Forest 2-2 LCFC, post-match thread

[Tommy Fresh]

12 hours ago, Bilo said:

Try saying it on here between December and March. It was as if you'd just broken into folks' house and pissed on their kids.

They were clearly over performing and utilising a system that for some reason the rest of the league thought they were better than, which played in to their hands massively. I disagreed with you when you called them lucky (on the whole) as I don't think they've been lucky as such, more they've benefitted from teams not taking them seriously, much like we did in 15/16.

 

Agreed that they'll probably struggle over the coming seasons, throwing money attempting to replicate this seasons success, which becomes a whole lot harder if they miss out on Champions League. No doubt have struggles keeping players, adhering to PSR, creating genuine quality squad depth, playing twice a week and needing a new system as teams have finally started working against Forest rather than trying to outplay them and getting picked off.

[Guest Bilo]

1 minute ago, Tommy Fresh said:

They were clearly over performing and utilising a system that for some reason the rest of the league thought they were better than, which played in to their hands massively. I disagreed with you when you called them lucky (on the whole) as I don't think they've been lucky as such, more they've benefitted from teams not taking them seriously, much like we did in 15/16.

 

Agreed that they'll probably struggle over the coming seasons, throwing money attempting to replicate this seasons success, which becomes a whole lot harder if they miss out on Champions League. No doubt have struggles keeping players, adhering to PSR, creating genuine quality squad depth, playing twice a week and needing a new system as teams have finally started working against Forest rather than trying to outplay them and getting picked off.

They were lucky in the sense that they weren't picking up injuries to a very thin squad while those around them had injury crises, were massively outperforming their xG and everyone around them fluffed their lines when Forest dropped points. It was always only going to take one of those lucky factors to fall away for their artificially high place to be in jeopardy.

 

That being said, I was shocked by how average they looked in Sunday's match. If you'd told someone who hadn't seen the table that it was a relegation six pointer, they'd have had no reason to disbelieve you. 

 

In terms of the future, you're spot on. In no small part because Marinakis is mad enough to expect the same or better next season with all the challenges you've laid out, but with enforced player sales and no UCL money. If they lose any one of Murillo, Milenkovic, Gibbs-White or Elanga, they won't be able to replace him without spending silly money and the fall off will be steep. And that's before factoring in the likelihood of injuries as they potentially have a week's schedule of Liverpool-Qarabag away-Arsenal. 

[goose2010]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

It was such a blatant offside as well. 

Yeah it really was, was absolutely no need for them to play on. 

 

[OnlyOneCity]

14 hours ago, Dr The Singh said:

He was pissed, personally I don't have an issue with that.  The man cares.

About the money he may miss out on?

[Terraloon]

What struck me was that so many of their players weren’t just running on empty toward the end of the game but how they couldn’t motivate themselves. Let’s be honest LCFC should have been easy meat for them

Its no coincidence that their poor run of form is this late in the season .

They have qualified for Europe next season as to which tournament that’s up for debate but without a significant uplift in squad numbers and of course quality it will all come crashing down on their heads.

They have two games left. Based on league position the WHU game should be at least a draw but on form they will struggle. Then on to Chelsea . 
If Palace prevail then I see Forest in the Conference which will give them , Forest  , a chance to rotate but you are dragging players all over Europe with challenges. For instance Chelsea played in Sweden two weeks ago but due to drug testing and other commitments didn’t get back into the UK till 5.00am on the Friday.

 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

19 minutes ago, Terraloon said:

...

They have two games left. Based on league position the WHU game should be at least a draw but on form they will struggle. Then on to Chelsea . 
...

We did our bit on Sunday, but I'm worried West Ham and Chelsea might be the worst teams we could hope for.

West Ham are pretty unpredictable and/or rubbish, and will no doubt attack and over commit and get caught out on the break.

Ditto, Chelsea will have all the possession, something Forest don't like, and I could see Forest doing a job on them as well.

Obviously, I hope West Ham and Chelsea stuff them.   But a bit worried ...

[Super_horns]

2 hours ago, StanSP said:

It was such a blatant offside as well. 

 

2 hours ago, Groby_Blue said:

The most ridiculous protocol ever. Utterly pointless. If he'd have scored, she would have flagged, as she still did anyway. 

 

This playing on rubbish adds absolutely nothing to the game. Go back to flagging as soon as the lino suspects offside. 

Seemed a bit delayed too anyway as the attacker touched the ball before crossing the ball just outside the area so should have not have gone up then ?

[Bert]

3 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

 

Seemed a bit delayed too anyway as the attacker touched the ball before crossing the ball just outside the area so should have not have gone up then ?

They’re told to wait until the “phase of play” is over. 

[RowlattsFox]

In this case, the lineswomen knew it was offside so clearly should've flagged, but it only takes 1 wrong decision when someone has flagged for everyone to start complaining they should wait again. 

Sometimes it looks obvious and is closer than you think, but not on this occasion. Everyone in the ground knew he was offside. 

