only have, the Manager's post match heated comments and the Rumour Mill as a source of information.
I was interested to hear the interviewer refer to the "Irish Consortium" who reportedly, maybe be interested in taking over the club. There are a number of genuine, soccer mad, individuals involved in various branches of Irish sport, particularly horse racing. Should the alleged consortium include one or two of these individuals, then Forest's financial future would be considerably more secure than at present and it's capability to purchase additional players would be greatly enhanced. I think they would, undoubtedly, be bringing in a new Manager and the thorny issue of the Transfer Panel and it's middle man (Mr Pleat), would become a thing of the past.
Personally, I hope certain "Irish Eyes Are Smiling" on Forest, because if they are, then a very "BRIGHT RED FUTURE" will be on the horizon!!
COME ON YE REDDDDDDS
RED EYE
What was not covered in the Mark Arthur interview is why yet again there was no Plan B for signings. As in January they spent all their time and effort on a very small group of players and when they didn't come off we are left with nothing. Surely there were more than 2 good players we could have bought in?
MA suggested that because we are left with more or less the same squad as last season there is no reason why we can't repeat that success. This is clearly not going to happen because the squad is very small and any long-term injuries could severly damage us. This same squad of players has also not won away from home since January - hardly a recipe for a promotion season!
Karen
Just listened to the video featuring Mark Arthur talking about our attempts to make transfer signings leading up to the start of the season. Whilst I found it very interesting and informative and was very impressed by the Chief Execs honesty. We shouldn't forget the financial commitment the Mr Doughty has made over the years ( where would the club be now without it?) as we shouldn't forget the input of the fans and it is important we remain financially secure. We did finish 3rd last year with virtually the same squad, but that was largely down to a great spirit and a strong management team. However, we did over achieve and look how we finished away from home in the run in.
But one thing from the video did bother me...........it seems that the key man in deciding the viability of a signing is David Pleat. A player is referred to the Manager by the chief scout and by the Manager to the transfer committee ie Mr Pleat. he will then assess the valuation of the player, possible salary, future worth etc and then recommend to the Chief Exec and Chairman. So, who is pulling the strings? Mr Arthur says it is the selling clubs that are holding fast but is this because we are not prepared to allow a competitive valuation to be made to prise them away.
I fully agree with the need to be cautious in all things financial but as Mr Arthur says, the budget is there, so surely with the right 'offer' we should be able to persuade other clubs ( even those competing with us) to sell?
Perhaps we should now hear from Mr Pleat as to why the bids for Pratley and Whittingham were turned down - was it because the clubs just wouldn't sell or was it because the price ( in Mr Pleat's opinion) wasn't right?
Having said all that we do really need to get behind the Manager and the team - Millwall on Sat wont be easy but we need to support the lads like never before and make as much noise as we can.
U reds
Graham
Life long red
In regards to Jim - Camp was more than a QPR reserve, he was QPR sub keeper for a personal reason (off-field) but most QPR fans rated him very highly, as he has proved with us.
Garner cost over £1M pounds and yet doesn't get a game, McGoldrick hasn't delivered and cost alot of money too, Blackstock cost a ton of money and for me doesn';t get the goals return I expected. Jamie Mackie who Billy Davies wanted is already getting vital goals at this level again for QPR..... if we don't spend then we will fall adrift, it's the name of the game nowadays. We have no 20 goal a year striker and that is what we are missing along with a decent/cover centre half. A lot of the draws can be turned into wins (2 points more) with a poacher... and we have no poacher.
Steve, St Anns red
The interview with Mark Arthur certainly hit the spot with me. Not spending money without improving the squad chimes in with the opinions of a number of supporters. That the players are now a year more experienced and have made "progress" is beyond doubt. It will not be long before they are challenging again if they can keep the ball better and play on the deck more. Nobody can doubt ND's very generous ongoing contribution to the club's coffers. After all, more is not necessarily better; remember Platt ? The close management of the club's resources is essential particularly in the current economic climate. Just look at the likes of several high profile clubs that have experienced administration over the last couple of years. We are fortunate to have such devoted current owners rather than those of a different ilk who have used "smoke and mirrors" to asset strip many a famous club in the past.
Red Ted
Hello everyone
I haven't posted anything on the site for a while because i didn't think that their was anything out of the ordinary to comment on, quite a lot have criticized the club for not buying any players, i am very disappointed as well but we as fans are criticized for living in the past through our glory days which we should never forget.
But one thing we should never also forget which was a massive lesson learned was the dodgy signings that were made in a certain persons time as a manager at our great club, signings made to line some journeymen's pockets with massive wages who didn't really want to play for our club, so the signings we didn't get this season are no great loss as obviously they didn't knock on their managers door and say " i want to play for NOTTINGHAM FOREST so sell me to them", so financially the money is still in the bank and nothing lost only a bit of pride on our behalf because they wouldn't sign for us.
Where only a few games in to the season and who knows what might happen in the loans market something might surprise us.
As far as the atmosphere in the ground goes, we know how we can solve the problem permanently but that is down to the club to sort out as many a fan has voiced.
cheers you trickies worldwide keep the faith
Phil of the forest faithful
Now i know everyone is unhappy and angry at the lack of signings, however you can not blame the players for what has happened. So come on all you forest fans make sure that on saturday we make some noise and drown out the away fans and give the team something to spur them on and be the twelve man. At the last home game against Norwich the place was worse than a graveyard full of dead bodies, there was a wall of silence and this does not help the lads. i for one will be getting behind the team and am pleading with others to do the same and lets get the first win on the board.
