Nott'm Forest (A) - Sat 2nd Mar 2024 (3:00pm)

[Trumo]

Work-rate. Incisiveness. Nous.

 

I don't ask for much.

 

This is how it's gonna be. Build from the ground up.

 

A Saturday 3:00pm kick-off? We roll into Nottingham off the back of 3 displays over the past week where our youngsters were prominent. They have been outstanding, but they've also been necessary as we've been decimated by injuries. It's annoying enough when players drop out due to something picked up (or aggravated) in training, but it's frustrating as hell to see players picking up significant injuries or re-aggravating old ones during matches. While Jurgen and his staff (and the players) have been admirable in their adaptability, it would be helpful if for once we could go strong as well as adopt and see through Plan A in matches.

 

Forest are waiting on the verdict of the independent panel following their appeal after the PL charged them for breaching PSR rules. When they came up in 2022, they went on a spending spree and signed new players at a faster rate than Todd Boehly. Their argument over their perceived breach is that it's down to the timing of the sale of Brennan Johnson to Spurs, where had they sold him by the year end for their accounting period, they'd have got a lower fee. By holding out until the end of the transfer window, they got a lot more money for him, but it was also outside the PSR cut-off, hence the breach. The additional money will in theory help them avoid falling foul of further PSR breaches. They may yet face a points deduction, which is a big worry for them as they don't already have enough points on the board to mitigate. They are right there in the thick of the relegation battle, struggling to avoid joining Burnley and Sheffield United, both of whom have looked totally out of their depth. They look like they have one or two decent players but getting them to gel was a problem Steve Cooper couldn't overcome, and hopefully one that Nuno Holy Spirit (and Big Div!) will have to wait until after this game to sort out.

 

They also looked like an inconsistent rabble when we went to the City Ground to face them in October 2022. Their goal led a charmed life that day, but it was less to do with anything they did defensively (they were crap) and more to do with our players' inability to take their chances. Countless shots were off-target, and any great headed chances saw our players demonstrate a "50p head" waywardness. It was irritating and all set for the sucker punch which duly came in the second half, when we failed to defend a set piece and allowed Reds old boy Taiwo Awoniyi (can he be classed as an ex-Red having never once played for us?) to steal in and bundle the ball home for the game's only goal. This was the period when we couldn't buy an away win in the league, and especially not while wearing that dreadful petrol spillage away kit.

 

For us, no news yet on availability, but hopefully we start to see the returns of the likes of Mo, Darwin and Dom in this one. Not only because it means they are available, but also so that the ones that have been filling in are not approaching their own "red line". Numbers allied with more strength in depth are crucial over the next 3 months if we are to remain contenders for more silverware. We must do our utmost to ensure that we are still ahead of the pack when City come to town next weekend. Against Forest, I'm expecting motivation, concentration, attitude and application to be absolutely tippy-top from first minute to last. 3 points please. Get it done!

[ZonkoVille77]

Play the Legends! 2 nil to the reds, Berger and Agger.

 

We're fuckin shite 

[Creator Supreme]

27-0 to Forest. We only have foetuses available.

[Pete]

3 points please lads.  

[Anubis]

Just win.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Any team that Jürgen Norbert Klopp puts out will be good enough to win.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[Fowlers God]

This is the one I worry about. 
 

I have no idea what team will be out on the pitch 

 

and it's more important we don't fail now in this game. 
 

the cups are a nice addition to the PL but that's the holy grail this year. And if Klopp does do it with this set of players I think it sits just behind Arsenals invincible as the best ever PL title win 

 

get it done reds 

[Lee909]

5 minutes ago, Fowlers God said:

This is the one I worry about. 
 

I have no idea what team will be out on the pitch 

 

and it's more important we don't fail now in this game. 
 

the cups are a nice addition to the PL but that's the holy grail this year. And if Klopp does do it with this set of players I think it sits just behind Arsenals invincible as the best ever PL title win 

 

get it done reds 

 

That invincible team is overrated. its a good achievement but its also the 10th highest points tally in the leagues history. Both Klopps runners up teams wipes the floor with them

 

[Mook]

Huge game this & it would be a massive boost if Szoboszlai, Salah & Nunez were somehow fit to play a part.

[an tha]

These are shite, but we are their cup final and they'll be revved up to fuck and so will their crowd.

 

We need to be right on it. Last season was a fucking disgrace in this fixture and it is a ground we have a lousy record on.

 

Just win however it is done.

[LFC 6 Times]

We really need a lift in terms of player’s returning to fitness. It’s been an absolutely heroic effort from the squad since Brentford. Absolutely must win this, we can’t let up.

 

Praying Mo, Darwin, Endo and Szobo are available for this and would be an enormous boost for us.

[Megadrive Man]

1 hour ago, Fowlers God said:

This is the one I worry about. 
 

I have no idea what team will be out on the pitch 

 

and it's more important we don't fail now in this game. 
 

the cups are a nice addition to the PL but that's the holy grail this year. And if Klopp does do it with this set of players I think it sits just behind Arsenals invincible as the best ever PL title win 

 

get it done reds 

 

The Arsenal 'invincible' season is a nonsense.

 

They lost to Middlesbrough, United and Chelsea in the cups that year.

 

Also you could draw all 38 league games and be 'invincible' you'd probably get relegated too though! 

[Megadrive Man]

Kelleher

Bradley

VVD

Konate

Robertson

Endo

Mac Alister

Clark

Elliot

Nunez

Diaz

 

Hopefully Salah and Szoboslai can get some minutes too.

