The Next Nottingham Forest Manager

It has been a frustrating and laborious wait for those supporters who saw a managerial switch as the only viable escape route this season.

In many respects it is almost as if the season began in August and finished abruptly in early October. Only now the inevitable has caught up can the challenge recommence.

The industrious opening and the scattering of improved players proved to be something of a red herring.

Early season naivety made way for ‘judge us after ten games’, and ten games became the waking nightmare of arriving every Saturday without enthusiasm or expectation.

By the middle of October I was fairly certain that Calderwood could be no more than a game or two from the axe. But it was this misguided certainty that spoiled any chances of enjoying the subsequent months.

As many football fans will admit, once you are entirely sure of your belief that a manager must be sacrificed it is almost impossible to enjoy football.

The excuses grow wearisome and the tactics unbearable; every defeat is consoled by fantasies of a morning announcement. Every victory is soured by the knowledge that your foe has secured his territory for another week.

People on both sides of the fence have the club’s interests at heart, but by this point the fence is something more like the Berlin Wall.

I vividly remember reading scattered remarks that Calderwood would one day be a top Premiership manager and must be retained. On each occasion I almost ate my fist to prevent it from going through the monitor.

Who knows, one day I may eat my words too. For now I am simply relieved that an era of mediocrity and frustration has come to an end.

Calderwood pandered to the airs and graces of the club’s supporters, and he spoke well of long term ambitions. As many of his militant supporters argued, he may well have been a nice man too.

Sadly nobody is nice enough to be worth a return to the dismal nether regions of the football league.

The case of who should replace him is tough. It is at these times that statistics become freely malleable and wild assumptions of character are made.

Modest figures who have barely made conversation in the past are sworn in as ‘disciplinarians’, and everybody other than Sam Allardyce ‘likes to have football played the right way’.

Today’s pulse-raising triumph at Carrow Road brought three vital points and evidence of a team’s bonding to cross choppy waters. John Pemberton, however, will not have chance to enter the public’s imagination as a new appointment is expected within days.

Ex-Derby boss Billy Davies remains the bookmakers’ beau. Stalwart Curbishley and battleaxe Dowie have been mentioned in passing, while fans have openly lusted over Martinez at Swansea and Johnson at Bristol.

And of course, like a puppy with a slipper Forest fans will never let go of Stuart Pearce or Nigel Clough. Fiery Roy Keane, ‘OBE’ with the rage but not the charisma, clings loosely to the same club.

One man who perhaps satisfies the lesser extremities of both the ‘legend’ and the ‘success story’ arguments is Brian Laws. Not too many would grumble at his appointment at the City Ground.

Whoever it is, they will have to be rather good.

The candidate will need thick skin, charm, ambition and a lot of common sense. He will be experienced, have signings in mind before his arrival and be prepared to accept a competitive but frugal salary.

Brian Clough circa 1975 would do nicely.

Christmas Comes Late - Calderwood's Eulogy

For several thousand people the sacking of a man at Christmas will be one of the best-received festive treats.

It is a touch macabre. But it might just save Forest’s season.

Like a lot of people I was very much looking forward to the Boxing Day football. A crisp, dry afternoon, a packed stadium and hopefully three very important points to compound the festive cheer.

What actually happened this afternoon will probably have shocked even the most ardent doomsayers.

A Forest side devoid of any shape or direction delivered one of the worst performances in living memory.

Today’s debacle will take a merited position on the dusty top shelf, alongside seedy packages like Coventry in 2005, Plymouth a week later, and Woking under Megson.

It is simply impossible to overstate how appalling it was. There was a quality of confusion and lethargy so overbearing that it turned people against their own team.

Forest were roundly booed off the pitch, and then venomously booed back on to it.

Literally hundreds left at half time, thousands more followed after goal number four.

I had a genuine feeling that a lot of the people remaining, certain in their desire to see Calderwood axed, were willing Doncaster to score more and make sure of his exit.

These are people that slap down hundreds of pounds a season and, in some cases, travel across the country to see Forest play. To conjure these sentiments in people so fanatical is a fitting example of how severe this afternoon was.

Robert Earnshaw diplomatically rescued his admission that the players didn’t know what they were doing today, but there was evidence enough in the performance.

The first half was played out with a petulance and a laziness that is almost beyond description.

Doncaster waltzed into a substantial lead and Forest served up nothing more than childish frustration; the sulky air of ill-fated complacency.

Calderwood’s head must have exploded at half-time because what happened next was frankly bizarre, even by his standards.

I have never been so convinced that the team had no formation whatsoever. Literally no instructions.

It was a mess – players running in packs like boys around a schoolyard; little Arron Davies hiding behind the dinner lady.

That we scored two goals is testament to Doncaster’s incredible relaxation. No doubt their training sessions are harder.

For Calderwood to speak of the ‘comeback’ as encouraging and to play the ten man card at the top of his interview is a fitting example of his desperation.

I am not sorry to see him go, in fact I am enthused almost to the point of forgetting the preceding horror show.

This is a triumphant goodbye to right wingers on the left and left wingers on the right, to imaginary formations, to lumbering centre forwards in impossible roles on the wing, to the irksome post-match soundbites in which words are drawled but literally no information is imparted…

This is a day I would have welcomed at any point over the last two and a half years.