Garry, Rugby
Failure to sign players in the previous transfer window will prove itself to be our downfall or irrelevant as we progress through the season. Nobody will rue the lack of spending if we get results and push again for automatic promotion. We shall now just have to wait and see how things pan out. One thing I would like now however is some clarity. Our present chairman has run the club for the best part of a decade, and throughout his tenure, the overriding ethos was that of attaining promotion to the Premier League. There has been obvious failure in the pursuit of this holy grail. In fact, Mr Doughty has presided over the worst period in the club's history, in terms of footballing success. Three seasons in the third division was unprecedented. Nobody can doubt his commitment, having ploughed millions of pounds into our football club, and I for one offer my gratitude. But the current charade cannot continue. Ours is a proud football club, world-renowned for its achievements and traditions. It saddens me to see it turning into something of a laughing stock. Infighting, lack of cohesion between board and management and fan discontent serves only to tarnish the reputation of Nottingham Forest. The club's hierarchy has shown a deep lack of respect and gratitude for Forest's fantastic supporters. We do not receive anything in return for our loyalty. Forgive me, but I do not recall being notified that I would lose my season ticket discount in the club shop. It is time for Mr Doughty, Mr Arthur, Mr Pleat and Mr Davies to reveal all, and make clear what the situation is and where we are going as a football club. I for one am a very confused and concerned supporter.
Jack Druru
Obviously it is a disappointment that we didn't add to our squad in the summer. But I really think we were aiming for the wrong players. Yes, last year showed we are moving in the right direction but the fact still remains that it's pretty much the only decent season we have had in nearly 10 years. One good season does not mean that you can buy whoever you like. Every player we were linked with plays for a club with promotion hopes of their own. Cardiff and Swansea aren't going to sell their best players to us because we are the competition. No one seems to have realised this. If Forest sold Camp, Gunter, Earnshaw, Cohen etc to another Championship club we'd be up in arms, and rightly so. So what makes us think they are going to sell players to us? Look at our best signings recently Camp - a QPR reserve, Anderson - a player Liverpool thought was only worth £250 K, Wilson from Northampton, Cohen from Yeovil, Moussi. With the exception of Earnshaw, none of our signings have exactly been "high profile" but they've worked. I really think we should have been looking more in these areas. As it is, we seem to have got a very high opinion of ourselves over one season and thought that teams that finished within 2 or 3 places of us are going to weaken their sides when they probably think they've got as much chance of going up as we do.
Jim
I rarely contribute to this site but regularly read the input of others. I was particularly interested in the points made by Mansfield Mickey and his apparent conviction that we should accept our lot. The comments could have been made by Nigel Doughty who, it would appear , is equally content to compete at a lower level to avoid the risks associated with joining the "elite". It's his money so he can do as he likes.
Is it not realised that to survive and compete in the Championship will become more difficult for those clubs who do not seriously seek and achieve promotion as clubs being relegated from the Premiership will benefit from long term parachute payments creating a wealthy, well funded tier of clubs who will cream off the best players and effectively create a similar situation to the top of the Premiership where only the few will be able to sustain a challenge.
Eleven years in obscurity have cost the club a huge amount of revenue and unless backing is given to the Manager to push us forward we may become "also rans" even at this level. I fear it may be now or never.
RT Upper Clough season ticket.
I suggest all true fans read the Guardian article that has been posted under the news (press talk). It is an objective article that spells out the positions of Mr Doughty on one hand and BD on the other. Of course the fans are upset but lets bear in mind Blackpool went up instead of us but they did have a lot of loan players etc and they came from nowhere on a good run towards the end of the season. We must admit we did fall away after January. We only lost one loan player N Shorey lets be objective we weren't good enough. I suggest we stop moaning and concentrate on supporting our players and make sure that we retain the players that we have especially the ones who could be out of contract at the end of the season. Confidence is gained by winning its not rocket science!! After all look at England!!!!
rod w
I HOPE THIS GETS READ AND HAS A POSSITIVE EFFECT!!! I am a huge forest fan, and come from a red family, my dad has been following the boys for many years now, and my support was instant from the time I was old enough to make the decision. I attended 4 games last season, not a lot i know, but I live over 3 hours away, and work a lot of weekends. I also attended the reading away fixture on the 21st, the game itself was quite entertaining, and I think the boys worked hard at times, and were unlucky on countless occassions not to have taken the lead, what I did notice to be missing though, was the passion in certain players, surely this cannott be overlooked this early in the season!!! I have to say, I am a little concerned about all the reports flying around, about billy davies imminant departure, annoyance at lack of funds, relationship breakdown with the chairman, and constant comments about his lack of control over the team, its unnaceptable, if we are to move forward this problem needs to be sorted sooner rather than later. I dont really know what to think when it comes to all the reports and interviews we are so often seeing/ hearing, I certainly understand BD's points, he was bang on when he said we didnt have the squad to get us up last season, the play-offs showed that in neon lights, but I also understand the situation of ND and his undertones, after all, we all remember a certain david platt and his italian flops dont we????? But from a personal point of view, which im sure would be echoed by many others, I think its about time ND came out and explained the situation to us fans, after all, we are the ones that keep the money coming in, through shirt sales, match fees, etc etc, I dont think it would be too hard a task for a statement to be made to clarify the position of both the manager, and the position of the board in regards to the manager, We are all concerned about the problems that keep arising, and an explanation is not a lot to ask!!!!! Everyday I look on the forest website in hope of some good news, but apart from the latest report on Paul Anderson's quicker than expected recovery, theres nothing worth reading. As said before, I do understand the boards stance on funds for transfers, but if we are to be as strict on our budget, why are we still wasting wages on the likes of Adebola, who is quite obviously not fit enough, he had only been on the pitch 5 mins against reading, and his first job, chasing down a reading defender, left him unbelievably out of breath, it was noticed by every forest fan sat behind me, I wont quote the words used to describe what they thought! I am not writing this to get on the back of the lads, they deserve praise a plenty for what they achieved last season, and I am still proud to wear the famous red shirt at every opportunity, we have a great squad at the city ground, But something isnt right. As I said at the begining of this post, I HOPE THIS GETS READ AND HAS A POSSITIVE EFFECT!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING US SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT...................................................................................COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!
Gary Tugwell (red 4ever)
The only good news this week, is that Forest are going to let the Kids in for £1 against Millwall a week tomorrow!! A good move of course and delighted to see some effort to build up the club's young fan base.
