Another day, another MUST WIN game for Forest down at the World Famous. With Wolves threatening to ‘beat’ D***y’s record as the worst PL team EVER, you can soon see how such hyperbole comes into play. Yes, the PL is bat shit crazy. Win, headlines, repeat. It’s a vicious treadmill, but not one that makes me romantic about a return to the Championship and away days at Fratton Park.
Harry Hodge on BBC Radio Nottingham already had us booking return train tickets to Portsmouth for next season. I was surprised at the level of his DOOM with the pre-match build up. Sir Colin of West Bridgford also came across as the most deflated I have heard him since the dark days of Houghton. I knew things looked bleak, but in the back of my mind, I never really thought that we are in serious danger of relegation. WISE UP, SUCKER.
The team news didn’t exactly extend my optimism. Morato. Oh. But to be fair, he somehow got through the game without the usual one kick away from a major mistake approach that has characterised his season so far. Morato may do a reasonable job of being a back four clogger, but the absence of Murillo always highlights how much we miss him.
I’ve no bad feelings towards Wolves, apart from the MGW nasty jibes from their away fans in recent years. As a club they have a proud - albeit limited - history. Midlanders need to stick together. I didn’t have much time for the pigeon shit style away kit. I couldn’t get Liverpool ‘89 out of my mind throughout the entire game.
The game soon resembled a Championship club Vs a club that looks like it might also be heading back down to the Championship. I really don’t want to return to endless Saturday lunchtime KO’s against D***y and all the stress that brings. Neither did MGW, it seems. He was one of the few players that came out of the game with any credit. He bloody loves playing against Wolves.
Up front and Pizza Crouch was showing why the £30M possible transfer fee over the summer should never be triggered. The TNT cameras kept on cutting away to the Big Fat Greek. He didn’t seem a happy fella. The BFG only seems to turn up for these midweek games when he knows he has a decision to make come full time. SHOUT OUT to his box fresh white T-shirt. He may be a portly chap, but he knows how to keep the fast fashion industry alive. Buy it, use it, bin it. And we’re not talking Forest managers here.
The Forest fans never gave up - and neither did the team, to a certain extent. They kept on pressing, but it was clear there was little game plan. Despite all the possession and the ridiculous 35 shots on target, there was always the risk that Wolves might catch us on the break. It was fun for the first 60 minutes or so, but the final half hour was spent thinking JUST BLOODY SCORE and let’s shit house our way to three points.
It wasn’t to be. Dyche headed straight back down the tunnel at FT. He knew what was coming. The BFG did stay until the final whistle, but he also wasted no time in heading back down to his lair to make his next move. I listened to Sir Colin pad away for almost 45 minutes, waiting for Dyche to emerge. It seemed at any stage that a corner flag photo would be posted on X, and Dyche wouldn’t come out for post-match. It was much to my surprise that he did.
Fast forward six hours later. I had little sleep, I had a very early work shift. And I support Forest. Oh woe is me, etc. But yep, the corner flag variation of a photo had landed shortly after midnight. SHOUT OUT to Forest Focus for getting in two pods before the evening was out.
How can a team with Murillo, Anderson, Sangare, MGW and CHO get relegated? OH HAI Pearce, Keane, Stone, Webb, Clough. Oh, and Rosario. That ‘26 pinstripe replica should be burnt and never be seen again.
The planning documents submitted for the Peter Taylor Stand back at the start of the season declared that it is “unlikely” that Forest will be relegated. Even back in August, this raised an unlikely smile. We’re in Europe for the first time in 30 years, and we’ve just spent £200M on improving what was an already outstanding team.
This season has been a shit show, with all the mess created internally. It’s far too easy to blame Edu, but make no mistake, he really should be knee deep in it with the Big Fat Greek right now. He’s come into a club on the way up, and somehow managed to make the whole operation considerably worse. Ditto Dyche with his coaching. He’s made decent players poor. He had to go, Manager of the Month nomination or not.
Brighton away, Fulham at home, Spurs away, Burnley at home is the route to safety. But it looks highly unlikely tbh. A lot will depend on who is unfortunate to take over for the final twelve games in the PL. Plus don’t forget Fenerbahçe away next week. Good luck with that one, as they say.