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We all like to have someone to blame when the chips are down, and whilst I’ve no intention or desire to increase the so called ‘blame culture’ of modern Britain, one has to wonder what has gone wrong for Forest this season, most particularly in the recent weeks since our previous resurgent form.
Let’s start at the top, the chairman. Now, clearly I’m going to divide opinion here, but I’ve always been of the school of thought that Nigel Doughty has done alot for this club. Firstly, the money pumped in one simply cannot argue with. Sure, some will suggest that these are just loans, and he will recoup them, but I do not think this is the case, certainly, I’ve spoken to him and he’s said that such things are a means of saving money for the club or something. (I’m no economist!) So, in this case, I am going to, in somewhat biased fashion, and potentially naively, rule Doughty out of blame for the current situation. After all, he’s made mistakes, particularly in manager selection and who to back etc, but hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing.
The beloved Scapegoat of the Forest faithful tends to be Mark Arthur, our Chief Executive, charged with control of all matters off the pitch, it seems to be Arthur’s job to organise the in’s and out’s at the club, as well as lots of PR etc that I’ll not go into. Clearly, if transfers are his area, then lack of transfers might be his fault. Clearly our side needs more quantity as well as quality, but is it not the case that we don’t really know whether our lack of transfers is actually through Arthurs’ failure, or just rising demands from other clubs in the transfer window. However, look at less financially stable clubs around, and they are/have been recruiting alot. I’m afraid that those in the hierachy dealing with transfers have let themselves down, and Mark Arthur has to take some blame.
Generally, it is the case, in modern football, that the first man to get the blame when things are going is the man the top, ‘the gaffer’. For most Forest fans, I would suspect that Billy Davies isn’t their main source of blame given recent terrible performances and lack of form. Clearly, Davies has not been Forest boss for long enough to be truly blamed by most Forest fans, but perhaps he is actually the source of the problems. After all, Davies’ reign has signalled a change from some decent, passing football, a side of youngsters on the up to a team that he seems to believe is rotten to the core. For me, Davies has to take some blame here. Calderwood, whatever your opinion on him, certainly had us an improving side, albeit unfortunately not enough to keep him in a job, but we seem to have gone from a young side on the up, to a bunch of misfits that play horrible long ball football with no purpose and no enterprise. To expand on this, we now seem to have lost a positive, young manager, with a depressing, miserable little man who spends most of his time criticising young players. Now, I’m fully prepared to admit that I could be wrong on this, and usually I’m not one to criticise a manager. The boss of Forest always will have my support, but here, there is a man who has left me desperate to speak out. Surely the way he is treating our players is going to cause problems, you only have to look at the decline in Joe Garner’s effect to see the potential effects of Billy’s managerial prowess. I genuinally hope I’m wrong, because we’re in his hands now, and essentially if we get relegated, he’ll probably just leave and not care, along with half of our players. Frankly, I’m incredibly worried about the state of affairs currently, and I’m certainly no reactionary.
Perhaps it is the case that we, the fans are to blame? Can this possibly be the case? I say not. I think that whilst Forest fans are potentially some of the most demanding and fickle in the bussiness, that is the nature of the fan, his/her side are a huge part of their world and they genuinally care. Forest are lucky to have such a dedicated base of Forest lovers, and should learn to appreciate them more.
Mark Arthur is one scapegoat for the vocal Forest supporters. Paul Smith is another.
[...] to help clarify matters on exactly where things are going wrong at the City Ground these days, and whose fault it is (or rather, whose fault it isn’t!). Look out for it from Monday 23rd February [...]
get daives out coz he only f**in us up
I am struggling to understand, after such a short period of time, how anyone can lay the blame at Billy Davies’ door. Lets get this straight, I am no Billy Davies fan, I did not want Billy Davies at the club, and Billy Davies does not inspire me one ounce, BUT he is the manager of my beloved football club, for which he gets my full support, and after only being here a matter of months, should have everyone else’s too ! Too much has gone wrong previously to blame Davies. One thing I find strange is our transfer policy. Is it not a very similar structure to that at Newcastle, Liverpool, and what used to be at Tottenham…..and their fans hate it, despise it….so why are we happy for it to work for us. I’d rather have Davies than Calderwood, I’d rather be where we are now then where we were when Davies took over….and I’d rather he be allowed to sign who he likes…..He gets a straight, stringent budget, wages and transfer money…how hard can it be…?
Just tell me this then,who appointed B D ? N D seems to me thats were the problem starts
I firmly lay the blame at Mark Arthur’s feet. Transfers were line up as deadline day approached. Sensible, realistic and nothing short of essential transfers, required by Billy Davies to keep Forest up whilst trapped with a squad full of injuries.
When handed to Mark Arthur to sort out every single one of the transfers collapsed. Why? Because we are told that Forest will not be held to ransom, and too much money was being asked to complete those moves. News Flash Mr Arthur! Forest are not in a position where it is safe NOT to pay that kind of ransom money. The collapse of those transfers left the squad so depleted that several positions simply have not been filled by players natural to several on-pitch positions. It also smashed the level of confidence the squad had upon Davies arrival as what few players were left got spanked by oppositions who frankly did not take much to see the flaws in our formations, and took advantage.
I can’t blame them. I would.
If Forest do go down this season then it won’t because of the manager. He’s done every he could. Mr Arthur on the other hand did everything but. People in such high positions who are so fundamentally shortsighted over such important decisions are a liability to any business they are involved with.
Paul Smith is a goat? That explains some of his antics in goal!
51773: You make a lot of good points, but destroying the confidence of your (very young and inexperienced) in public is not going to make things better. Nor is encouraging them to hoof the ball forward to a greyhound and a welsh terrier. We were losing under Calderwood, but at least we were trying to do things the right way.
we cut Colin off mid way through his plan! Now we are with a manager unable to attract any players, Colin always managed to attract the players.