Let us now see some action by the Board to strengthen the team on the field.
Let us now hear less moaning from the Manager, with his lame excuses about his young, inexperienced side.
Let us not forget, Billy, many of the world's best international players were teenagers when they made their international debuts.
Let us remember, we are currently one point better off, at this stage of the season than we were at the same stage last season, Forest's best season for many years.
Let us the supporters, without whom the club could not survive, continue to cheer on our Red Warriors to help them overcome the current failings of the Board and Management of Our Great Club.
COME ON YE REDDDDDDS
RED EYE
I know you all must have read thousands of screaming e-mails over the past few weeks, but as a fan from Gloucestershire that travels the country following my beloved team and spending large amounts of money (to me at least) it would be nice to hear a truthful heartfelt response to questions that are asked of the board and management. We are all afterall customers that should be treated with respect and not like uneducated fools.Are we saving money for the building of the new stadium? I fear we may never get to fill it if we don't get out from the widerness we have been in for too long. We have a good group of players at present and need to add strength to progress. I am truly of the opinion that players cost far too much these days and would dearly love to see prices tumble to something sensible, but if one chooses to run a football club surely itneeds to be building on strengths it already has and not weakening the side? Is the plan to rely on loans and spend if we do get promoted?
David Matthews
From the many and varied letters it is plain to see that most of we diehard Red fans are more concerned by the lack of respect and courtesy shown to us by our leader and his henchmen. We know that there is a bottom to Mr Doughty's wallet and there is a limit to what we can pay for our transfer targets many of whose clubs need big money for their better players.
We also know that not every player wants to play for Nottingham Forest any more than many other clubs.
What we do know from the limited information supplied by Messrs Doughty and Arthur is that we have made offers for some(Whittingham,Pratley ) and have been unsuccessful because our ambition was too limited. What we also know is that previous statements by the above ND and MA
that we intend to use the loan window next week to bring in two or three players who will improve the squad.
The above mentioned have made rods for their own backs by the way they have treated our fans with statements they have not backed up or by failing in the basic art of communication. However I have decided to give them one more chance by awaiting the result of loan window dealings.
I cannot believe they will fail on all their promises as they know fans have much power and will eventually vote with their feet.
In the meantime we must get behind the players we have - slagging off the players is self defeating. Come on you Reds!!!
Sussex Red
F.A.O Karen P
Sorry Karen, I feel I have offended you and been rude. I do feel The City Ground is quite at the moment however please believe me when I tell you, we are giving the away fans hell at the moment. Keep singing and enjoy the season, I wish there was more like you and I. Apologies!!!
Allan R
Sore Throat Red
Interesting article on Skysports providing information about all the free transfers available after this constructive transfer window. Some interesting names, Wilfred Bouma, Ex-Aston Villa CB. getting on a bit, but surely a good figure head for Calamity Wes! Jeremie Aliadiere, ex arsenal and M'boro, maybe a potential partner for Robbie. the list goes on and on. Im sure we can find adequate cover for all the nervous forest fans out there.
these might not be the "stella signings" davies wanted but If we can hand out a trial to Callum Davenport, then surely a few enquiries from this list arn't out of the question. So go on ND, dig deep, buy 1st class stamps and get this paper work done!
Andy Forest
Forest, forest, forest when will we ever show some amibition and push this club forward. We have all (15,000+) paid for our season tickets and have been left sitting here looking at a very weak squad, disillusioned manager and arrogant owners. All us of supporters can see we where we need to strengthen - cant you????
RE McKenna - fans paid their money so if they wanna boo so what, get a grip, being captain does not give u the right to walk on bloody air - I saw him have a right go at Lee Camp and lets face it he has been our most consistent player over the last season. Get a young, tough, midfielder who will run all day!!!!!!!
Bored again Red
The problem with us Forest faithful is that we all live in the past, Yes we are former Euro winners, but that was in another
time scope, before Football became this multimillion pound industry infiltrated by greedy exponents of the working mans sport.
I doubt Forest, without big investment will ever be what they were 30 years ago and as such we should be happy to perform in this hugely entertaining league that we are now in.
Forest board have invested much in this club and are obviously not going to allow their selves to become victims to the players agent thing.
Can we afford to pay Agents what the likes of Newcastle and Middleborough paid agents last season, just to end up with massive squad of players with little or less talent than is already in the squad.
Do we really want to get into financial squalor and be in a position like Portsmouth where they have blagged there way into near obscurity by overspending on talentless players that have been forced into the club by greedy agents
We should all stop winging about things we do not fully understand.
My only fear is that BD (best manager since Clough) is orientating himself into a position where the board are bound to dismiss him because of his outspokenness to the likes of Sky and Radio Nottingham.
Mansfield Micky
It's very depressing reading the negativity of the fans, but totally understandable. It's true, we don't help ourselves by the continuous need for daily information, coping with our hopes being built, and then squashed, but in saying that, the fans have been very patient as their dreams seem to be shattered after reaching the heights of last season.
After a long, uneventful summer I thought that Nigel-D had managed to build bridges and rebuild the trust of the fans, but we're back at the bottom of the trent again. We need constant reassurances, it seems, that things are ok?!?!?!!? We can only draw conclusions from the little we know.
I personally hate gossip and rumours in everyday life and prefer to deal with facts, forest fans are having to do football with very little information, if any, it seems, and surely the chairman has a duty to regularly communicate, even if it's brief, to eliminate untruths and Chinese whispers. I believe and accept that goalposts will, and have to be moved .... but let us know!!
Forest fans are so passionate about their team and want the best for their club, and in this day of multi media the silence is deafening .... we just want to know and understand and be part of our great club, but we are feeling cut out and nothing more than paying guests. Come on Nigel, roll out that red carpet ..... fans are letting you know their feelings and are being ignored, they care and many of us are feeling let down and not sure how to express the deep frustrations of what seems a mammoth backwards step. Are you aware of how they feel?!?!?!!?