An inoffensive character who did his best to pander to our airs and graces, but he was always a few steps behind what we were looking for.

Needless to say the next appointment is crucial – in no small way it will shape the entire future of the club.

When Hart was chopped the club was reportedly besieged with applications from across the globe.

Let us hope this will be the case once more, because it might just be the last chance for those replica European Cups to have any pulling power at all.

Ratings: Vs Doncaster [H]

Camp – 7 – I’m no body language expert, but I have a hunch that we won’t pay the million they want for him. And that he doesn’t really want us to.

Moloney – 7 – the man of the match; a plucky display in spite of the circumstances.

Wilson – 5 – a shaky start, and an injury.

Morgan – 7 – a one man band at times; he triggered thoughts of a captain plugging holes in a sinking ship at times.

Lynch – 3 – very poor, and not for the first time. I don’t see anything encouraging about him.

Cohen – 5 – the effort was there, but he was never likely to stop the rot. Distribution was poor.

Perch – 5 – sprawled somewhat at centre half after starting poorly in midfield.

McGugan – 5 – the biggest victim of the ever-changing system, which at one point appeared to include no midfield whatsoever. In the second half he might as well have sat and watched, in the first he had played some good balls.

Anderson – 3 – not interested at all. He’ll be an excellent player if and when our form picks up.

Garner – 6 – a frustrating performance to watch, plays too far apart with Earnshaw.

Earnshaw – 5 – needs goals, and so do we.

Substitutes:

Bennett – / - he was bound to be sent off or injured, we could lose him for five months now.

Davies – 3 – a graduate of the Gregor Robertson School of Uselessness.

Tyson – 6 – pace a threat as always.

The only way is down...

Five hundred words of fist-clenching fury hardly seem necessary in the wake of a performance so convincing. But oddly enough, a double dosage of doom is more appropriate now than ever.

For 90 minutes we puffed and panted and, in the most part, dominated against a very poor Blackpool side. And yet we still could not win.

Calderwood’s clarion cry for seven points from nine has ended with a familiar whimper.

We strained ourselves to overlook ‘not being promoted is failure’, we saw beyond ‘we’ll gun for the play-offs, and we craned our necks to see beyond ‘judge me after ten games’.

Now the man has embarrassed himself again with another crowd-pleasing soundbite that has proved to be entirely without substance.

Fortunately, the City Ground audience were so woefully poor in both their support and their numbers that we have avoided a weekly lavishing from football’s most spineless sycophant.

We came desperately close to victory at Coventry and deserved beyond all doubt to beat Blackpool. We were nearly good enough to register six from Colin’s nine, and that would have been nearly good enough to satisfy his demand for seven.

Nearly is a word that suits Calderwood well. Since day one he has nearly done his job, but never has his performance has never been quite satisfactory. This season we are not even worthy of ‘nearly good enough’.

Though peppered with passable Championship players, we are struggling to support the weight of the deadwood we are carrying. Calderwood has neither the sense nor the ruthlessness to reverse our fortunes.

Calderwood’s parade of soundbites and consistent patience for patience’s sake are dragging us into an irreversible crisis. The reaction of the crowd at the end of Saturday’s game is evidence enough that his number has been called – if he goes on much longer he will leave a laughing a stock; calamitous promotion long forgotten.

His quip on Southampton being a ‘must win game…for them’ is almost a hammer blow to free speech.

I would rather he didn’t speak to the press at all than revive his ill-fated mind games that have triggered nothing but resentment and self-detriment in the past.

I refuse to squander another day waiting foolishly for news, but if Calderwood isn’t chopped on Monday I will be thinking twice before travelling to any further away games under his tenure.

My belief in the necessity of his dismissal has reached a stage that even a win is sullied by the knowledge that it will prolong the agony.

Ratings: Vs Blackpool [H]

Camp – 7 – a solid enough performance, quick off his line and always alert to back-passes. His mobility around the box is a breath of fresh air and, with January coming, he must surely be signed.

Moloney – 7 – a number of good blocks and a crucial sliding challenge in the first half. Also worked hard to support the midfield in his strongest senior performance so far.

Wilson – 6.5 – a vast improvement on his recent haphazard displays, but the defence were rarely challenged.

Morgan – 7 – strong and confident; continues to be an unlikely source of composure on the ball and a trusted servant in defence.

Lynch – 6 – a slow start, but he was clearly injured.

Cohen – 7 – played several good through balls and provided the usual excellent work rate, despite being dumped confusingly on the right wing – again.

Perch – 6 – should have scored in the first half, otherwise a familiarly steady but largely pointless contribution.

Thornhill – 6.5 – likes to have the ball at his feet and works hard, but he lacks pace, strength and a genuine role in the team.

Anderson – 6.5 – a hot and cold performance; dangerous when running forwards in possession but sometimes went missing.

Garner – 7.5 – won the usual bucketload of cheap free kicks and caused a consistent headache for the Blackpool defence.

Tyson – 6.5 – his pace was as devastating as ever, but without the end product Tyson is increasingly looking out of his depth. Needs goals.

