onionbagblog

The team news dropped. Shit. We’ve not got a lot on the bench, have we? And that’s quite some statement, considering £200M was spent over the summer months to make us have a squad capable of competing in two competitions.

Oh well. It’s a festive match, under the lights at the World Famous, and on the telly as well. Somehow the crowd always manages to raise the game and deliver on these occasions. Everton are bang average. This should be a positive way in which to end the year for Forest.

Oh dear.

I simply can’t make my mind up about this Forest team. We’re either full of potential talent, with a run going deep into the Europa League looks likely; or we’re piss poor and are BALLS DEEP in a relegation battle. After puffing and panting and coming away with no points, my thought process is starting to become a little clearer.

SHIT THE BED!

This wasn’t a bad watch, but it wasn’t exactly the classic Forest style of play. Yes, we had possession down the wings and were able to put in our trademark crosses and passing play. But there was no one there at the other end to deliver. It’s not surprising when Everton have two clogger centre halves who eat up these opportunities with ease.

My mind and attention started to drift. West Ham are 2-1 up at home to Brighton. I was now starting to feel very worried about the London Stadium away day next week.

Taiwo Time came way too early. I’m not even sure if we should still be having Taiwo Time to be honest. A move out to a Championship club or a mid-table German outfit would be a better fit. I can’t see what he has to offer Forest in 2026 as we try and progress away from survival mode.

But survival mode is exactly where we are as we prepare to welcome in the new year. Christ, this was depressing. I bloody hate Everton, not so much the club and the fans, but the mindset that somehow they pretty much always seem to turn us over when we know what we are capable of.

One step up, three steps back, no points.

It’s looking bleak for Forest over the coming months. The Sky cameras panned in on Edu, looking a little shifty in the Director’s Box. Sure, he’s an easy scapegoat. But it was all going so well until he rocked up at the World Famous.

MOM: Jimmy Garner. We could do with him back in our midfield tbh.

Tell It Like It Is

Lloyd Cole: Rattlesnakes and rim brakes

Dear fellow Nottingham Forest fans, there’s no excuse for poverty chanting

This has way more balls than I was expecting. It was also quite soulful in places. The hammond organ hangs it all together.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I wanted to enjoy this. But it dragged. The rhythm and bounce of the album starts off decent. But then nothing much changes. You’ve heard it all after the first couple of tracks.

⭐ ⭐

A 5-0 drubbing at the Table of Dreams for Monday lunchtime. The only score that was bettered was the six layers of clothing. It was pretty dull out there - both on and off the table.

A dull game of table tennis on a dull day as we wait for the year to draw out.

Cheer up, luv. etc.

She was the one doing all the smiling. I failed to get any enthusiasm throughout the twenty minutes or so of wiff waff.

As ever, I resorted to arseing about and trying trick shots.

I have no tricks.

I do have another 4-1 defeat to my name.

The team news dropped: Dominguez in for Douglas Luiz. The plan is to beef up the midfield and bore the life out of the game, right? Needs must. I’d take a 0-0 with a zero crappy XG ahead of KO. I’m still unsure about Big John Victor as the default ‘keeper. But he seems like a nice young man with a lovely smile.

The occasion was more important than the game itself. Only two days ago, Forest lost our greatest ever player. I have a few reservations with such titles. Recency bias always leaves me questioning such claims. But John Robertson is the reason we wear two stars on the badge.

I listened to BBC Radio Nottingham for the build up from 11:30am onwards. As ever, they handled the moment with the dignity it deserved, but still allowing for a smile. Robbo would have appreciated the humour.

We even got to hear Captain McGovern giving another one of his Scottish BC impressions during the interview with Sir Colin of West Bridgford.

“I’d come from D***y via DIRTY Leeds, unfortunately”

…added McGovern.

Unfortunately.

That only just goes to increase his legendary status around the World Famous. Unfortunately we are running low on stands in which to honour our heroes.

Harry Hodge was also decent value with his own memories of Robbo. He use to clean the Great Man’s boots as a Forest trainee. A young Sean Dyche then went on to keep Hodge’s own size fives clean.

And so it comes around. I love these stories that link the Forest generations together.

The game itself had a lot to live up to. City dominated early with their usual technocratic approach to the beautiful game. The one chance we had came from a pin point CHO cross that MGW and Jesus just missed out on.

We’re talking tight margins here. You need to take your chances, especially against the likes of Man City.

Pep’s drone army were there for the taking. They are such a robotic team with zero flair. They are quite horrid to watch, to be honest. It was so bloody annoying to concede a soft goal from such an annoying bunch of bots. Mark your man, not your space.

Forest started bright after the break, leading to a very classy goal. It was the opposite of anything that Man City had to offer. If the visitors had made a similar move, the mainstream media idiots would be DROOLING over it as Goal of the Season.

1-1. I’d take a draw right now. This was a vast improvement on Fulham away last week. Forest were up for the fight.

Oh hang on. Oh bloody hell. Set piece defending again. This will be our downfall this season.

The 4-4-2 formation that followed with the introduction of Taiwo was never going to work. We all love Taiwo, etc. But he is proving to be a lucky player in terms of hanging on in there. Just as the transfer window opens again, Chris Wood has an injury setback.

And so a 2-1 home defeat on an afternoon where remembering Robbo was more important. At least we can take some pleasure in seeing the Forest goal come from the left side of the pitch in which he once ruled.

An icy ride along the Trail for Saturday morning. It’s the first time that I’ve braved the bloody Estuary Wilds mud for a few weeks. My reasoning this morning was that it would all be frozen over, making for a smooth passage.

Instead I found the frost starting to thaw, but still leading to some delicate handling. This wasn’t the occasion to time trial it along the Trail, even if it was deserted shortly after 8am. The only other company I had was a gathering of lapwings flapping around in the mud.

It was a good job there was no other traffic along the Trail. My bicycle bell had frozen. Some of my body parts felt the same. It will be spring soon, right? Please tell me it will be spring soon.

Wishing the days away.

An extra layer of clothing was needed for the Boxing Day morning bicycle ride. Having frozen my bollocks off on Christmas Day, I wisely reached for the Long Johns for my Boxing Day comfort blanket. I needed them as well.

It wasn’t so much the temperature change, but more the windchill. Christ, it was biting out there this morning. It was no surprise to see that I shaved three minutes off the exact same route as yesterday. The wheel that turns is the wheel that burns, etc.

It was otherwise an uneventful roll out. I’m still crocked from running with a calf strain. That shows no sign of healing anytime soon. Hey Hoe. Run Every Day in January looks like it ain’t happening this year.

The Boxing Day traffic had picked up from Christmas Day. Travellers were busy going to wherever they needed to be at 9am. Each to their own, but I was just happy to be out on my bicycle.

Blue Lines still sounds fresh as fuck. I listen to it at least once a month. It makes me think that I am a character caught up in a film plot, walking around, as each scene and relationship changes. There’s so much in here - not just with the music, but the mental images that are created. Horace Andy steals the show, although any one of the nine tracks are worthy of being the best song on the album. My only disappointment was that it was over so soon. Outstanding.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