Can someone please step out of their little box and notice that each red and white scarf or shirt in those stands belong to real people, someone that loves Nottingham Forest, we're more than just a seat number!!! Please acknowledge the huge concerns to the fans, rightly or wrongly, for where we sit things are looking and feeling desperate ..... I understand the tight running of a business, and appreciate long term responsibilities, football is big business, but also a business with a difference ... do you want fans to feel part of this club, you need us as much as we need you, or at least our club.
I'm proud of our club and that it is being run by a Forest Fan rather than some international business man, I love to have local players in our team, but we do need to move forwards, perhaps we've just arrived at a pause, rather than a full stop!!!! Just let us know so as we can deal with it .
Forest Greg
Given a sense of despondency following what appears to be a failure to get new signings, may I put forward my penny's worth of a rational opinion.
We are all Forest. We want to have the best players possible, a good lead by half time in every match, a stress-free second half and an invariable win in each game we play.
So do all other supporters.
The problem is that life does not work that way.
The side that won Forest promotion from league one with the addition of Earnshaw and Moussi, was still not good enough to hold its own in the Championship, remember?
When this became clear, the side was strengthened in a major way…in came the likes of Camp, Garner, Blackstock, Anderson etc to be followed by Mckenna and Majeski at not a small expense.
This was supposed to be a consolidation period but when Shorey stopped over for a while, the side was indeed heading towards promotion and the need to consolidate changed to a demand for promotion.
Yet now, financial reality may have set in and it could be that the objective is for financial consolidation rather than promotion. Selling Pearch may be a need to break even. keeping Garner proves that there is long term thinkig going on.
The big mistake may have been in Management riding on the promotion hype and the near promise of two key signings who really looked the perfect fit to supplement current squad, hence why the disappointment is now felt so strongly.
In real fact we still have a very good side. The quality of play in the Leeds and Reading games peaked at a very high level and forest are today a side that should comfortably hold their own in the Championship.
Yet the disappointment caused by the significant gap between what was talked up and what actually happened on the ground, coupled with the strengething of a number of rivals, has now riddled our actual strong potential with a thousand worries/issues.
Wilson, Cohen, what is their future and how is it impacting on their performance? Has Mckenna become a scapegoat? Will Mr ND sell? Will BD leave? Is MON a factor in the equation? the AP that has secured inquisition status etc etc
A typical fan reaction (that includes mine) is that we only need a couple of new signings to win promotion.
But I must admit that this is an emotional statement lacking logic.
Should we not remember this same argument in 66 when Jim Baxter came in and Forest went on a slide, ok main stand fire and all, that ended in relegation?
Bottom line, we all need to settle down, get some tranquillity around the side and let us just enjoy our Saturdays, BD to get the best out of a good squad, and move from there. Mr ND giving some clear honest hint if he is coming or going. Ignore what the text books says, it will not have any influence on the ability to sell.
Personally I hope that Mr ND will stay because where will Forest find buyers who will put in money for success on the field and not buyers who will look at the bottom line. And no, success does not generate monies to the extent needed to invest in players.
Stop the speculations and doubts, let everyone do the best possible and may the 'terraces' become part of the solution and not remain part of the problem that we have become not through any fault of their own may I add.
d.attard, malta
I am gutted we haven't signed anyone. The squad was too small already before letting Perch and Garner go. We would appreciate a bit of transparency about what happened during the transfer window. I am not the only Forest Fan who believed signings (can't bring myself to say their names) were in the bag after the Mark Arthur interview.
Please tell us what is going on. And please, please keep Billy. He can take us to the promised land.
Lisa, Nottingham
Looks like Mr Pleat and Mr Arthur are confused. Easily done as AMBITION is right next to AMBIVALENT in the dictionary. No doubt if they both read this they will need to look up the meaning of AMBITION.
So much for the comments Mr A made in the paper about Pratley & Whittingham.
Billy deserves better support than this from the top.
What do we think will happen in the January transfer window? Same as usual? Do you realise that it is over a year since we added to the squad. A YEAR!!!!!
This shows a complete lack of ambition. There is that word again. I suggest that Mr Arthur and Mr Pleat get a dictionary and soon. Or they could ask Billy or any real fan. They know what it means.
Jon G Main Stand D Block.
Dear Mr. Doughty.
Let me start by saying that over the past few seasons you have done a sterling job with Nottingham forest. with your help and sound business acumen. You have put this club on a stable and relatively debt free foundation. So that we may have a club with a future.
How ever we have reached the time that we need to answer a question that still puzzles many to this day ? Which came first the chicken or the " golden Egg ". In other words do we spend money to get in the premiership with all its riches or do we run what we have then build IF ,and that is a big IF, we get to to premiership.
I for one would not dare tell you what to do. But listen to the rumors Billy out Martin in. Billy in my books did a grand job last season. frustrated that we did not acquire new players due to the "panel" This season no new players due to the "panel" Martin left his last job due to not being able to manage the finances and get who he wants. and who was sold behind his back. Just like perchy. So Martin would not come if his hands were tied by the "panel"
So Mr. Doughty the time has come to make your mind up !! Disband the panel and let manages live and die by a budget set by you. and perhaps have a chance of the glory days again. Or carry on as we are doing and lose the good managers we have and have had and get the ones that do the circuit because they are not achievers like Colin, Billy Martin are achievers and stay a middle table championship club that feeds premiership clubs with our talent. Jenas , Dawson , Ried. Perch. the list will go on untill we are in the premiership.
Nicolle Vincent
Our current situation should be of no surprise to Forest fans.
Let me explain...
Has anybody noticed that whenever we have a good season it is never capitalised on the following season.
In all of our playoffs we have been beaten easily at the first stage. Then when the new season starts the management promptly begins dismantling the squad. It even happened when we were last promoted to the prem with the sale of Kevin Campbell etc...
