Holmes_and_Watson

If it appears on the delayed FM25, then the club are going to just have to update their org chart.

Sorry to be critical. But it's madness to not have more Stephens in there.

Usual time? Oh, it wasn't a euphemism...awkward...

The US version of The Rest is Politics has one host who worked for Trump, but now supports Harris. He was saying that there are different scenarios for Trump. There are those close to him that say he's going to have lots of sound items, have lots of spur of the moment ideas that aren't enforceable and get nowhere, and the rest of the time he'll be playing golf. I think you can add nest feathering and immunity forever to that. Some others, there but perhaps not as close, have valid concerns about the think tanks post Bannon, waiting to get their own ideas into place. However, their websites claim they got loads in under Reagan and others, so it's not a new threat, which some hyperbole would suggest. I know my views were shaped by newspapers. My parents would have bought those they agreed with. But the papers would have reinforced that daily, more than any opinions expressed by them. It takes a lot of years to not only see other sides, but be open to unpicking your own views. Endorsing candidates is just an extension of the daily bias. On one hand our press has some standards to adhere to, and you know what to expect. There are other platforms outside of that (often by former journalists) that provide more incisive investigations. But without the same levels of oversight (although they often have to fight financially ruinous legal action before vindication) and the risk of entering incorrect echo chambers. I'm happy to see more platforms to express views and criticism. Sadly, the press are on a race to a polarised bottom, desperate to hang onto the core support of their bias. But better to have them than rely solely on social media. Their decline has also removed a lot of local journalists for the future.

Had we some more points on the board, he'd be putting his name in. Depending on how long their process takes, he has a chance of getting a couple of wins on the board. While managers get paid far more than assistants, I wonder if he'd consider going to United in that capacity, the structure put in place by Wilcox.

That pinging noise is Martin sending off his CV to Wilcox.

Not that there's not a very long list of Trump comments, but this was a warm up act, that they have already distanced themselves from. So doubt there's any Trump punishment, except at the ballot box. "Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Reuters that the joke about Puerto Rico "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign." Why the comedian felt comfortable saying those things, and the response he got is telling though. As is Trump's labelling of criminals and mass deportation. As you say, so much that is beyond the pale for us, in terms of divisive toxicity.

He arrived there under very difficult circumstances. He started well in the first few games IIRC. The Beeb had an article where at least some fans were really liking his approach. By the time that was published results had tanked. He be ame just another thing wrong with the club. He clawed them out of relegation, and is doing well this season again. All through off field antics by their clown of an owner. He's had to really earn his success there. Well done to him.

As a vegan, he didn't even shoot her for the meat. He did it just for the hell of it. That's the sort of person we have, behind that brittle, matey facade!

A few posts mentioned Haaland having an off day. Just reminded me that how little our forwards have to wotk on. He gets more chances, in better positions than we do. We've had AA, Sule and Archer missing excellent opportunities. But we rely on a high conversion rate for the number of excellent chances we create. That's also in a set up where the forwards have to pounce on opportunities, deal with reset defences.

Maze

The romance is more for the Milk Tray man pullover he wore, than anything football related. 🙂

I'd think had we got something from the game, nearly everyone would be giving credit where it was due. I was about to make the point Sue raised. The closer to the end it got, there was a little unease creeping in. The crowd, used to being/ thinking they should be further ahead were a little quieter. Pep, more aware of dropping 2 points late on. We didn't offer much for the rest of the game, but City won't be that uneasy against too many, having got a bigger lead against them. Martin will look to that late period as one of the pluses. We conceded early, but the planning helped to keep them out for the rest of the game. Sure, City were ahead, didn't need the second. Had Archer scored, they might have stepped it up. Or maybe we'd have kept them out. But, as we found with Ipswich again, late goals happen. It's frustrating to see us turn up hoping for scraps while we keep a score down. But the team will have positives to take from the game.

