Would have liked to have got him but maybe Mackie will bang them in for us.

lets hope so

I'd imagine QPR offered more and they are probably more likely to go up than us so you can't blame him. I expect us to sign someone else upfront now.

Would have been nice but not essential in my view. We have more than enough attacking options and if Matt continues the way he's been playing in pre season its like a new signing too. Mackie will get them too and we will create lots of chances with the wingers we have now. Not sure we'll go for any more forwards even if the likes of Sharp is available. Unless we have someone whos much better than what we have and they will cost too.

I don't actually think we have missed out. Prone to injury and I'm not totally convinced that QPR will be pushing for promotion. I still think they will imploded and Harry won't be in a the job by Christmas.

I'm BD hasn't put all his eggs in one basket WRT to Austin. Jacob Mulenga is still on his radar and I'm sure he will still be thinking about Billy Sharp.

And all that said - we do have goalscorers in our team. Cox and Mackie upfront isn't a bad combo. Though I do think it's be Mackie and Derbyshire on Saturday.

I just hope the 'plan b' is progressing nicely. I still expect us to sign a good striker soon.

We need to offload a couple of players as well - someome give Paul Ince a nudge at Blackpool...they've got something like 16 players in their squad.

I think it's a big miss. I think he could have been the difference between challenging for autos and challenging for playoffs.

Serious question, did you ever actually table a bid or was it pure speculation?

Billy Sharp is signing for Donny on loan today according to my Southampton friend!

Did we really expect this signing when competing with the gross financial clout of QPR?

He must be worth around £4-5 million which would make me very uneasy if we got him and paid this much. Such a large outlay on a single player.

Derby fans may scoff but we have been very prudent so far in our signings, making sure there is not one player who cost the club too much money. This alleviates their minds, the fans minds, but more importantly the players' minds.

Personally I don't think we need another striker. I feel this team has goals in it (Majewski, Paterson, Mackie, Guedioura, Lansbury, Reid, Abdoun) - all of them can chip in.

We also do still have many strikers who should get better service - I expect goals from Blackstock, Tudgay (both played well under Billy) and also like what I see from Derbyshire who looks as though a year away on loan has done him the world of good. Then we have Henderson and Miller - they should score a couple each.

If we do buy a striker then fair enough. I would like to see Billy Sharp back as I think he won't be more than £2 million (probably considerably less). Plus we have the loan market to dabble in which we absolutely love to do.

Forest with Charlie Austin is better than a Forest without him, this is obvious. But not for silly money. The lad will be playing under some serious pressure this year - good luck to him, he will need it there.

Austin and Hooper were unrealistic targets, we were never going to land them. Maybe if we look like going up when the January window comes around we can attract that sort of player.

We could get Bily Sharp perhaps, but it is more likely to be an up and coming striker, or one on the way down on loan

We offered 20k supposedly and QPR offered £30 k hes a good player, but he isn't worth that.

Like QPR harry comes in and says all of the players are on mega high wages and needs to be decreased and then he signs Remy whose on £80 k a week and Austin on £30k as well. If they don't go up this year, they will go pop!

Tommo, we apparently made at least one bid, but that was just after he failed his medical at Hull. Not sure if we've been in since.

Why does everyone keeping banging on about Sharp? His attitude stunk last year.

Spot on Raymondo, the cons are he's a consistent scorer and we need one of them, I don't know a great deal about him other than stats. Not sure if he's a poacher, target man or what - he looks a big lump.

Pros are he was a lot of money and had failed a medical - if QPR bought him he must be overpriced! I'd say I was 60:40 disappointed:not bothered about this. I'd have liked him to sign but not for that much.

With the right service and midfield movement to create space, Dexter is capable of reaching early teens in the goal scoring dept' Henderson scored 17 goals for Millwall two seasons ago. The forgotten man Derbyshire seems to have rediscovered his form in preseason and may well knock a few in. Cox may benefit from a loan somewhere perhap's Hudders??.

Lots of midfield players have goals in them, that is a preferable scenario to having one renowned goal scorer who may well get marked out of those really tight important games.

Who can remember Larry Lloyd marking Kenny Dalgliesh so tightly that when Kenny rolled and moved he left both boots behind in the pitch?

Wonderful, although we got paid back later!

Why on earth would we loan out Cox? One of our best players last year!

What do u actually know about Sharp's attitude SHH? Yes his form seriously dipped after SoD left but he may have been injured, out of form, ill whatever. Do u actually know that it down to his attitude or is that just your opinion?

Fully my opinion mate, and could be wrong. It could be coincidence that his form dropped off on literally the day O'Driscoll left the club, but I don't believe it personally.

Sending Cox out on loan is a comment that belongs on twitter.

Ridiculous.

Red Forest Bear....have you been smoking crack all afternoon????

Why would we want to send one of our best players (Cox) out on loan?

He was pretty unlucky last season not to get on the scoresheet more. Maybe this year with the wingers producing the ammunition he may we be able to get in to some better goal scoring positions.

Plus the fact that Cox always gives 100% - that's the kinda players we need at this club if we are to achieve success.

-we

Dex scored 17 when tyson and ando were about.

Jim Price said we were in for Austin and money was not the issue. Sounds like he messed us around holding out for a Prem move. We gave up on him on Monday and have been in talks with someone else since. QPR is obviously a more attractive offer - he wants to play in Prem and thinks he has the best chance with them which is fair enough. Price also said we did not bid for Hooper.

Well according to Jim Price (BD's advisor and acting CEO at Forest), Austin had an attitude problem, and "showed no respect" for the club.

Sounds like he wasn't bothered where he ended up as long as it was for the most money possible.

Austin chose QPR, simple. That's not showing disrespect.

Ahem....................it's you youngsters who smoke various substances, not me!

I only saw him [Cox] play live once last seasonand that was against Leicester. He fluffed a couple of chances I seem to remember? one-on-one with the goalie?

He managed five goals over 30 odd games last season, these threads held plenty of criticism of his performances I recollect?