 

[an tha]

1 hour ago, Megadrive Man said:

 

The Arsenal 'invincible' season is a nonsense.

 

They lost to Middlesbrough, United and Chelsea in the cups that year.

 

Also you could draw all 38 league games and be 'invincible' you'd probably get relegated too though! 

90 pts was it they got.

 

A very good return but more than 90 pts has not been enough for us to win the league twice.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Paul Teirney in charge. Big boost for Forest.

[joe_fishfish]

Hopefully we get the version of Tierney we got last time, when it seemed like he’d had a brain transplant.

[Carra_is_legend]

9 hours ago, Lee909 said:

 

That invincible team is overrated. its a good achievement but its also the 10th highest points tally in the leagues history. Both Klopps runners up teams wipes the floor with them

 

They had 5 draws out of the last 10 games.

 

We drew against Spurs in the middle of about 15 wins and lost the title by a point.

[Rushies tash]

16 minutes ago, Carra_is_legend said:

They had 5 draws out of the last 10 games.

 

We drew against Spurs in the middle of about 15 wins and lost the title by a point.

 

Every time someone mentions that Spurs game, I rage about the fact that Klopp didn't bring on Origi. Nailed on he would have scored.

[Fowlers God]

10 hours ago, Lee909 said:

 

That invincible team is overrated. its a good achievement but its also the 10th highest points tally in the leagues history. Both Klopps runners up teams wipes the floor with them

 

 

Whilst I do not disagree with this at all; All of Klopps LFC teams ( and I dont mean inherited squad) would beat that team. But it was at a different time and a different stage of football. We have to take the the achievement for what it was. 

 

 

8 hours ago, Megadrive Man said:

 

The Arsenal 'invincible' season is a nonsense.

 

They lost to Middlesbrough, United and Chelsea in the cups that year.

 

Also you could draw all 38 league games and be 'invincible' you'd probably get relegated too though! 

 

Not sure how Cups have a bearing on what teams do in the league? Also its not nonsense because it hasnt been repeated again in any format. Therefore that tells me it was an achievement in its self. 

7 hours ago, an tha said:

90 pts was it they got.

 

A very good return but more than 90 pts has not been enough for us to win the league twice.

 

See response to Lee. The game has changed since they did it. Its been really unfortunate for us because in any other era this team would have won everything every year. 

 

 

 

And whilst not detracting away from the thread title too much; Arsenal are only x5 years away from matching our 30yrs without a league title. Thats some drop off of form. 

[Megadrive Man]

35 minutes ago, Fowlers God said:

Not sure how Cups have a bearing on what teams do in the league? Also its not nonsense because it hasnt been repeated again in any format. Therefore that tells me it was an achievement in its self. 

 

And whilst not detracting away from the thread title too much; Arsenal are only x5 years away from matching our 30yrs without a league title. Thats some drop off of form. 

 

I never got the whole we're invincible (in league games only) argument. If they'd gone through the season winning all four trophies without losing a game then I'd hold my hands up and say fair enough but it's not this great achievement that it's made out to be.

 

It's 10 years rather than 5, but still seems like a long long time!

[an tha]

2 hours ago, Fowlers God said:

 

Whilst I do not disagree with this at all; All of Klopps LFC teams ( and I dont mean inherited squad) would beat that team. But it was at a different time and a different stage of football. We have to take the the achievement for what it was. 

 

 

 

Not sure how Cups have a bearing on what teams do in the league? Also its not nonsense because it hasnt been repeated again in any format. Therefore that tells me it was an achievement in its self. 

 

See response to Lee. The game has changed since they did it. Its been really unfortunate for us because in any other era this team would have won everything every year. 

 

 

 

And whilst not detracting away from the thread title too much; Arsenal are only x5 years away from matching our 30yrs without a league title. Thats some drop off of form. 

Could make an argument to say league was more competitive overall back then too - not as much of a gap between the haves and have nots - so the top teams didn't rack up nigh on 100 pts.

 

I have no data to support this by way - just a gut feel.

[VladimirIlyich]

2 minutes ago, an tha said:

Could make an argument to say league was more competitive overall back then too - not as much of a gap between the haves and have nots - so the top teams didn't rack up nigh on 100 pts.

 

I have no data to support this by way - just a gut feel.

That's probably true but there were still only 2 or 3 teams winning the League back then. Utd,Arsenal and Chelsea were the only champions back then. Still better than City,City,City,Us,City etc though.

[LFC 6 Times]

Szobo and Darwin back for this, Mo next week. Give them an hour each, we've run the rest of them into the ground.

 

Need to get this won with them on the pitch.

 

Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, VVD, Robbo, Endo, Szobo, Mac, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz.

[Jordy Brouwer]

1 hour ago, LFC 6 Times said:

Szobo and Darwin back for this, Mo next week. Give them an hour each, we've run the rest of them into the ground.

 

Need to get this won with them on the pitch.

 

Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, VVD, Robbo, Endo, Szobo, Mac, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz.

 

Yes, saw that from Klopp's interview. A huge boost!

 

Honestly, with those two back we are back to having a team I think. Not our best team but a good enough team. 

 

[an tha]

3 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

That's probably true but there were still only 2 or 3 teams winning the League back then. Utd,Arsenal and Chelsea were the only champions back then. Still better than City,City,City,Us,City etc though.

As far as winning it goes yeah - but i just have feel that it was tighter overall, the gap between the top sides and the rest not the absolute chasm it is now...League winners would regularly get beat 6/7 times a season.

 

As i say haven't looked at any stats that support this feeling but even a rudimentary teams were not getting nearly 100 pts suggests it is probably true enough.