Chambers calls for all fans to stay positive
LUKE Chambers today called on Nottingham Forest fans to get behind their side as they fight to secure Championship safety and warned: "Your negativity is not helping."
The Reds were booed off the pitch at half time, following a dire first half in which neither Steve Cotterill's side nor their Coventry opposition had managed to find any momentum.
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Luke Chambers
But Chambers warned that the jeers of the fans at the City Ground had only added to the nerves among the Forest squad, as they look to pull themselves clear of trouble.
"Whatever happens, if they support Forest, if they come in and are that negative, it is going to cause problems on the pitch," he said.
"As individual players, you can hear individual criticisms of you from the crowd.
"The staff had a bit of it as well. For me, when you are in the hole, people need to stick together. It is easy for us to say it, I know. But we would ask that those people in the crowd who don't agree with the criticism, not to jump on the bandwagon.
"Supporters didn't support us in the first half. We went in at half time at 0-0 and we got booed off the pitch. When you are down in the rut we are in, that is not going to help anyone.
"It is not what you want to be hearing. But we are professional footballers and we have to get on with it. The best way for us to answer our critics was to get the win and we did that."
Chambers conceded that the first half had not been good.
"Nerves played a part, I think," he said. "Because in the first half, the fans were not portraying much support for the team.
"That went onto the pitch a little bit. But, at half-time, we said to ourselves that it is not just a case of wanting to win this game, it is that we have to win it. We had a bright start to the second half and, after that, we felt there was only going to be the one winner."
Ultimately, Forest's 2-0 win was enough to lift them out of the bottom three, as they prepare for a difficult trip to Birmingham next weekend.
"It is a big boost for us, climbing out of the bottom three. But we have to keep moving now, we have to keep moving in the right direction," said Chambers.
"Now we need to get another result off the back of this and keep moving upwards. If we can keep playing like this, we will be okay come the end of the season.
"Birmingham are on a good run, but it is a game we are looking forward to. It is good club and when we have gone there in the past, we have given a good account of ourselves.
"But our aim has to be to win every game left between now and the end of the season. Whatever happens in the future, we have to keep looking at the next game, one at a time."
Chambers also revealed that he had words with Garath McCleary at half time, telling the winger that he could win the game for Forest – as proved to be the case when McCleary produced a fine individual goal to put the home side in the lead.
"It is about time. I said to him at half time that he could be a match winner for us," said Chambers.
"It did not really happen for him in the first half, he played on the wing and he played up front … but the way he came out in the second half was good.
"We lost him for ten minutes and I had to give him a bit of a shout. But then he scored a goal that there are only a few players would be capable of.
"In our dressing room, there is probably only he and Lewis (McGugan) who would be capable of that. He took players on and then finished with his left foot. It was important for him and important for the team."
Chambers was also pleased for Robbie Findley, who popped up with the second to kill off Coventry.
"He has had some stick recently, but it is a credit to him and his character that he has kept going; kept getting in the right positions," said Chambers. "He works his socks off. He stuck to his task and caused their defence no end of problems, as well as taking his goal really well."
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by Smith1980
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 11:43AM
“Worzel Gummage out. Big mouth Chambers out.”
by anon1992
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 11:14AM
“If chambers made sure his team scoring then maybe the supporters wouldn't be booing.
The fans pay too much money to watch the team play so why can't fans have a oppoinion, us fans can't win when we do get behind our team and cheer them on they moan and when wo do get behind the team the moan again so the fans can't win.
Chambers needs to stop moaning about the fans and sorts his team out.”
by fashy1
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 10:38AM
“Reddogj; in resonse to your question,
" Would you rather be in Div 1 and a new manager playing attractive football to excite the fans or scrape to safety and be stuck in the Championship with more long ball rubbish served up by the current incumbent?"
If I had to choose - I'd go for the Championship every time. If we go intot div 1 we could be managed by the Archangel Gabriel and still might not be able to get out no matter how attractively we play.
Fortunately, however, we aren't necessarily faced with such a limited choice. Staying up is paramount. Imagining such a happy outcome to the season would leave us with the situation where options include, SC creating his own side over the summer that plays attractive, winning football and we all live happily ever after, SC doesn't change much but SO'D's influence increases and, again, we are treated to "proper Forest" football, ("We play on the floor...etc.") or, finally, SC does not seem interested in, or capable of delivering, the style or success that we all crave, gets the sack and a more appropriate (SO'D again?) appointment is made.