Judge

Selles lost games narrowly being compact and hoping to spring Alcaraz on the counter. Martin's side like to pass it about a bit, close to our 'keeper before losing their games. Both pretty grim spells in the PL

Martin will look at the result, our periods of possession and us being in with a shout late on for a point. He set us up to try and take one of what would be only a few chances. Archer hit the bar. However, if those were to be added, City would have had a few more too. At 1 up early, we didn't see them having to go up too many gears. We kept it to 1, but one chance aside, never laid a glove on them. TP did okay coming on. I'd have kept Archer on with him. AA showed some good running too. Some solid performances throughout. But again, with our opponents already in the lead. A game where Martin will take lots of professional points from. But it's still another defeat, in a game where we offered little.

Martin will be fairly pleased with that, overall. Play to his possession style, restrict them as much as possible, keep it flat as a result, and look to pounce on any gilt edged opportunity. The result is we're one down and with our only real attack, hit the bar. It's frustrating as a supporter watching your side be so cautious, invite plenty of attacks without laying a glove on the opposition until the closing moments. We'll have to come forward later on, to see if we can get a point. Both might continue as was until then. City likely to get a second before that happens though.

Pick a team, the Martin way. Pashun = Places

Martin has identified that we only conceded 3 to Leicester due to lack of shoutiness. Not in any knee jerk way whatsoever, we have both our shouty ones on the park, under the guise of leadership.

No surprise at all. If Taylor isn't going to put the work into his stubble grooming and being shouty at training, this is what happens. 🙂

Nice to see Darren Anderton again.

I've been reading the previous posts too. But for the one above, it's an interesting take. On one hand giving that, short term, managers could keep us up, with the financial advantages that would bring. But, on the other, to instead go with RM. That with the plan of maximising SR's approach. That might mean a longer curve of going down and up a couple of times. The reward being, not only hanging in there, but thriving to the point of breaking into that top tier. In the interests of thread balance, Cortese was pushing for us to get into the CL positions. He knew we had to keep our momentum. Partly for the finances, but also to keep the team together and build on it. That seemed lunacy, considering our position and where we'd come from at the time. When RalphBall was clicking, we were looking a very good side, punching well above our weight, at the top end of the league. That was under resource restrictions too. Martin's results are nowhere close to the likes of Ralph or Poch. That's both points and the feeling that we're improving, competing and seeing the fruits of the work. I guess one of your points is that this really will have to be a multi season project, if needed. I think others would rather stay in the league, and build on that to thrive. Managerial tenures and the projects they come in with last a just over a couple of seasons. There are managers before Martin who go having "over achieved" to get into the PL as part of a plan. Based on what happens not only elsewhere, but here with Ralph, Nathan and Ruben, I'd be surprised if SR stuck with Martin if results continue. Even if the data they use suggests he's close and he points to being 1 up against Arsenal, and conceded from winning positions against Ipswich and Leicester.

Excellent post. It highlights Forest's adaptability, our lack of it, and how our opponents take advantage of it. RM's outcomes are self fulfilling. We don't play with a physical forward. So we can't stretch play, put their defence under immediate pressure, have someone better suited to Ramsdale's clearances, and hold it to bring others into play. That impacts our press, the tempo we can get it forward, and our shape. The club wanted shot of TP in the summer so, unless they thought Stewart would come good and jump up 2 divisions, we would have no one capable of any of that at the club. We like tucking our full backs in, allowing teams to exploit the flanks. Teams are Forest didn't allow that while top players are finding different ways to punish us. We do things differently at set pieces. Forest stopped Leicester exploiting any of those. We lose points as teams plan for our set up. RM looks for possession, moving sides and quick exploits and high tempo bursts then reset and control. Except we look like a team desperate to pick up scraps and no idea of what to do when sides don't play exactly how we need them to. There's not much of that lightning transition and momentum we see from the likes of City. Sadly, when games are a bit more open, we can't manage the game. A lot of that is because we're wedded to that one approach. So, we're not great at chasing games or switching it up to defend more. Martin's approach would struggle with better players in the same way it does with us. We had a number of chances where it was our individual talent, making the most of where they were, rather than the system last season. Martin would be relying on that with better players too. That's not to slate RM entirely. There were games last season, where we took teams apart. But it didn't all click too often, and we're miles off that at present.

Anders Svensson used to pass into spaces where he was expecting movement from the rest of the team. I think he had to hold the way he was reading the game in check a bit, so the others could catch up.

Considering the run up we had to not move them in the last window, there's every chance you're right there.