When we were beaten by Sheff Utd the same thing. Although the team was built upon after the hammering by Yeovil this was in the League 1 wilderness when the current owners really told hold of the reins.
It seams forest will forever be stuck in this rut. There MUST be a reason why no new players in yet we lose 4 - who will replace bertrand when he inevitably gets injured? Julian Bennet? Who will stand in for Earnie or Blackstock when injured? Joe Garner?
We must now hope that there are no injuries or sickness between now and January as I think all fans know where we will be.
Maybe we can persuade some League 1 or 2 players to come here on loan?
Rick Chaddie
After reading the messages in the forum from pre-season up to transfer deadline day I would just like to add a few words from my point of view. Personally i have to pick and choose the games i attend due to finances or lack of it. I cant afford to buy a season ticket and be able to sit with my Dad and Uncle in the Lower Brian Clough stand for every home game. Add to this the lack of transfer activity in the last 2 transfer windows and i am seriously thinking of talking with my feet. Dont get me wrong, i love my club and am a life long Forest fan like many thousands of others but there comes a time when you have to stand up and fight for whats right for something you love. There has been talk on these pages of people feeling short changed or swindled out of their hard earned cash due to dire performances, transfer inactivity and less than adequate communication from inside the club. Something has to give, be it at board level, managment, players or fans. I like to think i am quite patient but my patience and many others is being severley tested at the moment. Here's hoping something will change soon...........
Anony Mouse
Carlton
Re; Alan R (sore throat red) - see last Fan Talk page
First of all my comments were not aimed at anyone in particular in the ground all i meant was that the atmosphere in the ground at the moment seems to be quiet i did hear A block ask for trent end to give us a song and i did join in as i always do. All i meant was it seems as though the away fans are a lot louder this season, may have something to do with the fact they dont get told to sit down and calm down by the stewards or police when they get a bit animated like we do!!
My comments were not meant to upset anyone, was just wondering if anyone else felt the same obviously not, dont want to cause any trouble enough of that going on behind closed doors with the board.
Will be down the ground for the millwall game and no i dont just sit and clap i will be singing and joining in with whatever song is started, dont usually start any song off by myself but DO ALWAYS join in, will just try to be a bit louder in future.
Hope that ok
KAREN
P BLOCK
So no signings, the shortest squad in the Championship and no wins from 5 games so far this season. A decent striker in Garner loaned out and £1.5M from an average player in Perch gained.... but not spend on another player. Who can blame Billy Davies for being annoyed - Nigel Doughty, thank you for what you have done for Forest but I think you have taken us as far as you can. This isn't (no disrespect to them) Scunthorpe, Watford, Barnsley, etc who are happy to just be competing in this league, this is Nottingham Forest FC - a famous, massive club with huge potential..... if you can't back the manager (who is one of the best in the league if not the best) then please step down and sell the club to an owner who can..... how can we fall so far behind clubs as such as QPR, Leicester City, Millwall, Cardiff City, etc?? WHere is all the gate money going? ANd the Perch money? We have a small squad, with half of them being kids.
Kids for a quid next game I see..... it should be everyone for a quid to get the ground half full..... us fans have been so loyal and I know SKY TV cost us with the play off money spinner for them, but come on..... at least show us some ambition back...... this league is full of "average" clubs and we are near the bottom of the pile. Very sad.
Steve, Forest fan from Nottingham
You can read all you want in the press as a Forest fan but just what should we report and how true has the stories you have printed been.
Nigel Doughty going to bring in new signings before the season starts and is going to support Billy Davies!
All the stories about Pratley and Whittingham in talks with Forest. Just where do these stories come from.
I have supported Forest since 1958 and have never seen Forest so untruthful and going knowhere with the management in place as is now.
Why can we not have an Honest interview with Nigel Doughty to say just what is happening at the city ground. 30,000 supporters wanting to know something and he makes no statements.
He has put finance in place to keep us on a level playing field but being so close to putting Forest back in the top flight just why does he not support the club at the final hurdle?
Loyal supporter
Paul
I have just spent the morning combing the football gossips columns for any good news, any spark of hope there might be hidden within another transfer window and all i can say is that the board has let down every single forest fan down again!!
Plenty of clubs around us have strengthened their squads with some top notch players and how do we responded, by letting players go!!! Our so called Acquisition Committee should be sacked on the spot, why should I pay my hard earned money to help fund a committee that does not actually do anything of any use. All the hard work, all the heart ache of last season will be for nothing; in fact this season has the makings of a nightmare one for us.
I actually feel embarrassed; the club is getting turned into the laughing stock of the league, our rivals will be clapping there hands in glee as they watch us throw away our chance. We are making a rod for our own back, what player in their right mind would want to sign for us when they can see that club has the wrong board- one that lacks the will, or desire to even try and succeed
The very fact that none of the board have the spine or moral courage to stand in front of the fans, or even make a statement, explaining why they feel we don't need anyone just proves to me that they know it's a bad idea. I can only come to the conclusion that they don't give a dam about what we the loyal and importantly paying fans think.
How and why Billy has put up with it is beyond me, If he stays until Christmas will be a miracle.
I am actually thankful that we didn't get promoted last season (and that is a heart breaking thing to say) the lack of drive and common sense from the men leading our once might club means we would have been destroyed. The old adage success breeds success is true; we had one of best seasons last year for a long time...so to add to it we do nothing, in fact less than nothing, I just hope that this self-destructive attitude does not doom us to relegation.
Richard Boot
Portugal
Ok enough of the pretence
15 years season ticket holder and each year I filled with hope of better things happening to this club.
I have smelt the coffee and the reality is a big disappointment. If there was any hope of gaining Premiership status this season, it vanished at 6.00pm 31/08/2010.
It is so very clear 1-0,2-1, 1-1, 1-1, 1-1 and in the last game there was not many that thought we were going to win or even come remotely close.
There is no chance of getting any quality players in Jan 2011 window who would want to come, we will be fighting relegation this season.