I always say that faced with half a pint in a pint glass, it's not a case of "half-full" or "half-empty" it's a case of, "Fill it up".”
by tmuk7070
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 6:29AM
“Chambers, Do us a favour and shut up. Concentrate your mind for what happens on the pitch,not the local rag. We have heard it all before from you.Words are cheap.
Reading these pages for along time now and i can see you are losing the respect and patience from alot of fans.
You are not worthy of the captains armband and,in my view,you should hand it to somebody else. You have fallen well short of the standards you achieved/set last season to such an extent that if you moved on ( for a few quid) supporters would not lose sleep over it.
Here`s a thought for the summer....Whats the betting we sell Mcgugan/Majewski/McGoldrick and other deadwoods (hopefully Miller,Derbyshire,Boateng) and we sign Adlene Guedioura/Higgingbottom/Elokobi and a decent striker maybe????”
by reddogj
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 9:57PM
“Talking about being psoitive and linking to tfaulkner comments earlier about how it would be nice to have a manager who makes it worthwhile watching England again.
This I honestly believe is the main problem with the current Forest manager and why him and the team are not getting as vocal a support as Davies's team did.
Wouldn't it be great to have a manager that makes it worthwhile watching Forest again?
The type of football turned out by Forest under Cotterill is a disgrace and so NOT what we have prided our club on for Years, We should be playing on the floor and trying to play passing football it's the Forest way. No wonder Bamford decided to leave as didnt feel he would be getting the right football development at Forest.
This was the main reason why the fans were booing at half time against Cov, It wasn't the 0-0 scoreline or aimed at any players in particular we had simply had enough of the negative hoof ball tripe that is being served up by SC and his idiotic formations and tactics. How Chambers missinterpreted this shows how out of touch he is with the fans the complete pratt!
Playing 1 up front in a must win game at HOME was utter madness for God's sake!
Being as Frank Clark played under the great one and played the right way am amazed he hasn't grown some and sacked SC and given O'Driscoll or Billy the chance as at least they would go down fighting playing the right way and exciting the paying public.
We as fans would be more behind the team even if results didnt improve IF they tried to play with pace and guile on the deck as well as getting more on the gate.
Let's hope the last 20 mins of the second half against Cov are a launchpad to better things but while ever 'hoofball Cotterill' is in charge I fear that is a wish that will not materialise.
Here's a question, Would you rather be in Div 1 and a new manager playing attractive football to excite the fans or scrape to safety and be stuck in the Championship with more long ball rubbish served up by the current incumbent?
Exactly, And that just shows how bad it has gotten at Forest.
Please Frank make a tough decision before it's too late as it's not just about saving this season its about saving our brand and our identity and not losing a generation of fans due to this current style of football.
Forest till I die!”
by cafka2020
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 9:47PM
“Chambers concentrate on doing your job and we might not have as much to moan about. And hand your armband to someone more deserving.”
by Norfolk Enchance
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 8:20PM
“How could anybody stay positive watching this bunch of rubbish.
The last 5 games I watched were that dismal, I've stopped wasting my money!”
by doodoo2011
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 8:12PM
“I'm calling on chambers to shut his gob and concentrate on defending. How the hell are you going to slate the fans for having a pop at the players, and then follow that up yourself by........having a pop at the players?
Luke Chambers, you are a hypocrite. Now please just get on with playing because it's bad enough you are captain with a big gob, we dont want a captain who is a hypocrite as well.”
by Keith1865
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 6:49PM
“John I travel down from Leeds most weeks, (Home and Away) so I do understand where you are coming from, it costs me a small fortune but getting on the backs of the Players and Management is counter productive. Yes it's frustrating and sometimes that frustration boils over. But we are what we are and we have what we have, little if anything is going to change off the pitch so we have make do with what we have. Therefore we have NO OPTION than to get behind the team and try, as difficult as it might be on occasion, to be the twelfth man. During the second half against Cov we looked confident for the first time in ages. I'm not saying we have turned a corner, but I am now more optimistic about our future than at any time since SMc arrived”
by yepitsthepigs
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 4:38PM
“Beaten thbottom side and all of a sudden everything is forgotton. A good beating against Bham this weekend will bring it all back”