Subs

Bennett – 7 – good to have him back
Earnshaw – 6 – no real impact
Davies – 5 – the moment he lined up a shot and fell flat on his face having taken swing is fairly definitive. His continued use as a substitute is a sad indictment for our state of affairs, and his involvement as an international is a cataclysmic epitome of Welsh football.

I wonder why people stay to watch the Champions League in front of their fires...

This evening’s game was one of the most unpleasant and pointless affairs any of us are likely to witness.

Our visitors were not involved in a contest of any description. They were genially handed three points by a side devoid of any obvious qualities. It was a sham.

The crowd were subdued, it was bitingly cold, the football was literally not worth watching and we have whimpered away another home game.

Our system of performing reasonably for two games and then slumping into a familiar despondency has progressed beyond tedium – we are in grave danger.

As things stand we are within spitting distance of a safe position, but this is precisely why we now is the time for change.

When we perform well we look like a reasonable Championship side struggling to hold our heads above water. When we play badly we are hysterically useless.

Our ineptness is evident in every throw-in to static recipients, every corner that rebounds against the first defender, every squandered free kick, and every swirling high ball to our 5 foot centre forward.

These are the bread-and-butter essentials that one would rightly expect a new manager to address.

We line up as a side geared to play on the break and yet we bypass the midfield and leave our wingers into dead ends.

Teams can thwart and nullify everything we have to offer simply by sitting deep or closing down our defenders.

Balls go looping into the night sky and return as pressure, the defence reels at every cross, and – above all else – we just keep on losing games.

Most of us perceive Doncaster to be dead and buried, yet their supporters speak with confidence and enthusiasm eerily similar to that of the dying breed of optimists amongst us.

There is also a lot to be taken from the perception of other team’s supporters. Coventry fans left the Ricoh annoyed that they hadn’t defeated a very poor side,

Sheffield United supporters chatting on Radcliffe Road were falling over themselves to remark on how bad we are. It is getting embarrassing.

I simply cannot understand how eleven professional footballers can be as thoroughly hopeless as we were this evening.

Had the fourth official signalled for twenty minutes of stoppage time the premature exodus would have been equally as rampant – we would have played for a month and not equalised.

Lee Camp had more possession than anybody else as clueless defenders tapped clueless back-passes in his direction.

I spent most of the game watching draconian police and stewards scratching their heads for excuses to eject people. We’ll be down to 15,000 even if we survive at the rate they’re pinching season tickets.

It is demoralising, and nothing is happening to suggest that Calderwood et al have any plan other than to wait for our luck to turn.

We have already been waiting for far too long.

Ratings: Vs Sheffield Utd [H]

Camp – 7.5 – could have perhaps done better with the goal but his early save was exceptional. His mobility coming off the line is a major asset with such a poor defence. Does it bear thinking about where we’d be if he wasn’t in the side?

Moloney – 6 – I won’t criticise too harshly a young man who is very new to senior football, but besides one or two flashes I don’t think he has got what it takes.

Wilson – 6.5 – an improvement on his recent performances.

Morgan – 8 – the only player comfortable in bringing the ball out of defence, or in handling possession at all. A big concern in itself.

Lynch – 5.5 – mostly solid but far from watertight. I don’t think he’s worth keeping.

Anderson – 6.5 – a frustrating evening, fraught with the chasing of lost causes and dead ends.

Perch – 5 – one good through ball but generally he played the pointless role to perfection, as he often does. I would be interested in learning specifically how many of his passes go astray per game – too many, that’s for certain.

Cohen – 6 – a fairly poor day at the office in my opinion, despite teeing up Earnshaw’s miss beautifully.

Tyson – 5 – the Tyson midfield experiment falls flat on its face whenever we take on a deep defence or a solid right back.

Garner – 7 – plenty of graft, won plenty of free kicks and made a nuisance of himself. Much better than on Saturday.

Earnshaw – 6 – should have scored.

Subs:

Thornhill – 6.5 – wanted possession, at least.

Davies – 5 – we are getting desperate.

Coventry in Brief

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.

Christmas Eve?

Last time Forest arrived at the Keepmoat I was almost certain that it would be win or bust for the maligned manager.

This evening I pulled up in exactly the same parking space and, musing over the evening to come, I found myself drawing exactly the same conclusion about the game ahead.

Going into the game against Norwich I had seemingly unfounded expectations of seven points. Following Saturday’s turgid serving I shared a common view that consecutive wins would be the only acceptable attainment for the week.

But here we are again, grumbling about another poor result and staring up at mid-table as if it is the summit of an indomitable mountain.

Frankly I have had more than enough.

This evening’s game proved to be a sorry affair; a docile audience, a stammering tempo, and neither side truly worthy of three points.

As it happens, the linesman’s haphazard ruling that Lee Camp’s fumble did not cross the line is the only reason we didn’t lose.

Early in the game Doncaster struck the crossbar with Camp stranded, and an ominously bouncing lob evaded the net by mere inches late on.

It just isn’t good enough. Doncaster are a side lacking in confidence, arguably they are lacking in Championship quality too, and yet they bossed possession almost without interruption for the entire game.

Forest sat back and tried in vain to break down the channels. Doncaster snapped at every second ball, and their forwards harried our defence as we mechanically sent sidewards passes into oblivion.

Our set-plays were terrible too. Even our throw-ins look amateurish as nobody moves and recipients are out-battled.

