Forest's Forgettable Week

Its been a little bit of a mad week at the City Ground this week. Actually its been a few mad weeks at the Midlands club to be honest.


Pressure had been on the now ex-Reds manager Steve McLaren from the start of the former Wolfsburg gaffer's tenure at Nottingham Forest and the high profile gamble just had not worked out.  Notable defeats has occurred, in particular the 2-1 home defeat to bitter rivals Derby County where the Rams had 'keeper Frank Fielding sent off after just 2 minutes of the game starting.


On paper, Forest have a very decent squad at Championship level - the likes of goalkeeper Lee Camp, midfielder Lewis McGugan and right back Chris Gunter are all top players who could possibly play at a higher level yet it just hasn't worked out. Perhaps you will look at the forward line and feel that the likes of Matt Derbyshire and Ismael Miller will not fire you to a league title. For me, Robert Earnshaw, who left on a free transfer to Championship rivals Cardiff City will always get plenty of goals at this level. Another player who departed for pastures new was Nathan Tyson, who, despite being a battering ram, excuse the pun (Tyson is now playing for Derby County) will get his fair share of goals.

Earnshaw = Goals

The final straw was the home defeat to Birmingham City last Sunday where the team lost 3-1 despite going 1-0 up, booed off the pitch at full time and soon later ex-England boss McLaren resigned from his position after just 112 days at the helm, leaving the former two times European Cup winners sitting in 21st place in the nPower Championship and without a home league win all season.

Good times ahead?: Things soon turned sour for McLaren

The next person to announce they were leaving their position was Forest chairman Nigel Doughty.  Doughty, a  lifelong fan of the club accepted that he was to blame for McLaren's poor Forest career.  "It was a very poor decision on my behalf to appoint him"  Doughty admitted. The chairman who had been top dog at Forest for 10 years had seen 7 permanent managers enter and then exit the City ground doors in his tenure told BBC that he would "I felt it was appropriate I take some responsibility and am stepping down as well as we find a replacement".


So... just who will take the top job at Nottingham Forest Football Club?  The rumour mill has already started; Peterborough's Darren Ferguson has ruled himself out of the running and names such as Martin O'Neil, Roy Keane, Dave Jones, MK Dons manager Karl Robinson, Sean O'Driscoll, Alan Shearer and even a possible shock return to the east Midlands for Billy Davies, the Scotsman took Forest to two consecutive play-off semi-finals before Doughty swung the axe on Davies two-year Forest managerial career. 


Whoever takes the plunge to become the boss at a club, based alongside the River Trent, expectations to get in the play-offs at the very least will be high but, first and foremost the new man may very well face a relegation battle on their hands.

Davies knows what it takes

Ferguson: Out of the running