[RonnieTodger]

Enjoyed the Forest meltdown. Pretend to celebrate securing Europe, as though they haven’t been singing about going to Barcelona all season 

[Chelmofox]

4 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

In this case, the lineswomen knew it was offside so clearly should've flagged, but it only takes 1 wrong decision when someone has flagged for everyone to start complaining they should wait again. 

Sometimes it looks obvious and is closer than you think, but not on this occasion. Everyone in the ground knew he was offside. 

This is the curse of VAR. I think in this situation its come from a long ball and a fast counter and there have been circumstances where ones i thought were obviously off side wern't. At the time i thought it was ridiculous but i can understand why at that moment they played on if she she had a small amount of doubt when the ball was played. 

 

I get the whole players getting injured point, but if everyone in the ground knew that it was offside then so would the attacker who has gone on and risked himself. Like we have seen many do, he could have just put his hand up.

 

Even with the semi automated stuff, i would still do away with it and just go back to lino's call. I think there even if she flags immediately and its a closer call no one will really care.

[AKCJ]

11 hours ago, goose2010 said:

Hopefully they change this stupid rule now. Hope he is ok and it isn't as serious as it sounds. 

 

 

 

 

 

Blimey. I just assumed he'd been winded.

 

He's a decent striker but has no luck with injuries.

[Lutterworth Fox]

1 hour ago, Bert said:

They’re told to wait until the “phase of play” is over. 

Why?

[AKCJ]

1 minute ago, Lutterworth Fox said:

Why?

Because they want to avoid howlers.

 

I do think that situations like Sunday's are that obvious and that far away from the goal that they should put their flag up though.

Edited 13 May 2025 by AKCJ

[Bert]

9 minutes ago, Lutterworth Fox said:

Why?

As already stated, to avoid howlers. 
 

An example of it working, is Vardy v West Ham - Lino thought he was off, waited until the phase of play had finished with Vardy scoring then flagged. Then VAR can intervene. If the Lino flags straight away then either Vardy stops and/or the opposition stop and then there would be uproar. 
 

But in this instance when it’s so clear, just raise the flag. 

[LCFCJohn]

1 hour ago, worth_the_wait said:

We did our bit on Sunday, but I'm worried West Ham and Chelsea might be the worst teams we could hope for.

West Ham are pretty unpredictable and/or rubbish, and will no doubt attack and over commit and get caught out on the break.

Ditto, Chelsea will have all the possession, something Forest don't like, and I could see Forest doing a job on them as well.

Obviously, I hope West Ham and Chelsea stuff them.   But a bit worried ...

I said this before. Potter and Maresca are the worst 2 managers that could face Forest from a playing into their hands perspective. Both very arrogant with being stuck to their system and less likely to adapt to who they are playing. Hopefully their turn down in form overrides this.

[Happy Fox]

 

 

 

Leicester City

 

@LCFC

 

 

Forest (A) dump 

 

 

 

 

10:30 AM · May 13, 2025

·

5,466

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[Dr The Singh]

3 hours ago, OnlyOneCity said:

About the money he may miss out on?

Yes, but with money, comes succes

[FoxesTalker]

The general expectations for this game were very low so to get a draw was a good result in itself, but can't help thinking we might have taken all three points with either of Fatawu or Mavididi available. The season Forest have had speaks for itself and to have qualified for a form of European football is obviously impressive. At the same time though, also feel if they do miss out on the Champions League, they will look back with massive regret of what could have been, because there's no knowing when opportunities like they've had will come around again. Our 2016/17 campaign should have been followed up with two further campaigns in 2019/20 and 2020/21, and we can only look back now with huge disappointment at not finishing in the top four in those two seasons. Granted, our club's decline since has been extreme and I'm not suggesting Forest would go the same way, but the point still stands.

[splinterdream]

We need to forget them and concentrate on our own comeback, I've just been schooled on their finances, announcing a £20m profit and they'll be spending big in the summer, I honestly thought they might be up to their PSR limits, but apparently not, they'll have a bigger and better stadium a long time before we will unless we get ourselves together.

Edited 13 May 2025 by splinterdream

[Guest Bilo]

19 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

We need to forget them and concentrate on our own comeback, I've just been schooled on their finances, announcing a £20m profit and they'll be spending big in the summer, I honestly thought they might be up to their PSR limits, but apparently not, they'll have a bigger and better stadium a long time before we will unless we get ourselves together.

I've read this as well and cannot find a reputable source to back it up. 

 

This is the closest I have found.

 

https://www.footballinsider247.com/nottingham-forest-could-land-20m-windfall-after-stunning-twist-borson/

[Guest Bilo]

Just looked up The Athletic, and the reality is a bit more nuanced.

 

This article from The Athletic outlines how Nottingham Forest’s finances have significantly improved for the 2023–24 season, primarily through:

 

Key Financial Takeaways:

 

Record Revenue: Close to £190 million, up 22% year-on-year.