Everything indicated that we were reasonably content to take a point from South Yorkshire tonight. And again, that just isn’t good enough.

The Forest crowd were dour for most of the game, with scant cajoling from the happy-clapping home fans. For a period in the second half we rallied behind the side but the reaction was as anti-climatic as the game in its entirety.

Towards the end of the second half the Reds nearest the technical area struck up a quite spontaneous chorus of “Calderwood Out”. The man targeted turned his head sharply, as if startled.

At the end of the game he slumped into the demeanour of a man fighting to keep his chin skyward in spite of an imminent blow.

He briefly acknowledged the visiting fans, which he rarely does in person, and he took time out to shake hands with each of the Doncaster players.

To my mind, it was the conduct of a beaten man. And as macabre as it is, the thought of that man spending Christmas out of a job is the only thing keeping me positive tonight.

It could be argued that waiting for Forest to turn the corner this season has been like waiting for Christmas, but Christmas is nearly here now and there are no discernable signs that Calderwood’s plans extend beyond waiting for our luck to change.

He is not a bad man. He has never doused himself in deprecating infamy like Kinnear, and he hasn’t sold our soul like Megson. But he has consistently performed below expectations; instilling an ethos of monotony.

This season he has failed even to do that.

I no longer sympathise with any view that Calderwood must stay; I simply do not see what we are waiting for.

Tomorrow morning Doughty must bring Christmas a little closer.

Ratings: Vs Doncaster Rovers [A]

Camp – 5 – two gaffs could have cost us the tie.

Chambers – 6 – a reasonable display.

Wilson – 5 – the skipper just doesn’t look himself; several mishaps nearly rolled out the red carpet for the home side.

Morgan – 6.5 – generally solid and won almost all of the aerial battles with Gareth Taylor.

Lynch – 5 – clumsy and behind the pace; barring two solid blocks in the second half he had a very poor game.

Anderson – 6 – often excellent when in possession, but drifted out of the game too frequently.

Perch – 6 – steady enough, but far too bog standard to have any answers in our current plight.

McGugan – 6.5 – arguably the only player likely to play the killer balls we were desperately missing, but too often he played himself into cul-de-sacs.

Martin – 5 – huffed and puffed, but was ineffective and out-muscled. Threw a minor strop when substituted.

Garner – 6 – real honest graft, but little end product and he should have netted in the first half.

Tyson – 6.5 – his pace was really our only outlet all evening, but if we’re depending on Tyson alone it’s no wonder we’re in a mess.

The Inevitable

The season is fast becoming a disaster.

We are hurtling toward League One and showing few signs that we have anything like the ability or the resolve to survive.

There has been eighteen games already, and for the last 16 I have drifted in and out of a cloud of ignorance.

On numerous occasions I have assured enquirers that survival will ultimately unravel itself before us, and in doing so I have reassured myself.

Even now I find it difficult to envisage relegation; the despondent, shell-shocked murmur of anguished supporters, the return of tears and terraces and “You’re not Famous Anymore”...

Even now I am contenting myself in some ludicrous assumption that everything will fall into place.

But it won’t.

A series of brave performances have fuelled the fires of tolerance recently. But this evening’s televised humiliation brings with it the foreboding clarity of pessimism.

All of a sudden, the draws against D*rby, Birmingham and Bristol City are no longer indicative of a revival. Instead they have been exposed as the plucky but ultimately fruitless product of a side that is working hard, but simply isn’t good enough.

Today we were out-worked, out-passed and, frankly, out-played by an average side with fewer players.

It was a mess.

We didn’t control the ball at any point in the game; our midfield was a vacuum of dead space as our wingers pushed on aimlessly and our defence gave them impossible balls to follow.

In attack we were reduced to chasing lost causes and pointing the finger of blame.

The one player likely to bridge the chasm between our attack and the rest of the side was Chris Cohen, who was eventually dumped at left back to clear a path for show pony Lee Martin.

And it is on this point that I bring to the table the most compelling evidence to date that Calderwood is not only incapable of fulfilling his duties, but also undeserving of any further backing:

[Reporter]: A lot of people are wondering why Chris Cohen, one of the more creative members of the midfield, was moved to left-back there?

[Calderwood]: The decision was made to bring a bit more pace to the attack.

And with all due respect, it was the right decision.

Can somebody explain that to me? Because from my vantage point I saw Lee Martin have three touches, and I saw Nottingham Forest lose.

The manager went on to dismiss talk of his sacking with a quip about the BBC Radio Nottingham reporter sitting closer to the stands than he does.

It’s just not good enough.

I’m not entirely sure what basis there is for allowing another false dawn.

We might beat Doncaster, we might even beat Barnsley too, but Calderwood has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he just doesn’t have enough in his locker.

For some people it will be a major relief, for others a shame that things couldn’t work out.

But at the moment Doughty is only delaying the inevitable.

Slobbering Baseball Caps

A dark, damp, miserably grey afternoon in Bristol bearing all the hallmarks of a festive fixture – and almost complete with the customary winter disappointment too.

It was a hectic game, dominated by half-chances and counter-attacks.

In different circumstances we could probably have landed all three points today, but Bristol City’s fans will be saying much the same thing.

