Forest are dead, and it’s Joe that’s killed them
13/12/04 | by Alan Fisher

I’ve just been sitting listening to another pathetic capitulation at an away game – indeed, just another game (to quote the fat man), just another game at Pride Park, and just another game where we are made to look utterly crap by our rivals. The contrast of fortunes at both ends of the A52 is interesting and makes a useful backbone for a critique of Joe Kinnear’s tenure at Nottingham Forest. None of us like admitting our rivals are doing well, but under George Burley it looks very much as though Derby are heading in the right direction, whilst we do the opposite.

In March this year we blamed the wind, we blamed the coffee cup, we blamed Barry Roche, and ultimately we took solace in the fact that somehow we managed to escape the drop, and indeed, finished above Derby in the process. Now let’s take some stock of what’s gone on since – Derby have flown this season and are sitting just outside the play-offs; we’re firmly ensconced in the relegation zone.

It seems that Joe Kinnear has systematically set about destroying all the things that make me proud to be a Forest fan. I really hope he, or Mr Arthur or Mr Doughty takes the time to read this. If it’s you Joe, do the decent thing and walk. If it’s Mr Arthur, please pass this on to Mr Doughty. Mr Doughty, sack this abhorrent, slobbish, unprofessional, bungling buffoon before the fans start to walk.

I’m not one of those mythical Forest fans (of whom I’ve yet to meet one of) who believes we have a divine right to top flight football or even that we’re a “big team” any more. I am fiercely proud of our history, much of which occurred before my birth, but I don’t expect it to be replicated. Aside from being my local team, what makes me proud to be a Forest fan is what we stand for, what we’re known for. Aside from a few post-Clough managers, we usually play reasonably decent football and – the most important thing – we didn’t argue with refs, we weren’t dirty, petulant, we didn’t kick the ball away – these are all trademarks of Forest under Kinnear.

Let’s simply compare the two Derby matches: in March we were humiliated. Kinnear then added to the team. He has a better team now than he had then, yet the scoreline is worse and by all accounts Derby were easily three goals better than us. My memories (whilst undoubtedly biased) of the game in March was that the scoreline was somewhat flattering to the sheep molesters owing to a dodgy keeper, a strong wind, a coffee cup – all those old excuses.

The fact is, the game this time round was worse – you nearly had a full strength team, Joe and it WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH. You are making the team into a laughing stock, you are calling the fans who plough their cash to pay your wages morons, you shirk your responsibility to face the media (and by proxy the fans) after defeats – you are a disgrace to football and certainly a disgrace to the badge of Nottingham Forest.

I implore the powers that be at Forest to act now – remove this buffoon from the helm of our club before Leicester destroy us as well. We need to end this rotten regime before it takes us into League One.