Review of the month - Negative November
01/12/03 | by Adam Gray

You may remember me saying last month that I like my glass to be half full when it comes to Nottingham Forest, but this month I have just finished that drink.

The season's fourth month has been a very eventful one, but also a very disappointing one for all concerned. We have lost our top-scorer, we could have lost our manager, and we are now just a month away from the dreaded transfer window where what's left of our first team will be in the shop window.

You may wonder why I am so concerned about our position, but hopefully you are a knowledgeable lot and won't have to wonder. No wins at all this month, and in the last couple of games we have looked a shadow of our former selves. Off the pitch, however, is where we are looking most incompetent.

To sell Marlon Harewood for the pitiful sum of £500,000 is a massive step backwards, even if it was his contract year. Despite the fact that we have already replaced him, the new man, Marlon King, may take longer than we need to start performing due to his recent lack of fitness.

I hope it doesn't happen, but I really believe that no matter how rubbish King might end up being, we will still love him if only for his name. This was demonstrated in the weekend's West Brom game, where the "Marlon, Marlon, Marlon…" chants rang round. We need Johno back desperately.

For as long as Eddie Gray is only the caretaker manager at Leeds, there will always be a small amount of speculation regarding Paul Hart with their job full-time. Fortunately this will be far more unlikely now than it looked at the time of Peter Reid's sacking, so that's one thing that we can be happy with.

In a nutshell, November has seen us slip to 13th, and we have realised that we are not good enough for promotion. We have now got to work hard to consolidate our position and make sure we can hang on to as many of our players as possible.

Here are November's awards:

Player of the Month
This has been the first month of the season where there have been no obvious contenders for the award. I apologise for my lack of creativity, but I am going to have to give Player of the Month to Andy Reid for the third time. This was the month where not only did he continue to perform in the Forest side, but he also received Man of the Match honours in his first cap for the Republic of Ireland.

Goal of the Month
Not many to choose from unfortunately, but I will give this one to Eugen Bopp for his effort at home to Watford. He has had a decent run in the last few games.

Performance of the Month
I never thought I would give this award to a performance where we didn't win, but sadly I have no choice. It goes to the game against Wigan. Points away from home aren't easy to come by, but especially against a side unbeaten at the JJB in Division One.

Idiot of the Month
No contest. Nigel Doughty wins this month. What exactly does he want to achieve with this club?

What does December bring? The crucial Christmas and New Year period of course, including Marlon Harewood's return on the 28th with West Ham. But before then, we have home games against Ipswich and King Marlon The Second's old club Gillingham, and visits to Watford, Crystal Palace and Norwich, where we meet another old friend, Darren Huckerby. We also find out who we play in the third round of the FA Cup. December will also hopefully bring a vast improvement in our form.

E-mail me with any comments at adamgray50@hotmail.com.