Jeetan Shah
I have agreed with BD since his request for new signings since January, which In my opinion cost Forest promotion to the Premiership last year. This year I was hoping that we would get some decent signings or back up for injured, suspended players and a lesson would have been learnt. Now we have 'sold' Perch, loaned out Garner, Bennett - Gunter is banned, Mc Goldrick, Mc Cleary and Anderson are out injured, can't help but feel that things are now just going to get even worse for Forest. BD has informed us in the past Forest have one of the smallest squads In the Championship and every match played it appears to be getting even smaller, but nothings been done to address this so far and I remain complexed as to why. I do not agree with BD post match comments that Forest looked LEGGY!!!!!. The squad was in Portugal pre-season, they should be match fit and ready for tough matches-why spend all that money flying the lucky players out there and be reporting back they look leggy within the first few opening games of the season, this does not wash with me!, next year take them to Bognor or Southend as it clearly makes no difference. Forest are seen as a big Club by all the teams in the Championship!. If some of this Forest squad are not prepared to close down the other team and pressure them into making mistakes and scrap for every ball, then expect to see many more draws and defeats this season and be down the bottom where we are now. Roll your sleeves up. Well played Earnie and Camp again.
Tony- Harrow
Hi all; Could some-one pass this message on to Mr Doughty please? I have been a Forest season ticket holder for many years now as was my father Brother & Son! although I failed to re-new this season, why? well because I find It unbelievable that after getting promotion out of that "God forsaken" league (1.) I watched the video of Mr Doughty In jovial mood, saying how happy he was that we were now in the Championship! followed by the remark that he wouldn't rest untill we were back where we belong In the Prem! How-ever having failed last season to get In by the play-offs, ALL & I mean ALL Forest fans felt - that one or two additions to the squad would be all It needed to go that one step further! I do agree with Mr Doughty that we dont want just journey-men, & have beens, but In Whittingham & Prattley we should have pushed the boat out! after all you did say In another video Sir that Billy had 8-10 Mill to spend??? When oh when are you going to get us out of this rut that weve been In for many a year Mr Doughty? & put your money where your very elequent mouth Is? Frustrated as I & thousands of other's are Mr Doughty, I will continue supporting OUR club, but I'm afraid a lot of time Is running out for you & your Mcarther mate!
Regards Mick
I have just read the latest batch of letters written after the transfer deadline and can sympathize with the frustration but I think there has to be another point of view . The fact is the Chairman and his family are committed Forest fans , not mega rich foreign owners, who have a put a lot of money into Forest. It is my belief that the current team have maybe four players who could operate successfully in the Premier League, Camp, Bertrand, Gunter and Cohen, others may have the potential to develop. For me the immediate future is not to buy Championship players who may or may not be able to step up but wait till the Premiership teams name their 25 man squad and see who we can bring in on loan, with this situation we do not need to buy players, loan deals are the immediate, less expensive solution to promotion. Let's see what happens after Sept 7th, but I agree we need at least two new players.
Iain
It,s a very sad time at our once great club. I feel it Is worse now than even in league one. It has now been revealed this man is not a supporter of Nottingham forest. He does not want us to get promotion. I have never know n a club kick the fans in the teeth as many times as Nottingham forest. Please allow someone with ambition run our club, even if he had less finances, I would prefer that to this utter disgrace of sheer lack of ambition.
Fed up now, Lee from hucknall.
Spot on Tim. Hit the nail firmly on the head. Let's not forget if it hadn't been for a freak performance against Blackpool we would have been one game away from the Premiership last season. Billy HAS been backed by the board he has just not been satisfied with what he's got and found himself unable to find a plan B when they came down from their period of flying high last season. Som would say this has exposed his lack of management skill and ability to dig in when things get tougher. Billy is not happy at Forest, never has been really, and it is now rubbbing off on the squad and the fans. Incidentally, the squad has shrunk at Billy's request (Garner, Bennett, Moloney etc) If things are as tight as he says perhaps it's not the best bet to send people away for the season!?
Whoever comes or goes we have the same job to do as we did so well last season so let's stop whining and get on with showing the Championship who we are and what these lads are capabale of. It was very difficult to watch Forest looking so dis-interested on Saturday. These are the same players who were so lively and positive last season. So what has changed? After the best season in years - where has this feeling of doom and gloom come from at the City Ground?...ND rarely talks to the press....the players rarely talk to the press...who's left?
p.s. on the McKenna incident - I got the impression that the booing was about the time the bench had taken to recognise he needed to come off - not aimed at him individually. In my experience Forest fans are not in the habit of booing there own players.
C'mon Forest forget the boring off field politics and let's get at 'em.
Garybaldi Red
Dear Mr Chaiman
Im I wrong or at the end of last season did you not state that we had money to spend on new players during the summer, and that the manager would be able to sign some new players to add depth and strength to the squad. And can we presume that the sale of Perch would only increase the amount in the pot. If this is the case maybe you could explain to all Forest fans where this money is now and why we see no new signings at the City Ground. We have now seen no movement in the last two transfer windows and as the manager said in February "it shows the clubs intent" or should that be lack of intent.
We all know Mr Chairman that this is your own money and that you do not want to waste it on players who are going to come in just to make up the numbers. We all want good players who are going to make a difference and we all know about the two who appear to have been our main targets. I have no doubt that with the pair of them playing for Forest we would be fighting for the top two places and automatic promotion. Last season the manager kept saying "we are not good enough" and I have to say I agreed with him. When Forest do get promoted back to the Premiership I want it to be on a long term basis.
What we dont want to do is yoyo between the two divisions. But had we been able to sign the two we wanted I feel that we would have been in a position to get up and stay up.
You yourself said that promotion was worth £60 million this being the case would it not make sense to have given the going rate to both clubs secured the deals and got who we wanted. It was clear that both players were available and that both clubs were willing to sell and whilst they may have been asking slightly over the odds there is an art to negotiating. By making silly offers for quality players all we have managed to do is show the rest of the league that we are a bunch of amateurs, and this was not helped by the comments made by MA. Who now is going to sign for us, we have become a laughing stock. We have to speculate to accumulate I would have thought you of all people would realise this.
