Nottingham Forest 1 Liverpool 0 (Oct 22 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

So last week means fuck all now then. The high of beating “the best team in the world” replaced by the ignominy of losing to the worst team in the league. Nice one lads, that’s just fucking great. Get used to it though as all the signs now point to being like this all season. 

 

No consistency, just a few wins interspersed with pitiful losses when you least expect them. Basically the way it was for close to 30 years pre-Klopp. We’re back there now. Hopefully not for long but there’s no quick fix to this and it won’t be solved in the January window, even if by some miracle we go on a big spending spree (which we won’t). A couple of new players won’t get us back to what we were last season. Maybe a new medical team will?

 

We’ve looked off the pace all season. Lethargic, lacking intensity, with a mounting injury list and just generally looking older and slower than we should be (these players nearly won EVERYTHING only a few months ago). The City game showed that there was still some gas in the tank but we’ve suffered from that Herculean effort as we saw in the second half against West Ham that we looked leggy and had no zip about us at all. Then we get this absolute fucking shitshow. Flat and lifeless.

 

The only threat we posed all day was from set-pieces. Aside from that, virtually nothing. It was so easy for Forest. They weren’t even any good. I didn’t watch this and think “wow these are a tough nut to crack”. I was more thinking “these look fucking shit, how are we not creating anything against them?”. The answer to that was that we were fucking shit too. Shit, slow and clueless. We could have played until next week and not scored. We’d have conceded again though, no doubt about that. We’re lucky it didn’t end up an even worse scoreline. 

 

You know what this game reminded me of? That 2-0 defeat at Hull when the useless cunt striker on loan from Everton scored against us. I can’t even remember his name now, but it doesn’t matter. Add the name of Taiwo Adeniyi to the list of absolutely fucking woeful forwards to make their name with a goal against us. Hasn’t happened much over the last five years but this is what we used to do all the time. It’s all coming back to me now, sadly.

 

 

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[CrownPaints]

We do seem to have regressed right back to the start of the Klopp era.

 

As soon as I saw the team sheet I knew we were going to drop points. Curtis was just back from injury and it’s unfair to drop two kids and him into midfield and expect us to do well.

 

We still miss the energy of Gini in the centre of the part. Fab has covered and been fantastic but he’s got his feet up on a beach somewhere while Mr Fab Snr has a run in the squad.

 

Our games are now a cross between Casualty and anything with Ant and Dec in it. That’s to say on the one hand you know someone is going to get injured, and on the other it’s getting to be fucking annoying watching.

[s(k)aturation]

 

It's a "Titus Bramble" kind of season.

Where players of his ilk are going to score and take points off us throughout.

[Anubis]

Some interesting stuff surfaced on Twitter about us cutting the main men in the sports science department and promoting lesser talents. There is definitely something going on in the background. We don’t just seem off the pace significantly, but also mentally. If players are in the red zone, how come Mo and Virg play nearly every minute?

[Paul]

Robbo not pushing up is another sign of the fitness thing. He doesn’t trust his legs/lungs and is avoiding his trademark bursts forward. 

[Barnesey]

I felt we weren’t brave enough with our passing, rarely trying to break the lines and when we did usually played it back again. No runners, very static. I’d exempt Robbo because I thought he made a number of runs down the left but no one attempted to get the ball to him. 
 

I can only put it down to a lack of confidence -look how Newcastle, on the crest of a building wave, are playing like we used to. A confident VVD has a hat trick here. 

[HBenn]

2 hours ago, Anubis said:

Some interesting stuff surfaced on Twitter about us cutting the main men in the sports science department and promoting lesser talents. There is definitely something going on in the background. We don’t just seem off the pace significantly, but also mentally. If players are in the red zone, how come Mo and Virg play nearly every minute?

Something true about the medical stuff dating back a few years.

FSG have got a few months to stop them being remembered as "Fucked Something Great". 

[DaveT]

Spot on, lots of pertinent questions raised.

Nothing to do with the result or our performance, but just what does it take for someone to get booked against us? Kouyate, as Dave says, threw three naughty ones in, especially one on Harvey, and Yates committed three fouls in as many minutes in the 2nd half….surely the definition of persistent fouling? 
On a mixed note, we’re creating quite a few chances with our corners in recent weeks…. we’re just not putting them away. Virgil should be on half a dozen goals by now, Bobby put a free header from another corner straight into Fabianksi’s hands last Wednesday….

[DalyanPete]

Tough report to write and tougher to read.

Like you I'm really looking forward to the world Cup break.

See short training videos come up on YouTube, Elliot hits top bins, Robbo and Ox smash it, Virgil top shot. Watch any of our games now and I don't see any desire. Maybe aim for the crossbar as we seem quite good at that in training.

 

[MOGLET]

Sadly the team was picked as it was because we thought this was a walk in the park, and didnt need to be full strength.

Injuries aside, we could have put a much better starting 11 on, we didnt and we lost.

Football must be the only job in the world where A, a sore body part, ( a muscle strain for example) and/or B, a bit under the weather, means you dont have to go to work.

Imagine ringing your boss and saying I cant work for a month or two, ive got a dead leg, or im not working for a few weeks, ive been a bit poorly over the weekend.

Unfortunately those who did turn in for work, didnt.

 

[Judge]

Spot on as always, Dave.

