Nottingham Forest Post-Match Thread

[Edmund]

Think he always does it, certainly did at Cov

Oh right fair enough. Just looks a bit silly when your 4-1 down.

[davieG]

OS

"Performance Was An Embarrassment"

City boss Nigel Pearson pulled no punches in the wake of today's heavy 5-1 defeat to rivals Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, in the long-awaited derby clash.

It was an uncharacteristic display and a very uncharacteristic score line for the Foxes. Nigel Pearson who, accepting the responsibility as manager, now awaits the response from his men when they face Bristol City at the Walkers Stadium, next Tuesday night.

He described the game as: "Awful quite frankly. All the hallmarks of us as a team were not there today. We are normally very well disciplined, work hard but we were second best all day, well beaten to the point where the performance was an embarrassment, based on what how we normally perform.

"We didn't start the game well, didn't put them under enough pressure, simple as that. What I would say is that that was not a typical performance from us and it is important we get a response now. We will find out on Tuesday.

"It is not about making excuses. With things like this, you enjoy the good times and what you have to do is that when something like this happens you put it right. It is now important we get a response, it is important that when we play next we get back to basics and make sure put on a performance which is worthy of us.

"The bottom line is that I am the manager and it is my responsibility, simple as that. The players go out there to put on a performance, they didn't do that and I take responsibility for that. It wasn't to do with tactics it was because we did not apply ourselves on the pitch for whatever reason."

The biggest question marks might centre on the defence which has been so good this season, making the outcome all the more surprising but Pearson insists very much that the side win as a team and lose as a team.

He said: "We made too many individual errors but again it is what you do as a team. I will not have a witch hunt. They are my players my squad and I am responsible for how they play.

"This doesn't happen very often but it doesn't make it any easier to stomach unfortunately. It is not a good day for us and from us having a good defensive record up to today, it is a very poor outcome, very poor. It is by far the worst performance and the worst result."

Being up against local rivals surely makes it hard to bear and Pearson admitted: "Of course it is. In local derbies you have got to make sure you are focused and, for want of a better term, up for it and I think today we lacked that and that is in itself not a particularly nice thing to admit."

[Guest]

Oh right fair enough. Just looks a bit silly when your 4-1 down.

No argument from me there

[MC Prussian]

Just seen the "highlights" on FoxesPlayer.

Shocking display, but Forest's first came with a pretty neat build-up and they were simply too fast for our defenders to handle.

Earnshaw's second looked like it was offside.

Earnshaw's third - Wayne Brown, what side were you playing for? It felt as if he was accompanying Robbie on a walk out in the park, acting as Forest's twelfth man. Random comedy move of the day.

All in all, atrocious defending against a high-flying, fast-paced local Championship side.

[iBleedLeicesterColours]

I posted myu thoughts about us .. But I have to say Forest Were Superb .. Could see them pushing for automatic with that bunch of players

[Bert]

For everyone slating Pearson. Do you not think that it's a good thing that he realised his mistakes, changed it as quickly as possible to try and make things better? Or would you have been happy with the way things were?

[Joe.]

For everyone slating Pearson. Do you not think that it's a good thing that he realised his mistakes, changed it as quickly as possible to try and make things better? Or would you have been happy with the way things were?

That's exactly what I said to Ched. The thing I like about Pearson is the way he isn't afraid to change things quickly when they're clearly not working. A lot of managers would give it another 10-15 minutes, but why waste the time?

Things didn't work out yesterday for him, but I don't blame the guy for changing things when we needed it. Kermorgant was massively ineffective being pushed out wide right, and Fryatt was abysmal before his departure. Never in a million years were we going to score like that.

[Vlad The Impaler]

Hobbs and Brown are probably not that keen.

Did anyone see, waghorn do the "shush" finger to lips after scoring?

I love it when he does it, even if we are being hammered, makes me laugh

[Koke]

For everyone slating Pearson. Do you not think that it's a good thing that he realised his mistakes, changed it as quickly as possible to try and make things better? Or would you have been happy with the way things were?

Remember the days of Levein and R. Kelly where they would wait till the 80th minute and change like-for-like, even though nothing whatsoever was working during the entire game regardless how utterly dire we were. Those were the days.

[Simi]

Just seen the "highlights" on FoxesPlayer.

Shocking display, but Forest's first came with a pretty neat build-up and they were simply too fast for our defenders to handle.

Earnshaw's second looked like it was offside.

Earnshaw's third - Wayne Brown, what side were you playing for? It felt as if he was accompanying Robbie on a walk out in the park, acting as Forest's twelfth man. Random comedy move of the day.

