Well after just hitting the ground with a thud, we are back to the day job on Tuesday evening, when Forest welcome Preston North End to the City Ground.
We last played on 23rd Dec when we notched up our first score draw of the season. Ben Brereton scoring, before PNE scored a late equaliser in the second half.
Jordan Hugill is Preston's leading scorer with 8 goals and one assist.
Preston last won away against Burton on 9th Dec and beat the Robins at Ashton Gate two weeks prior to that. Since then their form has stuttered some what, notching up a succession of draws; apart from beating Cardiff [who hasn't?] and losing to Brough.
They sit in 11th place with a goal difference of +4 largely down to only conceding 28.
So should be a full on match with both teams looking to get back to winning ways.
Bridcutt is still suspended for his second game, so we need Vaughan fit enough to start. Bouchalakis had a poor first half overall, after a good opening ten minutes [well that's what Mr P Taylor said] so could start on the bench.
Will Apostolos Vellios get to start a game? In some ways he reminds me of a modern day Malcolm MacDonald; get him in the box in space, put the ball in front of him, hopefully job done.
Live @ http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/383924
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Forest V P.N.E Match Thread
posted on 31/1/18
We have players who can do it; they proved that against Wolves and Arsenal but they need to do it a lot more often. My worry is that whoever we sign over the next two windows, no matter how good they are, they will be infected by the couldn't-care-less attitude that is endemic in this squad and has been for some time. After the match Steve Hodge suggested we had an unhappy dressing room, which is not hard to believe. In fact I would go further than that and say it could be toxic. Not in a malicious way but in the way that players adopt a culture where sending fans home happy doesn't matter; just jogging around in training and in matches is ok; if you don't feel like putting in a shift or if it requires too much effort then don't bother you'll still get tens of thousands of pounds at the end of the month.
The manager and his coaches need to bring a better attitude to the squad otherwise signing players will just be a waste of money.
posted on 31/1/18
Well, you lucky bunch, most of you have woken up being able to hopefully partly forget yesterday's tripe. For me, it's the same day!!!
posted on 31/1/18
All this talk of an overhaul is pie in the sky. These players are on contracts that mean nothing to them most of the time but their agents will hold the club to every word should the pkayer’s commitment be questioned. When you get a group of lame and lazy players together it infects the squad. Hodge intimated that there are problems in the drsssing room and Karanka has also talked of wanting players that want to be there.
posted on 31/1/18
The question is, how committed are the owners? Haven’t been seen at the CG since they brought the club. How much are they prepared to really put in the work to turn the place around? The need to really get a grip of the playing staff is vitally important but if this doesn’t come from the top, nothing will change and we’ll be having the same conversation this time next season.
posted on 31/1/18
I suspect that the Greeks might give it another year and then sell if there is no significant improvement and like many clubs throughout the years, the club will be flogged on through several different pairs of owners and that could lead who knows where?...
posted on 31/1/18
Will, I am not too worried about the owners at the moment. I do think he may have bought the club partly as a favour to Fawaz. His first love is obviously Olympiacos, and I have no doubt he will sell the club at some time in the near future hopefully after promotion and for big bucks to a group of big spenders. He may also be prevented from leaving the country for legal reasons!
Off the pitch there is no doubt in my mind the club is being run much better and is more stable than it has been for five years or more. No more winding up orders; wages are paid on time; and businesses are glad to have our custom and offer us credit.
posted on 31/1/18
I fear its come to late in this transfer window to do much about some of the heartless and spineless players we have.
posted on 31/1/18
comment by Redfor50yrs (U2973)
posted 1 hour, 12 minutes ago
Will, I am not too worried about the owners at the moment. I do think he may have bought the club partly as a favour to Fawaz. His first love is obviously Olympiacos, and I have no doubt he will sell the club at some time in the near future hopefully after promotion and for big bucks to a group of big spenders. He may also be prevented from leaving the country for legal reasons!
Off the pitch there is no doubt in my mind the club is being run much better and is more stable than it has been for five years or more. No more winding up orders; wages are paid on time; and businesses are glad to have our custom and offer us credit.
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Yes, maybe so. It is a million miles from the Al Hasawi era. I just wonder how much he is willing to invest to really compete in this league. The Prem dream won’t hapoen without it, I reckon.
posted on 31/1/18
I don't think he is prepared to chuck money at it the way Fawaz did, but that didn't work anyway. I think the sale of Britt was a sign of how things will be. That money supplemented whatever Marinakis put in and I think the same will happen next summer. Another of the crown jewels will be sold to help balance the books. Sadly our signings last summer have not worked out. Darikwa, MacKay, Murphy, and Cummings could all depart without being missed. Dowell and Bridcutt the only successes. Our acquisitions have to be better in future, and they don't need to cost big bucks..
posted on 31/1/18
It feels like the Greeks have generally improved foundations of the club very successfully in a relatively short period of time from the shambles of the fackwit era.
What we’re seeing now is the Greeks attempting to fix the shambles on the pitch. And a shambles is it, not helped by warburton failing to address important shortcomings (bar bridcutt) and a possibly toxic dressing room and that has already cost the previous two managers their job.
Sadly we are in a poor position, with some amazing cheap talent such as Mills, Fox, carayol, and Hobbs leaving out of contract at the end of the season along with Vaughan, and cohen.
At least we have Vellios until 2020 and Darikwa and McKay until 2021 (please tell me tranfermarkt has that wrong..... please!)