It’s 24 hours since Forest lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal. I’ve not really got anything to say about this, which makes this perhaps one of the most pointless blog posts ever.
I watched the game on delay having basketball duties up at the University, just as the game was kicking off at the World Famous. I raced home from basketball and watched it on delay.
I had a strict embargo of not getting my phone out whilst watching the basketball. I walked back from the University and almost came a cropper when I stared into someone’s living room and saw a big green pitch, but thankfully no one celebrating or even having their head in their hands.
I arrived back at base, had a quick cup of tea, and then was all set to see Forest take on the current league champions.
That grated a little to be honest. Arsenal won the league fair and square, unlike others. I did associate this Arsenal team as being something of a collection of bottlers.
I now accept this isn’t the case. Somehow they have managed to move themselves to be the elite team in English football. That’s takes quite some doing to displace what looked like a resurgent Liverpool, Chelsea and all their millions, and yep, even Man City, before the illusion of what we all now know.
I’ve always had something of a begrudging respect for Arsenal as an institution, as a football club. They seem to do things the right way.
I can also respect how, over the past five years or so, they have emerged as THE London club, although I don’t think this was deliberate. The way that they have crafted and styled together a team that LOOKS like London, and even acts like London with the messaging, is quite something.
It’s amazing what a Premier League victory will do to flush out all those old Arsenal fans who try and convince you that they used to stand on the banks of the old North Bank back in the day.
But anyway - the cup of tea on Sunday evening was soon finished and I turned to the BOOZE. That’s not something I’ve done in a couple of months whilst watching football. The mood just felt right.
Four pints later and I was singing D***y songs in the absence of anything else to celebrate
I’ve read and heard an awful lot about the game in the past 24 hours. As ever, some of it I agree with, a lot of it I think is a load of old bollocks. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
Yes, this has been a very poor start to the season for Glassner and Forest. It’s not been awful, just poor. You can’t win away at Villa Park and have a classy 2-2 draw at Anfield and call it an awful start to the season.
But that bloody home record is truly shocking.
The Arsenal game wasn’t truly shocking for Forest. But even when you narrowly lose 1-0, you still surrender three home points. I don’t think anyone was expecting anything different ahead of kickoff.
Let’s try and look for the positives. The defence was very decent. Neco in particular, I thought, had a tremendous match.
There’s been a lot of whispers about Murillo in the past month or so. His audacious attempt at scoring the Goal of the Season towards the end should hopefully silence those doubters.
I actually look forward to Forest being linked with £75 million-plus deals for Murillo once again. At least, it will be a sign that we’ve got the old Murillo back.
I thought Delap battled well up front. He is such a bully of a player and also still so young. It’s exciting to think what he would be like in three to four years' time if he’s still around Forest. He’ll be at the peak of his physical powers and be an absolute beast of a centre forward.
Chris Wood, however, looks like he has started his farewell tour.
But it’s in the centre of the park where we really need to have cause for concern. Without MGW there’s one gaping hole in which to provide that spark and that creativity.
I thought McAtee would step up but that’s one hell of a leap to try and dictate a game in the way that MGW does.
I’m not disheartened. I thoroughly expect Forest to get three points on the road away at Ipswich on Friday evening. The run of fixtures thereafter doesn’t do us any favours.
This is certainly no time to panic. That time would be if we dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round come January.
I’m a very measured man. I have mellowed in my middle age, even with the veracity in which I sing my D***y songs.
I hope the Big Fat Greek has a similar perspective when it comes to the long term future of our club.