Fighting Expectations: Nottingham Forest

Article by e-Nottingham Forest Correspondent David Bassett

On the back of two humiliating defeats to Burnley and Wigan Athletic, Nottingham Forest head to Oakwell to face basement side Barnsley in an attempt to rediscover the kind of form that saw them recently go 16 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Expectation amongst Nottingham Forest is split.

Majority of Forest fans realise that we are missing key, influential players that make Forest a real force in this division which include Lansbury, Reid, Wilson, Hobbs, Vaughan et al and agree with the owner, Fawaz Al-Hasawi, and manager, Billy Davies in urging that fans gain a sense of perspective and realism going into the final run in.

However there is a growing contingent of supporters who feel it’s just another excuse as Forest stumble at the final hurdle once again.

Since 1999, when Forest were last in the Premier League, Forest have gone through 14 different managers, suffered playoff heartache on 3 occasions, suffered the tragic loss of Forest owner and life time supporter Nigel Doughty passing away and spent an overwhelming amount of money in a desperate attempt to regain Premier League status.

Fawaz Al-Hasawi, after a shaky and machine gun approach to hiring and firing, has in my eyes established himself as a supportive and excellent owner in the last 12months. Communication was the biggest concern during the Doughty/Arthur reign and Fawaz has communicated with the fans on a consistent basis via Social Networking and via his new Chairman’s Column on the official site.

Again the arrival of the Al-Hasawi family raised expectation levels even higher, with videos of their wealth and their plans to make Forest European Cup winners again wide of the mark and not what was required at that time. However investing in the playing staff by purchasing Henri Lansbury, Jack Hobbs, and Jaime Paterson has been a shrewd move rather than buying Premier League flops such as Matt Derbyshire, Ishmael Miller and Jonathan “Jesus” Greening.

The key players missing at the minute are Jack Hobbs, Henri Lansbury and fans favourite Andy Reid. Reid and Lansbury add class to the Forest midfield and both players technically are Premier League class. Reid has a wand of a left foot and has been instrumental behind Forests promotion push this season. Lansbury is a classy player. Made from the Wenger factory of teaching youngsters to use the ball intelligently, Lansbury has really grown as a player in a Forest shirt and with the triangle of Reid, Lansbury and Vaughan, Forest have the dimensions of one of the best midfield's in the Championship.

Problem is that all 3 are missing and are badly missed as the replacements are just not up to the standard of a Top 6 team.

Jack Hobbs reading of the game is fantastic and partnering the young Jamaal Lascelles makes Forest a more solid and confident defensive unit. It was a real coup for Forest to get Hobbs on a permanent basis, only to be dealt the blow that he will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture to his ankle.

The first half performance at Burnley was by far the worst I have seen a Forest team play in all my time watching them. Coupled with the capitulation at home to Wigan, it’s evident that Forest are missing their key performers to maintain some kind of consistency in their performances which have seen hopes of achieving a top 2 finish diminish to Forest clinging onto their current playoff status.

Billy Davies will need to galvanise the fridge players in the squad in the coming weeks and hope the likes of Algerian pair, Rafik Djebbour and Djamel Abdoun combined with the red hot Jimmy Paterson provide the kind of performances Forest need in the coming weeks against Barnsley, Middlesbrough, and Doncaster.

After which Forest fans hopefully will see a few key members return to the fold and also gain an understanding of what is to come, whether it’s a top 2 finish or another potentially heart-breaking playoff campaign.

Either way, it will be as always with Nottingham Forest, an eventful ending.

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