 

I may be a little harsh on Virgil here, but I think he should do better on the goal. Ok, the cross is pretty hard, but it goes straight past Virgils foot, which he stretches out lazily but misses the ball.

[ralph]

Very much looking forward to the 6 week break from football also Dave.

[TheSire]

Agree on Robbo. It's because he only has a left foot so he ends up going going backwards or playing it back infield. If there's no completely obvious forward ball he just doesn't take responsibility and passes it somewhere completely pointless.

 

I think Tsimikas is a better footballer technically whereas Robbo has the edge defensively and physically. It must be really easy to defend against Robbo when he's having a poor game as you know he's only ever going to run one side of you so you can just force him onto his right foot to force him backwards.

 

Can we force him to only use his right all week in training? 

[bigal]

About time fingers were pointed at the medical team. A preseason which ended with a queue for treatment tables, a whole string of muscle injuries and the manager not selecting his best available eleven on their advice! 

 

Gomez had me fooled too, but there is a mistake every game and when it is punished he often falls apart as at Napoli, he made a stupid pass down the left straight after their goal for example which had us chasing back desperately.

 

As for attacks, just out the ball in the net then apologise for not passing Virgil. 

 

Too many touches, passes - play it quicker and get them on the back foot.

 

Suddenly Wednesday's game has a season busting element, we have no chance in the League, top 4 will be a small miracle.

[bossy]

Good report Dave and I don’t envy you having to think it up. I’m sick to death of the sideways and backwards passing, it was almost none stop on Saturday, infuriating. If it does go forward it comes straight back because it’s passed to someone facing the passer with an oppo right on his back. Gomes drives me mad too. Every single game he tries to turn an attacker when he’s the last defender, fucking stupid beyond words. It’s like there’s no thinking going on. I noticed Robbo not knocking it on to Carvalho too, wtf? I think Carvalho looks better attacking rather than in midfield and it might be worth giving it a go. As for the medical/science team, it feels like an American approach to sport, whatever it is, it’s disrupting us and is, wank. 

[fredo49]

Yep - can't argue with any of that Dave.

 

I was worried about Gomez at CB for the City game after his display in Naples, but he proved me wrong. Now he has reverted to that Napoli norm.

 

The constant injuries/illnesses mean there can be no consistency in team selection from one week to the next and we cannot build any momentum. It feels like something more than bad luck.

 

Nevertheless we should have won this by 2 or 3 from set piece chances alone.

 

Really disappointing.

[Red74]

No way should Tsimikas ever be compared to Robbo. He’s had a recent run in the side and showed everyone that’s he’s a decent back up left back at best. 

[dockers_strike]

With hindsight, Im not having this shit about Thiago having an 'ear infection.' If Id told my PE teachers 50 odd years ago, 'Sorry sir, Im not doing PE today because Ive an ear infection!' he'd have royally told me to get fucking changed and get on with it.

 

The alleged timing behind this is shit. Who calls their doctor at 5:15am and says Doc, Ive got chronic ear ache? And even if they did, how the fuck is a decision being made at 5:15am that you're unfit to play 7 hours later?

 

Bizarre.

 

 

[aws]

Ear infections can be very nasty and if they’ve taken him to hospital because he needs treatment rather than just for a check up and a few antibiotics he could be out for a while. 

[Frank Dacey]

Started the game terribly, with everyone taking two or three touches, which played right into their hands when we should have been moving their big grocks around with first-time passing. Thought things slightly improved in the second half but the goal came at just the wrong time.

One of the downsides of not having Hendo or Milner in midfield is not having anyone in the ref's ear pointing out how many fouls the Forest layers were committing and when were they going to get booked. When I saw it was Paul Tierney reffing I feared the worse but we were so bad we cn't even blame him.

[stringvest]

11 hours ago, Paul said:

Robbo not pushing up is another sign of the fitness thing. He doesn’t trust his legs/lungs and is avoiding his trademark bursts forward. 

No, it's not that imo.  Unless the ball is played ahead of him and he can run onto it in space, it's coming sideways or backwards.  That's because he is so one footed, once he's facing infield, the only way he can kick it is sideways or backwards.  He'll never take an opposition player on from a standing start, as he doesn't have the skill or pace to do it.  When Mane was here, he was a constant menace - constantly mobile, dragging defenders everywhere, always, making space for Robertson to run into, but Diaz is not as mobile as Mane, or if he is, he doesn't use his mobility to the same effect.  Robertson gets fewer opportunities to run onto a ball, he's often standing static on the touchline waiting for the ball, and when it comes to him like that, the ball is going backwards.  

 

One of the many reasons why I think Tsimikas should be first choice.  Tsimikas is two footed so doesn't suffer the same limitations, has more technique, is a far better crosser of the ball from play or from dead ball situations, is more composed, and is a better defender.

[stringvest]

3 hours ago, Red74 said:

No way should Tsimikas ever be compared to Robbo. He’s had a recent run in the side and showed everyone that’s he’s a decent back up left back at best. 

see above

[Red74]

11 minutes ago, stringvest said:

see above

Tsimikas ain’t all that mate

[stringvest]

1 minute ago, Red74 said:

Tsimikas ain’t all that mate

He's not the best in the world, but he's a better player than Robertson.

[Red74]

4 minutes ago, stringvest said:

He's not the best in the world, but he's a better player than Robertson.

Andy Robbo was the best in the world and isn’t far off getting back there. Tim couldn’t lace his bottle of Buckie.