Good morning Forest fans.... or perhaps not in your case
I see that yet another team has a protest this season and, surprisingly for once, it has provided instant results. I feel that, whilst I must congratulate the protesters for getting the reaction they wanted, I must commiserate the other fans for what the future lies.
Nottingham Forest have (or had I suppose) something extremely rare, something that every club across the country wants - a chairman who is a life long supporter and gives his all for the good of the club. In Nigel Doughty, Forest have a man who would have had a long term plan to rid yourselves of debt and then take the club forward from there.
Billy Davies is a chequebook manager. I'm sorry if that has actually come as news to any of you but that is a fact. The amount of efforts he has had at promotion with a strong championship team compared with the successful attempts (one) is poor - and then what happened to that team when he promoted it? He's always asking for more player investment when really he should knuckle down and get on with his job.
From asking for all this extra investment knowing the financial situation of the club, Davies made his position untenable and therefore he had to go. A chairman requires a manager who sings off the same hymnsheet as himself.
Forest are in a reported £60m of debt. How are the fans expecting to claw this back? The chairman, with it being his club, is pouring in funds to the tune of a reported £11-12m a year to help pay these debts off. He therefore has to cut the cloth accordingly with regard to playing staff.
So when you can't afford multiple star players on big wages, what can you do? Well Mr Doughty took a shot at appointing, in my opinion, a top class domestic manager. MacClaren's won the Carling Cup, the Eredivisie and reached the UEFA Cup final. That's not to be sniffed at. Doughty obviously thought that a top coach would be able to get the best out of your decent Championship outfit.
Obviously it's not gone well this season so far, but we are only 10 games in. MacClaren has taken a decision that maybe this is not for him. He clearly underestimated the toughness of this job and has decided to leave. Reports are that he wanted more cash and loan transfers which is a shame as this points to a little naivety on MacClaren's part, knowing what mess the club are in financially. Fair play to MacClaren for leaving now though, as to give the next manager as much time as possible to do the job.
I can't understand the logic in removing Doughty though. Who are these protesters expecting his replacement to be? Unless it's a oil billionaire, I can't see your club moving anywhere but down. But now your protesters have removed your chairman, the long term plan is scrapped and this season is going to be preview of what may be in store.
Unfortunately, in this world of instant success being paramount, a long term plan of success wasn't appealing to a vocal section of the club.
All the best of luck, you're going to need it.
Poor decision..... by the protesters.
posted on 3/10/11
Unfortunately, in this world of instant success being paramount, a long term plan of success wasn't appealing to a vocal section of the club.
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You dont know what your talking about mate.
Doughy had been running the club for 12 years. In that time he's run up £70m debt, and achieved nothing in terms of on the pitch success.
People always try and make out its the fans being unreasonable or shortsighted. But most people on the outside have no idea what they're on about.
posted on 3/10/11
"So when you can't afford multiple star players on big wages, what can you do? Well Mr Doughty took a shot at appointing, in my opinion, a top class domestic manager. MacClaren's won the Carling Cup, the Eredivisie and reached the UEFA Cup final. That's not to be sniffed at. Doughty obviously thought that a top coach would be able to get the best out of your decent Championship outfit. "
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I can't agree with that at all. I am a neutral who has come on here to see who is being linked with the job, but as a fan of a rival Championship team I was over the moon when I heard that McLaren had been handed the Forest job.
His excusers always point out his carling cup and eredivisie successes as if that ended any argument. But for the largest part of his time at Boro he was truly awful, he was a step backward from Gareth Southgate and that's saying something! Boro fans often sang 'McLaren for England' and believe me you could hear the irony from a mile away - they wanted England to take him so that he would get out of their club that he was destroying with his clueless football.
Yes, he won a carling cup but so did Birmingham last year and they aren't a brilliant team. As for the Eredivisie, no offence but it is a sub standard league - the quality of it is well below Championship level. He was soon found out in Germany as he has been at Forest.
He is just a very, very bad manager and a truly poor appointment.
posted on 3/10/11
if the club owes 60 million,how can doughty have spent a penny of his own cash? just getting loans in the name of NFFC is a whole lot different to putting up your own cash.he has been conning us for years and even after all the protests MA is still here. you couldnt make it up. MA and ND please go now.
posted on 3/10/11
I agree and disagree with a lot here, I didn't want Doughty out, but definitely wanted Mclaren out. Just hope we don't regret Doughty leaving. But what you say about Mclaren is rubbish, we were heading into oblivion with him in charge.
posted on 3/10/11
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posted on 3/10/11
This coming from a Birmingham City fan.....
As your chairman been let back in England yet
posted on 3/10/11
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posted on 3/10/11
I'm one of the few supporters of Birmingham's board. Yeung is innocent until proved guilty.
We had a section of protesters at the beginning of the season who were ignored by the board.
Then we had sections of the crowd chanting anti-board messages during early Championship matches, all ignored by the board.
Then the fans realised that the vocal disdain was having a negative effect on Chris Hughton and the team. All you hear at St. Andrews now is 100% team backing.
A lot of fans obviously still think our board are useless, but they are sensible enough to know that whilst there are no alternatives, it's best to back who's there.
Now we are playing brilliant football (well, better than we're used to) and there is no pressure on the manager or the board.
It's amazing what a little backing from the supporters does isn't it?
posted on 3/10/11
There are beneifts of having a large debt. It is a way of dodging tax.
Although £60-80 million debt does worry me.
Doughty Hanson & Co is worth £8000 million, so spending 1% on a football club isn't a big risk to his life.
Its like me buying a season ticket or an ipad.