The prevailing positives are that we have survived another game without defeat.

We are growing in resilience, we no longer look worlds away from taking the lead, and the side is peppered with players whose confidence levels are rising notably with each game.

The negatives include the fact that we again did our utmost to throw the fixture entirely.

Lee Camp’s heroics have kept the club from the foot of the table - just.

Despite a bold contribution from nearly all concerned, we never looked entirely stable and City’s swift, decisive movement of the ball always threatened to undo us.

For all of our huffing and puffing, neither equaliser can have been considered a surprise.

But that is not to say that we didn’t cause problems of our own. At 1-0, 2-1 and even 2-2 we spurned opportunities to seal the points.

It was another vast improvement, all things considered. Ignoring one or two fleeting shirks in the midfield it was a full-blooded affair, and we clearly gave our hosts more of a game than they had been anticipating.

One thing that nobody failed to pick up on was the work rate of the players, and the award of another last gasp penalty had heads in hands.

Like most people, I feared the potential damage presented by a defeat in spite of such a committed performance.

I also feared the rage that would inevitably result from having to take in the celebrations of the slobbering Bristol folk in their baseball caps.

And so, just like I did at Pride Park, I turned my back on the action.

I only rejoined it when I saw the loafers behind me leave the concrete in celebration. Lee Camp, the loathsome, egotistical genius, had spared us again.

The view from the away end at Ashton Gate is irksomely inadequate; seats sinking into themselves and pillars galore are a relentless obstruction.

But I witnessed clearly enough Camp raising two arms smugly above his head in triumph.

I left the ground with a grin.

Whether or not today’s result goes down as a success will depend on our ability to capitalise on back-to-back Saturdays at the City Ground and a crucial Tuesday evening in South Yorkshire.

In any case, it could have been a lot worse.

Match Ratings: Vs Bristol City [A]

Camp – 8 – not at fault for either goal, solid throughout, and again responsible for sparing us a point with a terrific penalty save. His all-round proficiency is gradually demonstrating to the Smith fan club what the rest of us have been whining about for some time.

Chambers – 6.5 – he snatched and he panicked at times, but I thought Chambers played reasonably well this afternoon. He didn’t go hiding, he didn’t get lost, and he even tested the keeper with an effort that could have won it.

Wilson – 6 – a fairly poor game from the skipper, without any particular calamity.

Morgan – 8 – for a long period he was a genuine reason to believe that we would hang on for the win. Nothing spectacular, but he cut up possession and flung himself in the way of absolutely everything.

Heath – 6 – not as composed as he was in the second half against Birmingham, but a reasonable contribution nonetheless. In the first half he found himself on the wrong side of a couple of ensuing City counter-attacks but he appeared to settle.

Anderson – 6 – his pace and vision were, yet again, an excellent outlet. But where on earth was the final product? If he had kept his composure in the final third this afternoon we would have won this and had more to spare. He also pulled out of two 50-50s which, whilst commonplace, is something I detest.

Perch – 6 – not exactly an all-action performance but one or two important interceptions.

Thornhill – 5.5 – not the game for him at all. With Thornhill sitting alongside Perch we lacked both substance and presence in the middle, and we were desperate for something more when he was substituted. There is some irony in the fact that we conceded anyway.

Cohen – 6 – another plucky display, characterised by his work rate but undermined by his wasteful set-pieces. I’m not entirely sure why we are treated to the Calderwood Special (i.e. swapping two players around, for the craic) when Cohen is on the left. He isn’t really a winger, let alone a right-sided one.

Garner – 7.5 – busy, eager, hard-working and well worth his goal. I hope he can sustain this form and support it with goals because – at the moment – he looks a real talent.

Tyson – 8 – a goal that he desperately needed and genuinely deserved. His pace is simply exceptional and when it presents itself as a real asset, as it did today, it’s easy to forget how he can sometimes look so dire.

Brian Clough's Red and White Army

It is with some difficulty that I attempt to bring to life my thoughts about this afternoon’s game.

Words alone are regrettably inadequate. So much of the experience is dominated by raw emotions; fear, elation, fury, ecstasy, and – at some points this afternoon – simple bewilderment.

Tottenham and Arsenal have their bouts, Manchester United and Liverpool operate a ferocious hatred, indeed most teams up and down the country have somebody to return their revulsion and loathing.

But Forest-Derby, in spite of its lower profile, has to be one of the most meaningful clashes of them all.

It is based not only on proximity and decades of tussling, but also the tangible bitterness that derives from overlapping histories.

Clough left Derby behind and achieved his greatest successes in Nottingham, before of course returning to live in Derby. Both sets of supporters claim him to be their own. Both sets of supporters rage at any suggestion his allegiance lay elsewhere.

The result is that every second of these days is of vital importance.

Everything from the walk to the stadium to the pre-match singing in the concourse is electrified by a sense of anticipation - it builds days before the game and lasts throughout, adding a surreal mist to the entire experience.

Pride Park itself never fails to fill me with an irrational anger. The black and white cladding, the oversized ram outlines stencilled on to every surface, the army of yokels swathing the nearby wastelands...

I hate every brick in the building and every one of the people inside it.

