The post-mortem begins
02/05/05 | by Paul Severn

Now Forest are down, fans wait for the dust to settle and the clearing out to begin. Forest's relegation has been a total disaster and sorting through the wreckage and rebuilding is a monumental task for any manager. The squad is large and ridden with underachievers and low-level players, many of whom are injured. On paper Forest had a decent squad at the start of the season – a good goalkeeper, good young centre-halves, still had Andy Reid and had three strikers battling for two spots up front. After 45 league games, it’s totally different. Players have left, many have arrived, youngsters have tried to emerge – yet throughout the season Forest have been second best in virtually every game they have played. Even some of our wins have been lucky and thoroughly undeserved. So, which players have failed, which should have never arrived, and who offers hope for the future?

Under-performing ‘star’ players

Forest’s season has been dogged by our so-called stars having little or no impact. Most fans expecting a play-off run would have expected David Johnson to score the goals and a fully-fit Michael Dawson to keep them out. Johnson has long since moved on to play just a squad role at Sheffield United. He missed chances early in the season and his play deteriorated to an alarming degree. It was hard to remember that this player was once a hero.

Dawson should go on to have a good career in the Premiership, but had a poor impact this season. He was constantly injured and looked over anxious at the back. It was sad to see such a good prospect suffer.

Other ‘stars’ were poor. Marlon King cost nearly £1 million, but has never looked a class act. Even the ever-reliable Matthieu Louis-Jean had his worst season for the club, looking poor on the ball. Other senior players were hugely disappointing – Alan Rogers looked out of shape and out of form, while Andy Impey and Eoin Jess struggled to offer anything in the first half of the season.

Disappointing signings

Joe Kinnear, Mick Harford and Gary Megson all tried to bring in players. Kinnear told fans a big signing was imminent on a weekly basis – but the fans waited in vain. Those that did arrive disappointed. Adam Nowland never got fit and didn’t justify transfer fee we paid. Poor Jack Lester also succumbed to injury and was lost for the season after a highly promising start to his return.

Harford brought in Neil Harris, which proved to be yet another mistake. Harris was clearly not the player he once was and never looked like scoring before quickly dropping down the pecking order. The club’s scouting procedures were cruelly exposed.

After the arrival of Megson, and the sales of Andy Reid and Dawson, money was finally available for signings, but no players wanted to join us due to our league position. Those that did want to join again disappointed. Scott Dobie looks little better than Marlon King, his work-rate nullified by his lack of goals. David Friio went the same way as Lester and Nowland. John Curtis also missed crucial games through injury. Andy Meville looked an inspired signing at first, but was exposed by pacy strikers toward the end of the season.

Out of their depth

A big feature of Forest’s season has been watching players struggle who are past their best or simply lower league players. While the club has carried such players for the past few seasons, there are now many limited players on the books. Despite their good attitudes Paul Evans and Daryll Powell have been shown up weekly to be lacking at this level. Powell remains Megson’s biggest mystery – at 34 he is clearly a second behind the play and the sending off at QPR has been coming ever since his arrival.

Evans battles hard but his range of passing has never replaced that of Riccardo Scimeca or even Gareth Williams. Jon Olav Hjelde was warmly welcomed back to the City Ground, but was again clearly a second off the pace even during his trial games. He was given a contract and drifted out the picture. Both Impey and Jess are clearly passed their best yet held regular places under Kinnear.

Eugen Bopp has also never fulfilled early promise and is now a bit-part player. Some younger players have also looked lacking at this level. John Thompson continually looks set to hold down a place at right-back, central-defence or midfield, but sooner or later seems to fall out of favour. Gregor Robertson still looks weak defensively while Barry Roche seems set to leave after a series of mistakes when deputising for Paul Gerrard earlier this season.

Not to blame

While nobody can claim to have had a good season in a red shirt this season, there have been a few bright lights who, come next season, have to form the basis of a promotion side. Picking through the wreckage is not easy. Andy Reid stood out like a sore thumb before his departure, but Kris Commons has shown he can replace the Tottenham man. At one point it seemed like he would lead a one man revival, but his seven goals were not enough. Kinnear didn’t think he and Reid could play in the same side, but look at Robben and Duff for Chelsea – if it’s good enough for Mourinho, it’s good enough for a Championship relegation battle.

Commons aside, Megson has rightly praised Gareth Taylor. He is limited at times, but has done everything he can to plug holes in defence and attack. He has led the side with dignity and his two sendings-off aside, should captain the side next season. Paul Gerrard should continue to keep goal too, after a decent season, while Chris Doig and John Curtis should be good enough for League One. Jack Lester too, should relish the physical battle. James Perch and Ross Gardner are two youngsters who can look back on the season positively, although their development needs to take place in a winning side.

However, these are just a handful of players who can have any claim to have earned the right to play a part in any Reds revival. If Gary Megson is to stay on to rebuild the club, there’s a lot of demolition work to be done first.