 

Pre-tax Profit: £10.1 million, after a £100 million boost from player sales.

 

PSR Compliance: No breach this season, helped by allowable costs and a large player trading profit. Their three-year PSR loss is now £106.8 million, within the £83 million limit after deductions.

 

Operating Loss: Still substantial at £75.3 million, suggesting financial sustainability without sales remains challenging.

 

 

Major Transfers:

 

Sold: Brennan Johnson (£47.5m), Moussa Niakhate (£27m), Orel Mangala (£20m), Odi Vlachodimos (£20m)

 

Bought: Elliot Anderson, Murillo, Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White — all seen as appreciating assets.

 

 

Champions League Impact:

 

Should Forest qualify:

 

Minimum €18.6m (£15.6m) in guaranteed income

 

Performance-based bonuses could push total revenue much higher (up to €80m+ depending on performance).

 

This influx could reduce reliance on player sales, helping retain stars like Murillo or Gibbs-White.

 

 

Financial Strategy & Ownership:

 

Marinakis converted over £154m of debt to equity and injected nearly £15m in cash, with £44m also raised via loans.

 

Forest are using common financial instruments like receivables factoring to manage cash flow (e.g., upfront fees from Tottenham for Johnson).

 

 

Outlook:

 

Forest’s PSR issues appear to be stabilizing.

 

Reduced transfer spending this season and better league performance mean less pressure to sell.

 

But absent another big player sale, a return to losses is possible next year.

 

Champions League qualification would be a game-changer, likely helping keep key players and fund ongoing squad and infrastructure investment (including City Ground redevelopment).

 

 

 

[splinterdream]

9 minutes ago, Bilo said:

Just looked up The Athletic, and the reality is a bit more nuanced.

 

This article from The Athletic outlines how Nottingham Forest’s finances have significantly improved for the 2023–24 season, primarily through:

 

Key Financial Takeaways:

 

Record Revenue: Close to £190 million, up 22% year-on-year.

 

Pre-tax Profit: £10.1 million, after a £100 million boost from player sales.

 

PSR Compliance: No breach this season, helped by allowable costs and a large player trading profit. Their three-year PSR loss is now £106.8 million, within the £83 million limit after deductions.

 

Operating Loss: Still substantial at £75.3 million, suggesting financial sustainability without sales remains challenging.

 

 

Major Transfers:

 

Sold: Brennan Johnson (£47.5m), Moussa Niakhate (£27m), Orel Mangala (£20m), Odi Vlachodimos (£20m)

 

Bought: Elliot Anderson, Murillo, Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White — all seen as appreciating assets.

 

 

Champions League Impact:

 

Should Forest qualify:

 

Minimum €18.6m (£15.6m) in guaranteed income

 

Performance-based bonuses could push total revenue much higher (up to €80m+ depending on performance).

 

This influx could reduce reliance on player sales, helping retain stars like Murillo or Gibbs-White.

 

 

Financial Strategy & Ownership:

 

Marinakis converted over £154m of debt to equity and injected nearly £15m in cash, with £44m also raised via loans.

 

Forest are using common financial instruments like receivables factoring to manage cash flow (e.g., upfront fees from Tottenham for Johnson).

 

 

Outlook:

 

Forest’s PSR issues appear to be stabilizing.

 

Reduced transfer spending this season and better league performance mean less pressure to sell.

 

But absent another big player sale, a return to losses is possible next year.

 

Champions League qualification would be a game-changer, likely helping keep key players and fund ongoing squad and infrastructure investment (including City Ground redevelopment).

 

 

 

And just a quick Google search says we're paying £10m more per season in wages. 

 

Looking at their transfers last season, Lyon spent around €60m on 2 players from them, then they had that dodgy keeper transfer. They're clearly doing some good work there, we can only hope we have people looking at that.

[Guest Bilo]

3 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

And just a quick Google search says we're paying £10m more per season in wages. 

 

Looking at their transfers last season, Lyon spent around €60m on 2 players from them, then they had that dodgy keeper transfer. They're clearly doing some good work there, we can only hope we have people looking at that.

It also says they're going to be dependent on player sales this summer, that it'll be wafer thin without UCL football and even with it due to player bonuses. 

 

Sure, it looks healthier than ours but the idea that they'll be able to match big clubs stride for stride is far-fetched.

[splinterdream]

5 minutes ago, Bilo said:

It also says they're going to be dependent on player sales this summer, that it'll be wafer thin without UCL football and even with it due to player bonuses. 

 

Sure, it looks healthier than ours but the idea that they'll be able to match big clubs stride for stride is far-fetched.

I remember club media constantly posting successful club contract renewals during our successful years, we wasn't playing hardball with those players, we were just chucking them big number contracts, we'll have to see if and when their big names come up to 2 yrs left, whether they move them on or pay them the big dollar. It's perhaps where Villa are at present, 1 bad season and they may be in trouble