by Simon Hough
... our very own Roving Reporter!

A dismal afternoon from start to finish, we were always going to be in trouble from the minute that the team sheet was revealed. We badly lacked some quality and composure in midfield and resorted to long spells of aimless play more in desperation than expectation of scoring.
Gunter was one of the few players to leave the game with any credit. A series of storming runs down the right hand side doing the job of both defender and winger in the absence of Anderson. He’s now consistently reproducing the fine form from last season. Lynch, Chambers and Morgan were all reasonable without being outstanding but still remain incapable of keeping a clean sheet.

We were a mess in midfield, with a depressing lack of creativity. Moussi spent most of the game getting in McKenna’s way and Cohen drifting into the middle simply compounded matters. For a home game, that’s simply not enough creativity in midfield, just three guys (Tyson apart) there to scrap and work hard for the team.

In the end McGoldrick dropped deep to help out, leaving Earnshaw exposed on his own. Earnshaw headed one chance that looked easier to chest down and volley and scuffed another couple during a minute of madness in their area. He had a frustrating afternoon with very little support and instead of getting any help from the bench found himself being replaced instead.

McGoldrick continues to frustrate at the start of his Forest career. At fault for the Forest goal and whilst looking reasonable in possession away from goal, hasn’t looked dangerous in front of goal so far. In the end found himself stuck out on the right hand side of midfield as Billy threw more strikers at the problem instead of adding some creativity to help them out.

The decision to drop in-form Anderson for Moussi and sticking Cohen on the right hand side of midfield defies belief. I thought we'd moved away from those days as soon as Calderwood left the club. Cohen looks a shadow of last season's top man being asked to play all over the pitch. If Moussi needs games to gain match fitness that Tuesday’s game in the Carling Cup would have been perfect to give McKenna the night off. If Majewski is not available then surely McGugan is next in line not Moussi. On the evidence of his Forest career so far, Moussi should be considered as McKenna’s backup and no more. As usual, we seem to worry too much about stopping the opposition and not getting on with our own game. Davies’s post-match comments that we picked a team to combat Blackpool’s strengths were just laughable. We should be worrying about the problems that we can cause the opposition and not the other way around. Typically for this season, just as we started to cause Blackpool some problems, we gifted them a goal. McGoldrick gave Moussi no chance in midfield, leaving Adam to run straight past our midfield and defence and score with ease past Camp. We created a few half chances but the final efforts on goal left a lot to be desired. Too often their keeper made a routine save without having to exert himself. Whenever we got the ball wide and caused them problems, we lacked bodies in the box to take advantage. Camp had no chance with the goal due to the failings of the defence and midfield in front of him. One quality save early in the second half prevented things from getting even worse when the defence failed to clear again. The defence weren’t that bad but were rarely threatened. MOTM

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Tags: Games Lost, MOTM Chris Gunter

Bit disappointing last night to be honest. Another away game where we seemed intent on stopping the opposition playing rather than trying to cause them problems ourselves. Given the choice of "another valuable away point" or "chance missed to beat another mediorce opposition", I'm tending towards the latter camp, especially after seeing similar on Saturday. However, it does show signs of improvement that we can go away from home get a point and still have expected more. It's frustrating to know that we have the squad capable of winning at these places but not giving ourselves the best chance of doing so.

For the first hour we contained Ipswich but never really held onto the ball for long enough to worry them. Every time Camp got the ball, it went straight downfield for Blackstock and McGoldrick to scrap for. Their centre halves had an easy time, heading away clearances as we struggled to build up enough play to get Anderson or Garner into dangerous areas. McKenna was a shadow of the early season force in midfield and proceeded to give the ball away time and again. The midfielders roles seemed to consist of spoiling the home side and then pushing the ball forward as quickly as possible.

Defensively, we looked pretty good. Camp was very rarely threaten. MOTM Chambers and Morgan continue to develop an understanding and dominate the opposition. Gunter frustrated Martin throughout, even though Lynch did okay, he always looks the most vulnerable. One lapse early in the game, allowed a cross from their right to find their unmarked player who looked to score with yet another deflection. The closest we came to scoring was a cross/shot from Garner that hit the bar and bounced to safety. Cohen put a dangerous free kick over the bar.

