The Rambling Red - Issue 14 20/05/03 | by TrickyMatt

Forest meet Sheffield, part two

I decided that I would start to write this before the big game away at Sheffield United as I wanted to convey the amount of anguish I have felt ever since Saturday’s first leg encounter. So that is exactly what I am doing and to be honest, I feel physically sick. Concentrating on the job at hand has proven increasingly difficult as the countdown to kick-off draws close. Contemplating defeat at this moment in time feels impossible, victory on the other hand feels like a million miles away. As you, the reader are reading this, you will know the result. I wish I knew now, was it glorious failure or gallant victory?

Neil Warnock’s bleatings are, for want of a better phrase, doing my head in. Good on Kenny Burns, 'cause if I had access to the tunnel I’d have ripped Warnock’s head off given the way his team went about there business last Saturday. Paul Hart has called for a strong referee and he is right. Intimidation is a useful tool and a full Bramall Lane can be exactly that. Foul after foul, free-kick after free-kick, I can picture what it is going to be like already. All I ask, Mr Referee, don’t be fooled by the innocent faces of Brown and company, inside lies the key to ending all our season long dreams, that of promotion to the promised land.

Oh no, I can see Neil Warnock celebrating, time to stop thinking about it and turn this thing off. I’ll resume tomorrow, when the world will either be a desperate place or something a great deal more enticing.....

Thursday night, SUFC 4-3 NFFC

This is bad. No in fact this feels desperately awful. This game goes into my top four worst nights as a Red. Two up and nearly there, we have blown it. Once more I feel sick, my head rested on the table in front me, speechless, distraught. The barmaid attempts to console me, but this is not enough. Gutted. The sight of a young Red crying at what he had just seen summed it all up. We have a team you can only feel passionately about. He, and all those others who shed a tear on Thursday night, will always be one thing, Forest fans, something to truly be proud to be.

So what did I make of it? Well before hand I hoped and prayed that the suspension of Michael Dawson would not be the end of the world, and for the large part of the game, it wasn’t. For the first 50 minutes Des Walker looked competitive, assured and served us well. Young John Thompson gave an excellent showing and will surely partner Michael next season on a regular basis. However, I felt as if Des’ age began to show in the second half in the face of the rejuvenated Blades. In particular, I felt as if Steve Kabba’s goal should have been more adequately dealt with and Peschisolido’s dribble and shot could have been prevented. Both this season and next, Des Walker will prove invaluable in the development of Dawson, Thompson and Doig as well as Wes Morgan who is tipped to come through in the near future. Dessie’s tears reminded us how much he loves the club and we are proud to have seen so many superb performances from him in the red of Forest.

Paul Hart has been incredible for Forest, something that we have all seen with wonder. However, I said before the game and feel vindicated in saying the team selection was slightly wrong. I wanted to play 4-4-2 and match Sheffield United player for player. I would have had Bopp or Lester playing in midfield and kept Huckerby on the bench as our second half weapon. As much as I hate Neil Warnock, you would have to say that his deployment of his attacking substitutes bred renewed vigour into his side as our legs began to wilt. But all of this is picky and I don’t want to sound ungrateful because this side makes you proud to be a Red.

A word about our opponents. I hate them. The way they cheated and dived continually sums them up. I am praying for Wolves (don’t like them much either) to go up instead so we can “do” United next season. I want to see us embarrass them like I saw us embarrass them at the City Ground in November. They may have been cheering on Thursday but it will be Paul Hart’s Red and White Army who will be the real winners. Yes we have lost the battle but we will win the war, you mark my words.

So its all over, gone, finished. An exciting season has ended in such a dramatic way I would never have predicted as I took my seat at Fratton Park in mid-August.

To the players, the manager and my fellow Forest fans, thank you.

We’ll be back.