Review of December - No festive cheer here
31/12/03 | by Adam Gray

It is said that this month, particularly the Christmas period, is crucial in how a season unfolds for a club. It also brings us to the halfway point, and if you're not there or thereabouts at the top now, you can kiss your promotion hopes goodbye.

Promotion is no longer a word in the Nottingham Forest dictionary, and the only way it will be in next year's edition is if we fail to achieve what now has to be our ultimate goal - First Division survival.

We have simply left ourselves far too much to do in the second half of the season to even contemplate a respectable finish in May. Two wins in twenty games is a disgraceful run, one that even Carlisle United would be unhappy with. But that is the harsh reality that faces us in the New Year and we have got to start winning sooner rather than later.

Where has it gone wrong? There are too many holes in the squad after last season's wholly unnecessary exodus of players and, to use one of Paul Hart's favourite comments, we are putting too many square pegs in these holes.

Sadly, Marlon Harewood's departure, which inevitably came to haunt us on the 28th, may not be the last this season as we move into January, and the opening of the transfer window. Premiership clubs will undoubtedly be looking at Michael Dawson and Andy Reid in these next few weeks.

As bad as the recent run has been, I will still give out my monthly awards:

Player of the Month
We haven't won for ten games, so it seems strange to award the tag of Player of the Month to any of the squad. But I will give it to a player who wins his first award, Gareth Williams.

Goal of the Month
This will go to Andy Reid. Seeing as we only scored two goals this month I will give Wes Morgan a mention for scoring too.

Performance of the Month
For the second straight month it goes to a game where we didn't win. It will go to the Watford game, where we worked hard to win a precious point.

Idiot of the Month
There are no obvious contenders this month, so I will give it to the guy(s) who insist on charging full price for the FA Cup game on Saturday. As a season ticket holder, I expected to get a discount with one of the vouchers, but no. We haven't won for ten games, we are playing second in the league, it's gonna be freezing cold - how many people will bother to turn up?

What does January bring? West Bromwich Albion return to the City Ground on Saturday in the FA Cup 3rd round, visits to Sunderland and Cardiff and a home game against Reading. It doesn't get any easier.

Finally, I would like to sign off this month by wishing you all a very happy New Year.