After last night's results it can now be confirmed that this season - and after 4 different managers - is officially the SECOND BEST SEASON Forest have had in the 21st century. We can't finish below 16th in the Prem (7th last season is our only better position) and our points tally in the top division will also be our second best of this century. (Oh, and we also made a European semi-final!)
Are you feeling the success?
Can't get out the chair fast enough. I take from this that he's gone.
Good video from Forest Focus today asking if Dyche was good or bad for us. Would he have taken us down? Had he lost the players? Can you still remember that horrendous Wolves home match? Is he a dinosaur? One thing is for sure: the players perform better under Vitor!
So now its over the inquests can start. Common wisdom is that Edu was a prick who got us a load of rubbish players (whilst pissing off Nuno into the bargain). But were that many of the players bought last summer total disasters? Its arguable guys like Bakwa and McAtee have got something there that just needs to be nurtured and developed. Hutchinson and Jesus have made major contributions. Jair Cunha has the makings of a central defender. Kalimuendo was never really tried and Ndoye was passed over by all our managers. I'd say the first four of those at least are guys you stick with to see if they can push on in a second season. If Kali is not bought by his German club then you take him back and try again after a pre-season. Its only Ndoye I would cash in on. Our basic squad is not bad if it performs and has stability. It seems to me that this summer its more about one or two tweaks in key positions (new striker and centre mid) than mass clear out. This is subject to needing to replace any leaving stars too of course.
A word of praise for this guy. Seems to have breathed confidence into so many of our players which, at the end of the day, is his real job. (If only Dyche and the Aussie bloke had got that instead of alienating the players.) No surprise so many of our guys are now truly flourishing under him. Long may it continue.
Emery was ranting last night on TV and in the press conference that Anderson should have been sent off for a tackle that "could have broken Watkins' ankle". He blames VAR.
Would this be the tackle in which:
Anderson got the ball first
Villa never even sent on the physio for this apparent horror tackle
Watkins just got up and played the whole rest of the game without apparent injury
Both ref and VAR gave nothing
Still, it covers up the fact Villa didn't really do a lot I suppose.
It occurs to me that if you are under 40 you've never seen Forest in a European semi-final. In the 90s we lost in the quarters to Bayern so our last semi was in the Europa's forerunner competition - the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately, this was a dark moment for Forest as our opponents in 1984, Anderlecht, bribed the ref with about £30K and we were cheated out of a final against Spurs (who went on to win in a penalty shoot out). Our only other two European semis were the glory days of the Miracle Men. Two wins and two champions of Europe titles. So we have only ever lost a European semi by being cheated. Come on you Reds!
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (H)
Man Utd (A)
Bournemouth (H)
How many points out of 12 do we get? Place your bets. I'm going 5.
Get some nuts people. Where's your character (copyright Roy Keane)? Spurs and West Ham win a game and you've turned to jelly and terrified we're going down again. Are you too attached to the jeopardy? Do Yeovil still haunt your dreams? Well get some courage and stick out your chest. We are bigger than that. Breathe in the spirit of Psycho and let's do this.
No team on 39 points after 34 games has EVER been relegated from the Prem.
This is our best form of the season.
We're on the march with Vitor's army!