It’s your mess, Nigel – now talk to us!
02/05/05 | by Iain Humber

Now relegation is confirmed, we want answers about where the club is going. As usual, I expect Doughty to say nothing and after hearing his thoughts on BBC Radio Nottingham this evening, I think Gary Megson has been taking lessons from his boss. Mr Doughty is his own worst enemy on this front. If he has supported the club to the financial extent that is claimed, and claims to be a fan, then what's to lose in opening up? I think the answer is that he is embarrassed with his own ineptitude in the management of the club. Let's examine the facts.

Firstly, he appointed David Platt and sanctioned his various signings. (Radio Nottingham, please note it WAS Doughty and Barnes that interviewed and appointed him!) From a recently relegated club from the Premiership, we had the benefit of the parachute payments for two years where a half competent manager could have helped us back up into the Premiership. At that time, a proven goalscorer could have done it – we did it with Campbell and Hooijdonk and not a lot else.

Once it became clear that Platt couldn’t achieve this, we became the farcical club that didn’t allow its manager to pick certain players to get them out of the club to reduce the payroll. Examples of this have been Chris Bart-Williams and Andy Johnson.

Platt was allowed to stay despite the club not being anywhere near promotion in either of his two seasons in charge. Platt's eventual exit was of his own doing by deserting the sinking ship to ruin England's Under 21 side.

Doughty did at least make the right decision in appointing Paul Hart. Hart was initially a dream to Doughty by bringing through an abundance of talent (Jenas, Harewood, Prutton, Williams, Reid, Dawson amongst others) whilst at the same time offloading more expense from the club.

Hart's biggest mistake was to over-achieve with Forest. By getting us to the play-offs, expectation levels rose and, following the failure of Doughty to back his manager with the extra few players that would have seen us challenge the following season, the club sank back to its natural level. It is important to emphasise that this was the club's natural level, as the club had been in decline and looking relegation threatened when Platt was in charge.

Hart's reward for his efforts was the sack, when perhaps support – both financial and perhaps by way of a mentor – could have been a short term fix before building to challenge again. Not satisfied with this error, Joe Kinnear was appointed in a desperate attempt to keep us up.

The wage structure was broken and Doughty sanctioned Kinnear's appalling signings in Impey and Rogers amongst others. A short term fix, but not a long term solution. If only this money had been available to Hart.

Did Doughty come out and tell us what the long term plan was at this point? No. Why? Because he didn’t know himself and the only thoughts were to keep us afloat at the time.

So, to this season and Kinnear's luck ran out. A lack of tactics and even a fitness coach showed Kinnear up to be an inept manager who simply got lucky the season before.

Megson at least has tried to pick up the pieces of the mess that he has inherited. Although he has stated that “he is under contract”, he clearly doesn’t want to manage in League One and his comments to me seem to be an invitation for Doughty to sack him. It would be a way out for Megson for him to leave with compensation. Walking away to join another Championship side wouldn’t help his bank balance.

Could he be that unscrupulous? I don’t know, but the coming months will see if I am right.

The players shouldn’t be exempt from criticism. Throughout the season, they cannot claim to have given their all for the cause and on paper at least they are good enough to still be in the Championship. Clearly things have been going on behind the scenes and it wouldn’t help my morale as an employee to hear the owner claim that he would “rather give money to charity” than pay my wages.

Whilst Doughty's continued investment into the club is admirable, he has bought about the shambolic state of most of our current problems and seems unable to reverse the trend both on the financial and playing side of the club.

I appreciate that it isn’t as simple as to want Doughty out, as clearly someone would need to step into his shoes and run the club as well as investing heavily in it. I don’t have a magical solution to all of this. What I do know is that we have a great stadium and fan base that is willing to support this club and to turn it round. It does have the potential to be at least a good Championship side and possibly a Premiership side.

Talk to us, Mr Doughty. We all want the best for the club. You need our support as much as we need yours. Give your manager the reassurances he needs and the ability to rebuild. In return, you will have our continued support and hopefully that of the players too. Perhaps then we can look forward to better times on Trentside.