We cannot continue with the squad we have, we only have to look at the number of injuries we already have after just 4 games! I hope you have a serious Plan B that we can now turn to. If you don't this club is not going anywhere and maybe its time to shake hands and say thank you very much for all you have done and move on.
If you would like to post a reply on the website I am sure many fans would appreciate your comments. We dont need to know all the details just confirmation that you have it all in hand and that something is being done to take our club forward. Like you we are all lifelong fans and whilst we dont put as much money in as yourself, we are not all as fortunate or as wealthy as you. We all work hard to buy our season tickets, shirts etc, and we would like some answers.
Worcester Reds
It`s not all about yesterday, we have had two months ( plus several months before ) to talk to the clubs, players and agents if that`s not enough time to do deals, then the people who do the business side of things should be accountable, we are at cross roads regarding the future of the club, if the chairman is a "FOREST FAN" but he can`t take the club forward he should use his contacts in the big city business world to find a buyer, when you look around at other clubs takeovers not many have the history and good name of "NOTTINGHAM FOREST FOOTBALL CLUB" It will not take long before the fans turn not only the board but Billy and the players, I for one are fed up with Doughty, Arthur and Davies talking in riddles, let`s have some straight talking for once before we become a laughing stock.
Richard Waring ( Sutton-in-Ashfield )
When all sites are talking transfers this site has nothing..even Leicester have done business, shoddy Mr Doughty!
When Mr Doughty came and took over Forest we were a big club looking at getting back into the Premier League, now we are a small club with a big history!
Shame on you Mr Doughty.
Colin Monks
Well what can I say, same old story since Mr BC left a small club with big pretences floundering back to 3rd division obscurity this season. What a fine job David Pleat is doing destroying a once proud club, kick him out and his large salary and let BD sign some players he knows what he is doing but his hands are tied, I hear Martin O'Neill is coming to manage Forest.....WHY! he is a succesful manager who could do much better than us, I am sorry but that is just a dream, anyway BD is doing a sterling job considering the lack of support he is getting from the CEO and Mr Pleat, so I am sorry to say this is the final time I will look at this page because it is always with disappointment, good luck Forest, you are going to need it.
Red Down Under
Me and my son travelled from Northern Ireland and went to our first game of this season against Norwich. I have to say that is probably one of the poorest performances i have seen by a Nottingham Forest team in a long time. Apart from a few players we are lacking a lot of quality in our team. Let me start with the positives from the game. We got a draw and Lee Camp and Robert Earnshaw both had a great game. Robert Earnshaw was definately the star man on the pitch and should have been man of the
match. He produced quality and gave 110% for the whole match.Wee Raddy also had a good game.Now for an honest assessment of the rest of the team. Luke
Chambers at right back was shocking. He made so many mistakes and is completely out of his depth. Big Wes also now looks out of his depth and off the pace at this level. Nathan Tyson runs like a sprinter but never gets anywhere or produces anything which is no use for a striker. Although Dexter got a goal he never won any long balls in the air or looked like scoring. Even both our wingers looked really flat and no chances were created. Billy Davies is completely right, we are in dire need of 3-4 new quality players. Looking at the match these are the players i would put on the transfer list right away, Luke Chambers, Big Wes, Nathan Tyson. If i were bringing new players in i would be looking at Mills, Reading centre half, Whittingham from Cardiff, James Beattie striker ex Stoke.I think it is time the board let Billy sign the players he wants or let him move on to another club. He cannot do the job at Forest with his hands tied behind his
back.
Bangor Red
Well, another very typical Forest transfer window closes. Does anyone know how many clubs in the football league failed to make any permanent signings - other than Forest of course?
P Davey
West Bridgford
I can remember back in the 90s when forest finished 3rd in the top fight division and then the season after we went down. I hope this is not going to be the case this season ,we had a great base to build on from last season with a fine manager in charge. But with the lack of much needed investment to strenthen our playing staff the club has gone backwards, and as everyone can see already the attendance is dropping. Why should we as loyal supporters keep paying massive prices to watch a club who will not give the money what we put in to its manager?
Last season i said to my 8 year old son its the best team we have had in over 12 years and it looks like we are going back to the big time so next season instead of watching ..sheff utd, norwich, leeds we could be watching the likes of manchester utd,arsenal,liverpool,man city they all have the best players in the world and they will be here again at the city ground! He was so excited. Selling our players and not replacing them is an act of utter madness and it is taking the micky out of us silly supporters who are paying well over the odds the watch a game of football.
I feel so let down..
Daz
This was not a surprise to me at all, it beggars belief that we have not strengthened the squad which is down to the bare bones. Once again this club has let its supporters down, plenty of bluster and rumours but no action, if I was a player wanting to move Forest would not be one I would go to because how can they show a player that they want to move forward !!!!!!!
Yes these are difficult times financially but we had a chance to build on last years superb effort and we have fallen flat on our faces, mid table at best this year, as the squad is not good enough, Perch sold, Garner and Bennet on loan, Mcgoldrick, McCleary and Anderson injured, Gunter suspended for Millwall game, looking very very rosey eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope Billy does not walk but who could blame him if he did, yes we may get loan signings in from 7th Sept but that is not progress its a backward step we all know it, Billy knows it, so what do the rest of the players think ?
I hope I am wrong but this club is fast going into meltdown and all the good work last year has gone to waste and we are back to square one. Mr Doughty do the right thing and explain to us fans who pay good money to follow this once great club, what the heck is going on and where is the so called 5 YEAR PLAN now ?
I have followed this club for over 40 years and when it comes down to ambition and progress we seem to always shoot ourselves in the foot and become the laughing stock of the football league, rant over so Mr Doughty/ Mr Arthur and the AP its time to prove me wrong and all the other staunch supporters that we are going places but I am not hopeful to say the least.
