I don't think we played too badly, especially in the second half, but we struggled to create clear-cut chances, so we resorted to long and hopeful balls from midfield again. I know we are in the midst of an injury crisis right now, but that's the point of having a good squad, so people can step in. But even if we did have a fully fit team available, I am not convinced that Calderwood would be able to pick a good, balanced side anyway. He has a nasty habit of playing people in positions for which they are not designed.
For instance, Sammy Clingan was a right winger yesterday, when we are crying out for his creativity in the centre, and Luke Chambers was playing as a right back, where he tried his best, but he should have played alongside Kelvin Wilson in the heart of defence instead of Wes Morgan, who looked clumsy once again.
I thought Calderwood was going to try James Perch out at right back. He hasn't done too badly there in the past, so why has the idea been abandoned so readily? Perch is not a midfielder, full stop. As I said, we need at least one creative central midfielder in there.
It looks like Perch is going to face a spell on the sidelines for a bit with a neck injury sustained in the late stages of yesterday's match, so Calderwood will be forced to pick somebody else anyway. Hopefully, Chris Cohen will be fit soon, and Forest will start to look more purposeful in midfield.
Perch's injury might be seen as a bit of divine intervention, in the same way that Ian Breckin's is. Incidentally, Breckin could now be sidelined up to six weeks with a calf problem. It's difficult to envisage Neil Lennon losing the captain's armband after nearly two months of wearing it, but that would be too logical, and that is a dirty word in Calderwood's dictionary.
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