All in all, atrocious defending against a high-flying, fast-paced local Championship side.

I think for the third goal Wayne Brown was going to do wrong with whatever he chose.

The ball was so bad from Berner that if he had gone to the ball, Earshaw would have knocked it round him and either went clean through or be taken out by Brown. Obviously that would result in a red card and 10 men was the last thing we needed yesterday!

In the end, it was obviously a comedy of errors. Brown should have probably closed him down quicker. However Earnshaw is so quick it might not have mattered!

[Shrenchel]

For everyone slating Pearson. Do you not think that it's a good thing that he realised his mistakes, changed it as quickly as possible to try and make things better? Or would you have been happy with the way things were?

Word. Apparently if we win, he's a genius with the bravery to make big substitutions early in the game. If we lose, it's the blind panic of a moron.

I love it when he does it, even if we are being hammered, makes me laugh

Yeah, it was a bit bizarre. I'm sure they couldn't give a fvck, we're getting absolutely pasted. If he'd made it 5-2 he would have probably done a double somersault, ripped up the corner flag and then pulled his shirt over his face revealing a t-shirt saying he belongs to Jesus.

[RedHux]

I think for the third goal Wayne Brown was going to do wrong with whatever he chose.

The ball was so bad from Berner that if he had gone to the ball, Earshaw would have knocked it round him and either went clean through or be taken out by Brown. Obviously that would result in a red card and 10 men was the last thing we needed yesterday!

In the end, it was obviously a comedy of errors. Brown should have probably closed him down quicker. However Earnshaw is so quick it might not have mattered!

I think you're right. He was dumped right in it. 1 on 1 against a faster tricky opponent. He could either go for a heroic tackle risking all and possibly getting sent off or stall hoping for a bit of help. As it was he stalled and no one helped. If I was to blame anyone I'd blame the chap who gave earnie the ball.

[easilee]

Never read pre-match write ups after a game:

Reading this made me feel quite nauseous.

[muffin]

He's an armchair supporter, nuff said. That said he could be one of them whinging bastards that sit behind me.

NO! wouldn't be me, I don't sit with the dross.

muffin

[muffin]

Shows that in your longer years of living than most of us on this board, your common sense and understanding of the game is lacking. Being older than someone else does not mean you are not a fairweather fan so don't give this "I'm the oldest so I know best" bollocks.

But I do know best.

[Guest]

But I do know best.

By that, I am more inclined to believe that you were mates with George, as opposed to imparting any wisdom upon proceedings......

[davieG]

Fez's Standpoint from the Merc

Over the past 18 months, Leicester City Football Club have regained their pride and respect after a year in which we became the laughing stock of England with constant managerial changes, a new loan signing seemingly every week and, ultimately, relegation.

That day in Stoke was the last time I felt like I did on Saturday, a depressing mixture of humiliation and helplessness.

City are still fourth in the league with nearly half the season gone.

But, watching the side's performance at the City Ground, it was almost impossible to see how we have reached such a lofty position. We looked beyond terrible from start to finish.

As the clock ticked down towards the end, City's midfielders were still standing off their Forest counterparts and shepherding them around the pitch like overly-polite chaperones.

It was too late by that stage, of course, for the damage had already been done.

Now they must demonstrate to us that it was only a blip, because that kind of performance will not be tolerated on a regular basis.

There were certain individuals who gave their hosts far too much respect in a game from which lessons have to be learned.

Although nobody performed well on the day, the centre-forward positions will again come under scrutiny.

It probably did not help that Paul Dickov and DJ Campbell both netted for Derby County later in the afternoon, but the early substitutions of both Yann Kermorgant and Matty Fryatt brought our problem sharply into focus.

The blunt nature of our attack was in sharp contrast to Robert Earnshaw's ruthless disposal of Wayne Brown's attentions at the other end.

Sadly, with Fryatt looking off the boil and Steve Howard a mere shadow of the player he was last year, we are relying on a teenage loanee for our attacking threat in most games at the moment.

Martyn Waghorn gave a typically-bustling display up against two hulking Forest centre-backs and he deserved to be the one who added a goal to his tally from the penalty spot.

I think most City fans knew in the run-up to our trip to Nottingham that our recent lacklustre form would be exposed unless the players raised their performance levels significantly.

No doubt the players and coaching staff will wheel out the old cliché about being glad to have a game so soon afterwards in which they can put things right.

They can barely get any worse than they were at the City Ground on Saturday.

David Bevan is a City fan and contributor to the websites Foxes Talk and Vital Football.

