AMAZING! Sean Dyche has been Head Coach at Forest longer than Ange the Clown.
Blimey.
I’ve tried to wipe out the Ange 39 days from my memory. I think the Forest players feel the same, tbh.
It does seem like a lifetime away now as we try and climb up to mid-table. I wasn’t even born when Nuno was Head Coach.
What a time to be alive, etc.
And so on Sunday we had Brighton rock up at the World Famous with Dyche looking as though he is empire building.
I’m all for dynasties. Dyche has the background that we all crave for, if not the flair.
You get the impression he hero worshipped Carl Tiler rather than Bing Crosby back in the day.
It was a little odd having to switch to Sky Sports Cricket to watch Forest. I half expected to see Stuart Broad starting in the back four.
Instead we had Morato.
Oh.
Morato Time started about 89 minutes too early for me.
The minute’s silence for former Academy player Joshua Travis was very moving. You often hold your breath during these moments, praying that no idiot in the crowd spoils the occasion.
Congratulations for everyone involved for treating the passing of a very young lad with the dignity it deserves - and that includes the club as well.
Brighton started sharply. VERY sharply. It looked like another 7-0 scoreline might be the final outcome, such was the pressure they placed on Forest.
Wellbeck’s going to blag a hat trick, right?
Wrong.
Well done to Dyche and the Forest old boys for working out what the chuff was going on, and then reacting in real time on the pitch.
My tactical awareness isn’t going to lead me to be invited on to one of the many Forest podcasts sometime soon. But I think it was something to do with the lack of link up play between MGW and Jesus?
Christ, etc.
With the left wing in complete chaos up in Liverpool as Your Party assembled (ffs) it was the right wing that was causing issues for Forest back at the World Famous.
Neco was having a very rare, and ever so slightly off day.
The first thirty minutes or so were a tough watch. It wasn’t that Forest were crap, but simply that Brighton were outstanding. We couldn’t get a sniff in.
A comeback of sorts followed for the final fifteen minutes of the half. Forest looked strong.
And then came the sucker punch, right before half time.
I refer to my previous answer of knowing chuff all about tactics when trying to explain the great big bloody gap that allowed an unmarked Maxim De Cuyper (nope, me neither) strolling in unmarked.
HT.
Time to regroup, time to reset.
I’ve been impressed with the way that Dyche has handled these situations. He is far from the dinosaur as advertised.
The defensive displays of Burnley and Everton now seem a reflection on the dead wood he was working with at the time.
Omari Hutchinson is far from that. He ran the show for most of the second half. He’s finally living up to the record signing fee status.
Collymore was a bit of a slow burner…
It felt that if Forest got a goal, they would go on to win the game. But the clock was ticking down.
OK - a draw against a top six team would still be good.
And then came Morato Time.
Oh dear.
He got himself in a right old bloody mess - not once, but twice.
It had to be an ex-Olympiacos player who profited. The Big Fat Greek ain’t gonna like that.
Hey hoe.
On to Wolves - who are in serious danger of ‘beating’ the D***y record. I’d still take three points off them.
Play time, etc.