Forest V Brentford Match Thread

I thought we missed five golden chances. Lolley and Bonatini first half, Goncalves and Grabban after HT, as well as the penalty.

After watching it on Quest I'd agree it was a dive by Grabban but he'd driven the defender to distraction by then and just kept going inside the box until he drew enough of a challenge to go down.

Milosevic was solid and Yates had a decent game. We wanted it more and found a way to win - miss all those golden chances and you usually lose.

I thought we edged a tough game through grit and determination.

We deserved the win but didn’t do enough to convince that this team can win consistently enough to challenge the top 6.

Glass half full view says winning breeds confidence. It wasn’t an assured performance but with the defence looking a little makeshift, I can’t be too critical. The key for MoN now is to get a settled defence in place ASAP. That will make or break Forest’s chances of making a late charge.

Glass half empty view - I think realistically I want MoN and Keane to build up a head of steam with a view to hitting next season at full pelt and really having a go at it. I would love Forest to make the top six and smash the play offs but I just can’t see the current team beating any of the current top six over two legs of a semi final. I would love to be proved wrong of course.

comment by Will Scarlet (U17891)
posted 58 minutes ago
Glass half empty view - I think realistically I want MoN and Keane to build up a head of steam with a view to hitting next season at full pelt and really having a go at it. I would love Forest to make the top six and smash the play offs but I just can’t see the current team beating any of the current top six over two legs of a semi final. I would love to be proved wrong of course.
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Problem is that I think we can beat the top six over two legs. Then win the play-offs after that.

I just don't think we'll get the points to get there. We need at least 30 points imo, that's been enough for 8 out of the last ten years.

To achieve that it's W9D3L3. That's auto's form. We'd need MON / Keane to be the best man managers on the planet.

I seriously couldn’t put a bet on who will get promotion to the great big gravy train this season, but probably 2 from Norwich, Leeds or WBA, would be my guess. When it comes to the play offs literally anything is possible, I wouldn’t fear anyone, but don’t think any would fear us, and I also think we will come up short.
Even looking at the aggregate scores from teams in the top 7 or 8, ie home score and away score from relative matches, there is little to choose, for example Leeds v Boro, both matches were draws, though Leeds did double the Sheep. It’s been a chaotic season so far, and I don’t see it changing. A great opportunity for anyone who hits form at the ‘right time’, but I have no idea who that will be, but it needs to happen very soon.

That’s the thing about this season. In years gone by, Forest’s recent form would have seen them a dozen or so points behind the pack. There is still an opportunity there for anyone from about 12th upwards to snatch a place in the top six.

If Karanka’s team was short of anything (all being fit and well) it was a extra bit of pace and goal threat from midfield and a clever playmaker sitting alongside Colback.

This Jan we have signed 3 players to address the injury issues and one attacker from Wolves who I felt looked a little short.

Basically we have not really address our short comings and we are back to the same place we were last year hoping either the team magically unite into a force or MON can learn what he needs and spend another summer building.

While Brentford were in no way a great team, and were absolutely off the pace, I have so much more faith in MON on the back of that performance.

After brum I felt that MON needed to ditch trying to get our players to play his old style and try and play in a way that suited the team. Which is near enough what he did.

Bar maybe carvalhlo we had our best pickable 11, I would have argued there was too many long balls to grabban but he was successful more often than not so why stop what’s working.

Bar a miracle I can’t see us crash the play offs, and I fear that MONs objective is too vested in promotion but we’ll have to see.

Grabban was so much more effective within the ball being played into him earlier. He had more opportunities in that match than I can remember all season. That was a big plus.

Goncalves didn’t really take his opportunity. Is MoN trying to spark a reaction from Carvalho?