[Dr The Singh]

I think you're right. He was dumped right in it. 1 on 1 against a faster tricky opponent. He could either go for a heroic tackle risking all and possibly getting sent off or stall hoping for a bit of help. As it was he stalled and no one helped. If I was to blame anyone I'd blame the chap who gave earnie the ball.

Agreed, Brown had limited options, he tried to stall Earnshaw but backed off too far for me.....going in for the tackle could have meant him either getting beat resulting in a goal, or giving a free kick away and getting sent off!!

[Babylon]

I think it's a good omen... last time we got promoted from this division we lost 6-1 way to Ipswich.

Ok I'm looking for positives here.

[Guest Mee-9]

Agreed, Brown had limited options, he tried to stall Earnshaw but backed off too far for me.....going in for the tackle could have meant him either getting beat resulting in a goal, or giving a free kick away and getting sent off!!

If brown would of took him out, and won the ball, weale could of taken the ball easily, But if he hadn't and would of fouled Earnshaw, then it would have been a red card. But his prescence, wouldn't have been missed, and it would of probably been 4-1.

[leicesterfox86]

Very poor result, but we shouldn't dwell on it. Look at the league table. We are still bang up there. If we had Earnshaw, we would have probably won. It is just the way it is. Let's pick ourselves up and go again against Bristol City and Sheffield Weds in the next two (home) games.

[Kilworthfox]

I think you're right. He was dumped right in it. 1 on 1 against a faster tricky opponent. He could either go for a heroic tackle risking all and possibly getting sent off or stall hoping for a bit of help. As it was he stalled and no one helped. If I was to blame anyone I'd blame the chap who gave earnie the ball.

Agreed & with Ched both centre backs were given the thin edge of the wedge on Saturday.

What do the critics expect of Brown in that situation? To be honest his weakness is lack of pace so when in a 1 on 1 with Earnshaw what was he going to do make it harder for Weale?

[Kilworthfox]

If brown would of took him out, and won the ball, weale could of taken the ball easily, But if he hadn't and would of fouled Earnshaw, then it would have been a red card. But his prescence, wouldn't have been missed, and it would of probably been 4-1.

What about a 3 match ban for a straight red? It is nice to be able to sit infront of the computer and analyse this over & over, but Brown had a split second decision with a quick player running at him so lets give him a break! With the 3rd goal the culprit was not Brown he was placed in a horrendous position.

[z-layrex]

I think it's a good omen... last time we got promoted from this division we lost 6-1 way to Ipswich.

Ok I'm looking for positives here.

Haha! Wish I could be as positive as you in life

[Alf Bentley]

OS

"Performance Was An Embarrassment"

City boss Nigel Pearson pulled no punches in the wake of today's heavy 5-1 defeat.

"We didn't start the game well, didn't put them under enough pressure, simple as that. What I would say is that that was not a typical performance from us and it is important we get a response now. We will find out on Tuesday.

"The bottom line is that I am the manager and it is my responsibility, simple as that. The players go out there to put on a performance, they didn't do that and I take responsibility for that. It wasn't to do with tactics it was because we did not apply ourselves on the pitch for whatever reason."

Interesting that Pearson is blaming the execution, not the tactics. I've only seen about 30 mins of Forest on TV this season, but it was clear that their strengths were good passing, mobility, good use of width and pace up front. As Pearson knows more than I do about football, he'll have been well aware of that. Yet he chose not to employ the wide, high-pressure midfield that succeeded at QPR.

Presumably he hoped that Oakley, Wellens & King would cut off the supply in the centre and Kermogant would create from attacking midfield, but it didn't happen. First 5-10 mins they were getting stuck in, but then the whole team seemed to stand off.

It's easy being smart after the event, but those tactics seem mighty optimistic, particularly when fielding a slow defence against fast, mobile opponents who like to use width. I was hoping for 3 central midfielders, with Waghorn and N'Guessan/Dyer as wide attacking midfielders, closing down but then pushing forward when we had the ball.

Fryatt confuses me. Some matches he works so hard covering ground for the team, other matches he is much less mobile - like Saturday, of all days. Maybe he'd been told to stay central?

The use of Howard also confused me, unless it was a defensive change - hold the ball up and prevent further damage? Their centre backs didn't look physically weak or poor in the air.

Ah well! Looking on the bright side, it was only 3pts and we're still 4th. Also, Bristol City haven't won for 5 games, so hopefully their confidence will be low and a (hopefully) highly-motivated team will be able to bully them tomorrow and get it out of our systems!