It's amazing how seven days in football can change things so much. This time last week we were really upbeat after holding Swansea to a draw following back-to-back wins. We were four points clear of the relegation zone, our players were all coming back from injury, and Norwich were five points adrift of us and looking down and out. One week on, Norwich are a point above us. They won their last two games, while we lost ours. I honestly thought we'd get about two points minimum from Watford and Burnley, but have ended up with none, and now with just seven games left, we are just one point clear, with just Southampton, Barnsley and Charlton below us. The only problem is Barnsley happen to have three games in hand on us, and if they get at least a draw against Crystal Palace at home on Tuesday, we will be in the bottom three by the time the leaders Wolves visit us at the City Ground next Saturday. Yes, Wolves, the only other side to score five goals against us this season. Not exactly an ideal game to get back to winning ways and restore a bit of pride, but then at least Forest know they have to be at their very best to get anything out of the match, so hopefully we will see a much-improved performance. Wolves have started to hit form again lately, though, so we will do well to get a point, which on another day would be a good result, but in our situation only a win will do.
I have no idea what has happened to Forest in the last week. I am really suspicious that something has gone on off the pitch. We know that Lewis McGugan has been reprimanded by Davies for being unfit, and people on the forums say that they've seen a few of the players out drinking and getting paralytic. This has been going on at Forest for years and years, yet nothing has been done about it. It must be affecting the players' overall fitness. It's no wonder that we have so many injury problems. The trouble is many of these players just aren't bothered. Many of them won't even be here next season if we go down, and even if we stay up, Davies has promised a wholesale clearout with big changes.
One of the first changes he must make is to get rid of Paul Smith. I have finally run out of patience with him after yesterday's display. He may not have been to blame for all five goals, but the first one was completely his fault as he totally misjudged Robbie Blake's free kick, which he had thought was going harmlessly wide. He just stayed rooted to his line and didn't attempt to save it. How many times have we said that this season? Yes, he is a good shot-stopper, but everything else a goalkeeper should have, he lacks. Now his confidence will have been shattered even further after Davies described his error as 'horrendous' in his post-match interview. When asked what he thought of Smith's good record in League One last season, Davies was very evasive. He definitely wants to replace him, but it looks like we will have to put up with him until the end of the season, and hope against hope that we can somehow scrap our way to survival. My worry, though, is that Smith won't even bother trying any more now he has everybody on his back.
I don't know if Davies has any plans to bring in a goalkeeper on loan. The trouble with goalkeepers is that they are a very precious commodity, and clubs do not want to let them go at such a crucial stage of the season. If we do get anybody, it will be someone pretty low down the pecking order, and we might end up with somebody just as bad as Smith, or worse! If only, if only we had stumped up the cash to sign Lee Camp permanently in January. We looked so much more confident at the back when he was in goal. But now we're playing like we were in September and October again. It is obvious that Smith is the weakest link in the team, and that is not a good thing at all, because goalkeepers win or lose you matches.
It was a bit of a shock to be thrashed so badly as I thought our defence wouldn't be too bad as we had just signed a good young full back on loan from Tottenham by the name of Chris Gunter. He can play at either right back or left back, and he filled in for Joel Lynch, and to be fair didn't do a bad job. Most of the attacks were coming down our right hand side. Not for the first time this season, Luke Chambers was rubbish. When will Davis realise that he is not good enough? James Perch was available, yet he was played in central defence. It might have worked out better for Chambers to be in his natural centre-half position and Perch be at right back instead. Chambers just cannot cut it as a right back. Some games he gets away with it, but whenever we play a team with pacy wingers, he is completely destroyed. Please do not play him here again. Let Perch play there. Whenever he has done, he's done a reasonable job. Davies has promised he will make big changes for next Saturday, so I will be very surprised (and very annoyed) if Chambers is still at right back. With Perch and Gunter both good in that position, there is simply no excuse for him to be played there any more.
Another complaint I have is that Forest never seem to play well when they play long ball. We did this yesterday and as a result Robbie Earnshaw (was he even playing?) didn't get a look-in. When we pass it about on the ground we are so much better. We did this against Reading and Preston, and guess what we won both of them. Then Nathan Tyson returned for the Watford game, and we resorted to playing long ball to suit him. Basically, we seem to be a better team without Tyson in it. That is quite a harsh thing to say because Tyson is a good player and one of the few who genuinely seems to care, but as others have pointed out on the forum, we play better football when he's out injured. If Davies can't see this, then are we really any better off with him than Colin Calderwood?
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