There’s no logic behind these feelings; on the whole they’re just like us. But that’s the beauty of it – there doesn’t need to be any explanation other than the clarity of passion.

I despise them, and they despise me.

It is, thus, with enormous satisfaction that I claim November 2^nd, 2008, to be Nottingham Forest’s day on a number of points.

Firstly, the ‘Super Ram Masks’. Do I really have to say more?

Secondly, our support. Whilst 30,000 Derby fans stewed over the scrappiness of the game, the visiting Forest supporters frequently sang in unison; drowning out any fragmented cries from the home crowd.

“Brian Clough’s Red and White Army” had everybody, young and old, singing from the pit of their lungs. It always does at Pride Park, and it always leaves the natives begrudgingly speechless.

Thirdly, the outcome. Forest fans partied their way out of the ground whilst Derby’s faithful skulked; others remaining shellshocked in their seats.

Derby will remember this day with anguish; they feel robbed, cheated, violated and overwhelmingly disappointed.

On no less than three occasions they experienced the soul-destroying collapse in spirit that follows a disallowed goal, or of course a missed penalty.

We Forest fans, on the other hand, are still pinching ourselves about escaping with a point.

Context is all. Certainly for those who attended the game today, the outcome was as sweet as any victory.

In any case, the full-throttle celebrations of the opening goal made the entire afternoon worthwhile. For two or three minutes time stopped and everybody screamed themselves hoarse; for two or three minutes very little else seemed to matter.

This was my fourth visit to Pride Park and it is the first time we have taken the lead. It was worth the wait.

I didn’t see Lee Camp’s penalty save; too disgusted by the notion of 30,000 bouncing Derby fans I turned to face the people behind me.

What I did see was Paul Jewell, the dribbling, sneering scouse predator, plodding on to the playing surface to celebrate Derby’s second ‘winner’ in full view of his adoring public.

Seconds later he was hopping about like a startled penguin; heads in hands all around him.

And that was beautiful.

Tonight is not about Calderwood, or league tables, or even about disallowed goals.

It’s about the magic of Derby fans being wrenched from the brink of sleep by a deep-seated sense of injustice.

Thanks to Derby for the point, and for making us feel like we’ve taken all three.

Ratings in brief:

Camp – 9

Perch – 7

Morgan – 8

Breckin – 7

Lynch – 5

Anderson – 7

McGugan – 7 –

Fletcher – 7

McCleary – 7

Earnshaw – 7

Garner – 8

Subs:

Chambers – 6

Tyson – 6

Thornhill – 6

That's Why we're Going Down

Another reasonable performance, another series of golden opportunities squandered, and another defeat.

As the rumbustious visitors dryly observed, that is why we’re going down.

I have, on occasions in the past, stood between crowds of men roaring so passionately for Calderwood’s removal that their faces swelled purple and their fists clenched with palpable rage.

Southend on a bitter Tuesday evening and Doncaster on a sobering Friday in Yorkshire are two excellent examples.

On both occasions I felt sure that no manager could outlive vitriol so impassioned, and so wholesomely justifiable.

But never, at any point as a Forest supporter, have I been so sure of a manager’s imminent dismissal as I was this evening.

To flick on the radio and hear Calderwood drawling in his usual fashion was, at that moment, as much of a blow as the defeat itself.

The dwindling group of supporters that continue to lend backing to Calderwood have patience and equanimity beyond a level that I am naturally capable of.

It just isn’t about palatable performances, sparks of promise, or spates of injuries anymore.

It is a cut and dried case of one win in thirteen matches.

Six points from an available 39, a soul-destroying 22 goals conceded, and not a single point – not even so much as a fortuitous draw – from 540 minutes of away football.

There is scarcely a manager anywhere in world football that would not be facing serious pressure in light of a record so distinguishingly abysmal.

In the case of Calderwood, who has tested patience to breaking point so habitually, it is nothing short of startling that he remains in charge.

Forest were much-improved this afternoon, and the ‘now or never’ spirit rippling throughout the entire club inspired an encouraging first half of promising counter attacks and half-chances.
It was looking good.

But clubs at the foot of the table are prone to misfortune and, almost immediately after Forest squandered a series of opportunities, we conceded the crucial opener.

Moments of promise followed but, in reality, the remainder of the game was an exercise in frustration and futility.

It is a recurring theme. And it is for that reason that Calderwood’s removal is so essential to our slim hopes of surviving in the Championship.

Realistically, Forest need to take – on average – around 1.4 points per game from this day forth to have any hope of survival.

Can the gentleman at the back who thinks Calderwood is capable of this please turn off the light when he leaves?

Thanks.

Quite at Home

More worrying than tonight’s frustratingly sterile performance is the comfort and ease with which Forest are sporting the look.

We have slipped comfortably into our role as basement boys, and with slumping shoulders and dropping heads we are wearing the t-shirt, the wristwatch and the baseball cap to boot.

Confidence at the club is almost non-existent. As a supporter group we are clinging to fading optimism but our players are expecting to lose fixtures and expecting positivity to result in punishment.

On numerous occasions this season we have been unlucky not to take points, but through a process of sustained misfortune we are looking every inch a side that faces a bitter struggle.

All of a sudden the cracks that were papered over by early season enthusiasm are gaping.