Mick Wagstaff ( Disgruntled Young Timer) Worksop
Last year I was writing pleading with ND not to appoint Billy - how wrong I was we saw the best football we had seen for years and he gave youngsters a chance. This year I hope to be wrong again but ND why have we signed no one in the transfer window? If we aren't going to buy anyone the Acquisition Committee is a bit superfluous!!
Lastly the booing of Paul McKenna completely unacceptable - when did things go wrong last year when PM got injured and Shorey left. The first half display against Leeds PM played well - the team played well - we need a fully fit Paul McKenna!
Charles Wheeler
Newark
The chance to strengthen the squad has gone now.
This appears to have been one transfer window too many for a lot of forest fans and hopefully the club realises this. I have seen it all before and was sensible enough not to get carried away this time but a statement from Mr Doughty would be nice now about his intentions for the club if only to avoid the fans venting their frustrations at the ground.
Best chance of promotion for years, we all knew what happened last time we failed to make the play offs- our start and our lack of action is exactly the same this season as that one- don't say we have better players now because all the signs are there already!!
This is not a jolt reaction, Mr Doughty, Mr Arthur and Mr Pleat I believe its time to leave the club, give us someone in charge who can take this club forward. You had your chance but failed to take it and this times fans aren't going to sit idly by.
People will vote with their feet and will make themselves heard in the ground.
Message to Billy- please try to make sure we don't get relegated from this league, don't leave before christmas even though I think you will one way or another and thanks for last season and the fantastic football.
We won't make any progress for a long time the way things are now- we'll only go backwards.
James S
Disgruntled- but not surprised, season ticket holder
I would like to know if the Chairman has anything to say to the fans, after another inept transfer day of non dealing. I believe I have been sold my season tickets for this year on false pretences and lies, fuelled by a CEO's lies to the public regarding his incomprehensible use of the press to try and build up the lie by saying we had made reasonable bids for players. Loans are not the answers for the club to move forward and I would like an explanation as to why you and your board have let the fans down so badly.
C Macdonald
£500 on a season ticket... £0 on new players in the transfer window.. no value for money as a dedicated fan. This is my 11th consecutive season ticket and forest's consecutive season with yet still no ambition of premiership football.. Mr Chairman, What are you playing at? Are you not aware of the bigger picture in the world of football? Sink or Swim is the name of the game! - Blackpool can do it why cant Forest?
Chris Pack
I'm going to have a gripe about our transfer policy...
Very recently Mark Arthur declares we are going to sign Whittingham and Pratley.
He does go on to mention it might not be now, but perhaps January or when their contracts expire next summer.
Things change fast in football, and you have to strike quickly, and not wait around.
Cardiff have signed Bellamy since then and gives Whittingham more reason to stay with the Bluebirds.
They had a very good last season, and have considerably strengthened their squad.
Forest who have infact lost a key member of the squad and have only added a young left back, suddenly become less attractive to Whittingham.
End result? - Whittingham loses interest as time moves on and we don't sign him when we need him.
Signing him in January is too much of a gamble, we will not know our position and he could be happy at Cardiff or have signed a new contract.
If Nigel Doughty wants to sign players at market value or cheaply, and I don't blame him, we have to realise, we do not get important players at market value or less, even when their contract is due to expire.
We could have taken a different option and signed out of contract players.
It would have allowed for direct contact with the player and Billy could have won over the player with his enthusiasm and belief.
However the situation we are in is simple.
No signings and as a result a weaekned squad because our competitors have improved their squads.
So why has our chairman allowed Forest to get into this state? I think there are 3 possible answers.
1) he is being mis-guided on how to spend/save his money
2) he doesn't have the capital to invest
3) Billy Davies is no longer welcome and we seek an inexpensive route to remove him
I'm as frustrated as many others
This is the best opportunity we have had in 15 years to get into the Premiership and stay there.
How much more money does Nigel want to squander by not investing.
from a far from impresses tricky
David exiled in direby
I sit here watching Skys 'deadline day' and cannot believe that we havent signed anybody with only an hour left to go!!! What the heck is going on ND?? What are you doing, not even a loan signing, its ridiculous and incredibly frustrating. Somebody at the club said we had money for transfers.......so where is it? What happened to Whittingham, Pratley, Roberts, St Ledger, and others???
We are a laughing stock and I feel so sorry for BD and the guys. In my opinion, Chairman, if your not going to invest or support the club in regaining Premiership status, sell up and get out!! Lets have an owner who wants us to actually go places. Even 'bankrupt' Cardiff signed players!! JOKE!
Lee
North Yorkshire
Let's not get too bogged down with the lack of activity on the transfer market. If we get new players in and they end up playing as far below their capabilities as the current squad, we'll have wasted our money. In his comments after the latest embarrassment, Billy Davies described the Norwich players as "high on confidence with a spring in their step after what they have achieved over the last 12 months". Why on earth is he not in a position to say the same about his own squad? The players at Davies' disposal at the moment are perfectly capable of winning automatic promotion, but there is a massive problem with moral and lack of leadership.
That won't be solved by flashing the cheque book.
Tim Ault
Why oh Why don't forest just come out and say sorry there are no new signings this transfer window!!!! At least it would stop all these so called forest fans from moaning, and maybe the team can settle down and start playing the football them had last season.
Regards Karl Holyland
So it looks like we are not getting anyone in yet again, told by the chairman we want at least two new players and that the money is there. More false hopes and tricked into spending on season tickets, the club is an absolute shambles. The silence is deafening from there city ground just like on match days,. Watch this space and attendance figures drop is this really what you want to happen. Someone come out and be honest with the paying fans about why we have failed to strengthen yet again.
A Very Angry season ticket holder.
Our club is a shambles. How we have not learnt the lessons about not spending from a position of strength is beyond me and all other fans. Something is clearly rotten behind the scenes of the club, and all of the positive feeling following last seasons achievements have been destroyed by an astonishing lack of ambition from the board and the TAP.
Laith Gibani, Manchester
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