The salient points from the afternoon were as follows:
- The atmosphere and attendance from the Coventry fans was nothing short of embarrassing. The stadium itself is impressive in relative terms; facilities are up to scratch and common sense construction gives excellent views to the majority. But it is completely soulless.
Fans are dispersed across the bowl, leaving vacant sky blue seats to fill one's view. The abundance of bare plastic in such a modern stadium is reminiscent of the many European clubs who, on the back of an international tournament, have moved into impressive stadiums they have no needs for.
Of course the main consequence is that it feels very much like a reserve game, a problem not aided by the hollow, impersonal nature of most stadiums in the 'flat pack' era.
- Forest's defence looks, at times, among the worst in the entire country. I have seen enough to be satisfied that - on present form - the same back four would flounder in League One.
Moloney is talented, and a real worker, but he was left sprawling on more than one occasion yesterday afternoon. Kelvin Wilson, on the other hand, has taken to stepping up his on-field nonchalance in the face of pressure - and it isn't working.
We were behind after what seemed like 30 seconds, and virtually every time they headed down either flank thereafter they looked fairly likely to set our defence reeling. I should emphasise that this was a consequence of our inadequacy and not a credit to their flair.
- The defence something that concerns me hugely. In total honesty we need four new defenders, but we're as likely to sign Ronaldo. In games like yesterday's an unstable defence upsets the entire balance of the team. Players like McGugan, Anderson and Earnshaw were causing notable damage without even playing particularly well.
But just as it always seemed likely that we'd force our noses in front, it seemed frankly certain that we'd be hit again on the break.
- On the strength of our chances we deserved all three points. Coventry are a weak outfit, lightly seasoned with a smattering of half-decent players.
They are reasonably well drilled, but I would expect any decent side to beat them with some ease. The same can be said about a lot of sides in the division - which only makes it more of a concern that we're rock bottom of the division.
The Championship is a poor league. It is entertaining because of its unpredictability, but in itself this derives from the fact that there are a lot of poor sides. If we don't start treating teams with the disrespect they are entitled to we will find ourselves relegated with weeks to spare.
We have been diabolical for most of the season, but with a little bit more ruthlessness and a decent defence we would be 15 points better off already.
- Cautious Colin had me baffled once or twice, not for the first time. Playing Anderson on the left and Cohen on the right is an act of defiance that sums up his entire tenure. Subbing Earnshaw and trading Moloney for Chambers did nothing bar upset the momentum. His lavish praise for the visiting supporters is justified, but his weekly grovelling is starting to make him look rather cap in hand.
Ratings:
Camp - 7.5 - quick off his line and on hand to make a series of important saves.
Moloney - 5 - in no man's land for the first goal and was caught out more than once. A shame, because going forward and in possession he looks genuinely talented.
Wilson - 5 - recovered well from a lot of his mistakes, but another error never seemed far away.
Morgan - 7 - largely untested. Dominant in the air when called upon, strong throughout, and he bizarrely remains the only central defender at the club willing to carry the ball out of defence.
Lynch - 5.5 - he was much improved against Barnsley, but the doubts crept back in this afternoon. Solid in patches, but prone to being turned and left for dead. Am I right in thinking that he, alike Chambers, is comfortable chiefly at centre half? That might explain his reputation in contrast to his performances.
Cohen - 6.5 - great effort and some fantastic cross-field through balls...with his left foot, Colin.
Perch - 6 - really doesn't do a great deal wrong, but then again, he really doesn't do a great deal of anything.
McGugan - 8 - showcased his true ability, but only in patches. At times he weaved his way through crowds of Blue shirts, shrugging as men almost literally bounced off him. On other occasions he is exasperating because he has no understanding of when a simple pass will do.
Anderson - 7 - his pace and hunger for action cause big problems, but his end product is nearly always lacking.
Earnshaw - 7.5 - great movement all game and well worth his goal, although he probably should have buried one of the earlier chances. His record speaks for itself, even at Forest. Why sub him when you're desperate for a goal?
Garner - 5.5 - notched again, but apart from that he had something of a nightmare. Every pass went astray and every effort sailed yards off target - should have won it at the end too. I really like the look of Garner, but this was a poor performance.
The subs were all below par, particularly McClearly who bottled a one-on-one.