We started the second half much better but it was Earnshaw's arrival that got us going. Having picked the ball up in midfield, he found Adebola on the edge of the area, took the lay-off beat a defender and scored with ease.

They had one effort cleared off the line but we looked the most lively to sneak the win. Suddenly the midfield starting looking for passes with a front two willing to drop deep to help out. The extra experience of Earnshaw and Adebola was making a big difference and we looked a different side from the earlier rubbish, especially with the extra pace which they couldn't cope with.

It was Adebola's strength that nearly won the game in the last minute. He hassled their lumbering centre back into giving the ball away and was through on goal. Their player tried to bring him down a few times before eventually getting there just as our man entered the area. Deserved red card but Earnshaw could only hit the wall with the freekick.

Getting Tyson back down the left, allowing Anderson on the right will make a difference. Garner is no right midfielder and Ipswich seemed to play on his dodgy temperament throughout. Adebola and Earnshaw both did more than enough to justify a start place on Saturday. Out of all the striking combinations we've used this season, their's looked the more dangerous and well suited last night.

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Tags: Games Drawn, MOTM Luke Chambers

Whilst the result looks pretty decent, we really didn’t make the most of another promising performance and this season continues to frustrate. Defensively we looked solid and restricted Wednesday to very limited chances but we failed to take control of the game and should have made more of the chances that came our way. There are signs that we’re not far away from being a decent side but we’ve yet to properly click as a team.

We started fantastically and should have scored in the first minute. Anderson’s run was not matched by Garner’s scuffed shot saved by their keeper. We kept attacking and were rewarded when Anderson crossed for Blackstock’s unmarked header shortly afterwards.  The pair combined again after Anderson’s left wing run but Blackstock sliced the effort wide when it looked easier to score.

Camp hadn’t been really involved in the game but found himself beaten with yet another deflected goal after we failed to clear. Having looked comfortable in the lead, we never really recovered.

Unfortunately we couldn’t find a similar start to the second half and found ourselves on the back foot straight away. We got lucky from one goalmouth scramble that we were unable to clear but Wedensday seldom came close to scoring. We scrapped and fought in midfield but struggled to retain possession for long enough to consistently threaten at the other end.

We still created enough decent chances through Anderson down the left to have won the game. McGoldrick didn’t expect one cross along the six yard box whilst Blackstock didn’t react to another chance that bobbled to the keeper.

We lacked a clinical edge up front and it was disappointing to see Earnshaw remain on the bench whilst the few chances on the break continued to pass us by.

Camp was his usual dependable self with numerous claims from their set pieces to take pressure off the defence. Very rarely threatened and no chance with their deflected goal.

After some below-par games this season, Gunter looked like he was finding his form again. Despite playing recent internationals he was still charging forwards in injury time trying to make that important contribution. In a decent defensive display, Lynch was the one weak link and the one area that they might have capitalised on. With Wilson’s recovery, this position still remains a priority.

Chambers and MOTM Morgan looked a dominant combination throughout apart from one scramble early in the second half. Their centre forwards barely got a kick and hardly figured in the game. With players returning from injury, a new centre half is looking less of a concern.

No complaints on the effort from McKenna and Cohen in central midfield but they struggled to find much quality moving forwards. In Majewski’s absence, we missed that ability to pick out an incisive pass.  

Anderson had one of his best games for the club with a series of direct runs on the break. Time and again, we didn’t make the most of his dangerous counter attacks. Unfortunately, he found himself out of the game for long spells in the second half when he should have been giving the ball at every opportunity. With more quality and anticipation from those around him, he would have been the architect of three points for us.

Garner got booked again and didn’t really contribute much after the early miss and was replaced by McCleary at half-time. McCleary did nothing to suggest he’s a better long term option with a poor half’s display when everything went wrong for him.
Blackstock and McGoldrick looked dangerous in short spells but they missed the key chances that came our way. We’re still waiting for the forwards to click and an obvious front pairing to develop.


 

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Tags: Games Drawn, MOTM Wes Morgan