Instead of an ‘exciting young squad’ we look inexperienced, clueless, and frankly petrified; a rabbit in headlights.

Defensively we are an accident waiting to happen, in midfield we appear to have the personnel but we are relying on sparks and fortuitous breaks, in attack – without Earnshaw – we have no Championship quality.

The club is rock bottom, and with even one win seeming far beyond the side it is difficult to imagine how – over the course of the season – we are going to win enough games to stay afloat.

We are gradually but clearly being exposed as impostors; players we had faith to begin with are now gasping for air at a level they are not comfortable with.

And our manager, never revered and barely tolerated, is increasingly out of his depth.

It is a conundrum. A workmanlike boss cutting out the culture of calamity and grinding out results is appealing now.

But in twelve months, if survival was achieved, the tolerance levels for grubby football would plummet alongside unwarranted demands for promotion.

On a similar note, if removing Calderwood did not cure the problems then the last dice will have rolled. What then?

All I can say is that, although many of our supporters would lack the capacity to appreciate it, laborious football in mid-table would suit us for years when juxtaposed with the prospect of a fatal return to the third tier.

The buzz and passion has drained from the City Ground crowd; the novelty has expired and frustration reigns.

As compelling as the argument for stability may be, I find it hard to accept that Calderwood may remain in charge beyond Saturday if three points are not returned.

The rot must stop immediately, because a quarter of the season has elapsed already and, at the foot table, we are looking quite at home.

Match Ratings Vs Ipswich [H]

Camp – 7 – vocal, assertive, comfortable in leaving his line, quick and accurate in his distribution and eager to play short balls to defenders. Smith divides supporters like no other player, but if this is representative of his usual nature than I’m in Lee’s camp (groan).

Chambers – 5 – error prone, confidence in tatters, and positionally appalling. A League One footballer.

Wilson – 6.5 – a reasonably solid performance, but tough-tackling Wilson is the leader of a creaking defence that looks a division below the required standard.

Morgan – 6.5 – as with Wilson; no startling personal errors but even Ipswich’s cautious attacks left us looking fragile.

Bennett – 5 – solid and brave, as ever, but his use of the ball was woeful.

Anderson – 6.5 – covered a lot of ground and threatened regularly with his rapid dribbles and pervading runs. Unfortunately he conceded a stupid penalty that has cost us dearly.

Fletcher – 6.5 – does exactly what it says on the tin, nothing more or less.

Cohen – 6.5 – extremely busy, as ever, but not the creative drive we were looking for in our increasingly aimless attacks.

McCleary – 7 – faded with the game, as he did on Saturday, but he is full of confidence and beating players for fun.

Cole – 5 – a luxury that we cannot afford. The only way he could be less mobile is if he was in a chair.

Tyson – 6 – his pace is a threat, but he is not scoring goals and – frankly – that is all he is asked to do.

Subs:

Lynch – 5

McGugan – 7

Martin - 5

Scouting for Pigeons

I still vividly remember the last time Forest played Queens Park Rangers. It was, of course, the day of our inevitable relegation.

I can still see the Chelsea fans, drinking in a bar near Wembley and making ‘down’ gestures with contemptible grins as the coaches rolled by.

I can still see the banner that two Derby fans unfurled over a motorway bridge, it read: “Bye Bye Red Dogs, Get Down, Stay Down”.

It was same day some supporters turned their back on Nottingham Forest, while others wept into the night and knew they would be coming back in spite of their better judgement.

It was the day that three miserable years of third tier football began; bringing volumes of frustration so enormous that they tested the commitment of even the most ardent supporters.

And today many of us are fearing that we will soon be re-entering the nightmare.

It wasn’t a bad performance by any means, but at the moment it never seems to be. The results just aren’t coming and we are very quickly beginning to look very much at home in the relegation zone.

For 45 minutes we pressed QPR, sustaining enough pressure to draw eager chants of “You’re Rich, but You’re F****** S***”.

But clear chances were few and far between and it would have taken a deluded optimist to bet on us actually netting one of them.

Tyson and Cole were isolated from a midfield that sat deep.

The occasional runs of McCleary and Anderson caused clear problems, but when their balls reached the penalty area it was always too slow for Tyson, and too quick for Cole.

At half-time the players were applauded warmly and there was little doubting that a comparable second half would bring a win.

But the second half was by no means comparable. QPR scored against the run of play, confidence drained to empty, and the second goal sealed the points well in advance of the final whistle.

Lewis McGugan’s free-kick sparked flickers of hope but, in reality, we were going nowhere.

It was an exasperating afternoon, made infinitely worse by the fact that there is no clear light at the end of the tunnel.

To remove Calderwood would be exceptionally harsh if only his side’s performances are measured.

But one win in eleven paints a more telling picture, especially when set alongside a record of six straight away defeats – a monkey that will now adorn our backs for the remainder of the season.

Travelling supporters as numerous and as vocal as Forest’s deserve considerably more, but it’s a familiar feeling by now.

And on top of everything else I spent the afternoon flanked by a number of Forest’s most irritating Southern supporters.

We should be immensely proud of our fan base in the nether regions, but some of them simply shouldn’t be allowed outside – never mind into football grounds.

Highlights include the trendy chaps dressed like Scouting for Pigeons, or something, with their Topshop girlfriends in tow.

And a special mention for the heavy-set gentleman who screamed impetuous praise for Andy Cole throughout, whilst roaring: “KERR-MON SMIRF-EEEE” every time our number one received the ball.

What happens next? No idea. Calderwood simply cannot be more than 90 minutes from losing his job. Can he?

Match Ratings: Vs QPR [A]

Smith – 6.5 – not at fault for the goals, although he nearly spilled a simple shot into the net in the first half.

Chambers – 6 – one of his stronger performances this season; got the basics right.

Morgan – 6 – an afternoon of frustrating battles that he didn’t always win, epitomised by his fruitless cameo in attack.

Wilson – 6 – not his strongest performance by any means; a fallible part of a defence that never fails to look suspect.

Bennett – 6 – solid and eager to move forward with attacks, but his crossing was as ridiculously poor as ever.

Anderson – 7 – extremely quick, a good crosser of the ball and a hard-worker. The lad is clearly very talented. Drifted out of the game at times but it’s something that can probably be attributed to his lack of fitness.

Fletcher – 7 – a zero nonsense, tough-tackling midfielder with a propensity for simple passes. Sammy Clingan with a pair of balls?

Cohen – 7 – worked himself into the ground but couldn’t fill the creative void.

McCleary – 7.5 – disappeared when Forest went behind, but in the first half his pacy and exceptionally confident runs were a real highlight.

Cole – 4 – a passenger; no strength, no pace and – more importantly – no effort.

Tyson – 6 – all the effort in the world, but he doesn’t have the control or the vision to threaten unless it’s with his pace.

Subs:
Lynch – 6
McGugan – 7
Davies – 1 [touch]

The Clock is Ticking

The dark nights are closing in now, bringing with them bitterly cold evenings and swirling rains.

It is shaping up to be a long, uncomfortable winter for Nottingham Forest.

This evening’s drive home was one of the gloomiest in a long time and the afternoon’s football preceding it gave cause for grave concern.

Again Forest created enough chances and enough sustained pressure to secure all three points.

Again Forest entered the dressing room at full time with nothing to show for their efforts.

There is only so many times supporters will hear “we didn’t deserve to lose” before the camel’s back will buckle, and Paul Smith’s second half howler prompted the first ‘Calderwood Out’ chants of the season.

This time around I don’t think many people are holding Calderwood directly accountable, but with the club’s form spiralling into chaos it is inevitable that there will be demands for his head.

Just who else can be blamed? Calderwood’s superiors have financed a side that is tailor-made to suit his take on how the game should be played.

His players are making a suitable effort and his side is creating enough chances to land points, but Forest are rock bottom of the table and completely out of ideas.

Should any perspective be needed, it can surely be drawn from acknowledging the fact that Forest have taken one point from twenty four available.

It is a humiliating run of misfortune, almost akin to Derby County’s startling incompetence in the Premier League.

In the press Calderwood is persisting with an irritatingly collected veneer.
I can only imagine that behind the scenes he is acutely aware that his position is under serious threat.

If Nigel Doughty really does have no intention of removing Calderwood then it genuinely is time to worry.

There is no way that the side’s performances are a justification for sacking a manager, but satisfactory performances will not keep the club in the Championship.

Although he needed his fair share of good fortune, and though he took a scenic route, Calderwood did succeed in his obligation to restore Forest to the second tier.

On that basis I was content to back him until at least November.

I now fear that by November we will be too far adrift, and simply too used to slipping up.

Losing is a very bad habit to shake, and Calderwood has done nothing to suggest that he can do anything more inspiring than wait for our fortunes to change.

The footballing world will wince and articles will circulate about the impatience of chairmen in the modern game.

But it’s what one might refer to as a necessary evil.

Looking down at our defeated players, despondent, defeated and baffled once again, I just couldn’t see beyond the need for a major change.

The clock must surely be ticking for Calderwood.

Match Ratings: Vs Palace [H]

Smith – 4 – his impromptu walkabout had disaster written all over it, and ultimately it cost us any hope of a revival.

Perch – 6 – steady if unspectacular in the right back role.

Wilson – 6.5 – a solid enough game.

Morgan – 5 – one of those games in which Morgan’s overwhelming simplicity is exposed for all to see. A clumsy display, characterised by a high ball rebounding from his shin and sailing out for a Palace throw.

Bennett – 5 – too eager to perform his inane stepover, and responsible for squandering almost all of our opportunities.

Thornhill – 4– did his best to put himself about, but lightweight Thornhill was a spectator from start to finish. Contributed as close to nothing as possible.

Moussi – 7 – his best performance for a while, and now he’s injured.

Cohen – 6 – with Thornhill, and later Cole, sitting in his usual role I don’t think he had much of an impact on the game. The work rate was there; with Cohen it nearly always is, but this afternoon the impact was not.

Martin – 5 – failed consistently to make an impact; just not his day.

Tyson – 6.5 – plenty of running with very little to show for his efforts. His pace causes a lot of problems, but where are the goals?

McCleary – 7.5 – comfortably Forest’s best player. Happy to take players on, cutting inside and outside; the best McCleary has looked as a Championship player.

Subs:

Cole – 7.5
Davies – 5
Chambers – 5