Paul Taylor: Tactics were not the main issue for Nottingham Forest on Saturday
AMID a brutal, honest assessment of his side's performance on Saturday evening, one comment from Alex McLeish drew more attention than any other.
Amid some cutting criticisms of his players, it was little more than a passing comment when he said: "I felt, tactically, we were fine."
These six simple words were greeted, on the internet, like the ramblings of a madman.
But, to a degree, McLeish had a valid point. There was a logic to his team selection.
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This was, after all the same line-up that had tormented Derby County in the final 20 minutes at Pride Park.
Against the Rams, after Dexter Blackstock had been introduced as a substitute, Forest looked dangerous with both Billy Sharp and Simon Cox trying to pick up the pieces off him.
While, at the back, asides from the moment Simon Gillett uncharacteristically gave away possession to Connor Sammon, Forest's defence had looked more than solid.
And, against a Watford side that like to play fluid football – just as Derby do on home turf – McLeish probably hoped for more of the same, when he gave the same group another chance to impress.
He will also have been hoping for more of the same in the sense that the formation is the one that has been most successful for the Reds this season.
There were several reasons behind Forest's dismal, disappointing defeat – and McLeish, as manager, will ultimately have to take responsibility for every single one of them.
But the choice of tactics and even team selection would be a long way down that particular, gloomy, disconcerting list of what went wrong.
Right at the top would be a shocking, previously unforeseen level of fragility in a back four that, while recently finding clean sheets hard to come by, had not been in the habit of handing the opposition goals on a plate on a regular basis.
And it would be closely followed by the failure of that attacking trio to show anything like the same level of attacking menace and cutting edge as they had done during a one-sided finale at the other end of the A52.
Between now and Saturday, when McLeish takes his side to the familiar surroundings of St Andrews, his task is exactly the same as the one faced by his predecessor. And that is to rid Forest of the inconsistency that has dogged them all season.
But, once the players cross the white line, it is also their responsibility to ensure that they perform.
McLeish can arm them with a plan; with a tactical approach. That is his responsibility; his job.
But it is also down to the players to fulfil their side of the bargain, once they step out on to the pitch.
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by altheboss
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 9:12AM
“Yes- Well done Sean on masterminding your win last night over the Hornets, 72 hours after they
turned us over. But Zola dropped a HUGE cod.!
He left Vydra and Deeney on the bench, and by the time he brought them on to rescue the game, it was too late.! And what a goal from Paul Anderson.!”
by Mikey1412
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 8:23AM
“Congratulations SOD on your win over Watford last night.....Seems you got your tactics right...”
by inoffthered
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 12:40AM
“AM,au contraire mon brave, I beg to differ with your assessment of the game v Watford. Actually I think your tactics were a major reason for the defeat which, let's be honest, could have been much greater than 0-3.
You played a midfield diamond, a formation that was fashionable a few years ago but seldom used these days. Even if you could not predict that Watford would line up with a 5 man midfield that should have been obvious within 3 minutes of kick off. I felt sorry for Gillett at the base of the diamond because whenever Watford attacked he had 3 opposition midfielders coming down the pipes at him. He was in an impossible position because where ever he chose to go, Watford had a spare man and could pass it round him.
Unfortunately, AM isn't tactically aware enough to change things on the pitch and the players didn't seem to know what they should be doing. ****ging off the players and calling them brain dead demonstrated another unwelcome and rather unpleasant trait in our manager....I wonder how long before he loses the dressing room (if he hasn't done so already).
After some of the less inspiring games we had under SOD (although none were ever as bad as saturday), I cannot remember such vocal criticism of the players. Far from making AM look hard and in control, the outburst actually exposes his lack of confidence in his ability and shows him to be just another old sweat as a manager who has not adapted to changes in the game yet still managed to get another plum job.”
by inoffthered
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 12:20AM
“AM,au contraire mon brave, I beg to differ with your assessment of the game v Watford. Actually I think your tactics were a major reason for the defeat which, let's be honest, could have been much greater than 0-3.
You played a midfield diamond, a formation that was fashionable a few years ago but seldom used these days. Even if you could not predict that Watford would line up with a 5 man midfield that should have been obvious within 3 minutes of kick off. I felt sorry for Gillett at the base of the diamond because whenever Watford attacked he had 3 opposition midfielders coming down the pipes at him. He was in an impossible position because where ever he chose to go, Watford had a spare man and could pass it round him.
Unfortunately, AM isn't tactically aware enough to change things on the pitch and the players didn't seem to know what they should be doing. ****ging off the players and calling them brain dead demonstrated another unwelcome and rather unpleasant trait in our manager....I wonder how long before he loses the dressing room (if he hasn't done so already).
After some of the less inspiring games we had under SOD (although none were ever as bad as saturday), I cannot remember such vocal criticism of the players. Far from making AM look hard and in control, the outburst actually exposes his lack of confidence in his ability and shows him to be just another old sweat as a manager who has not adapted to changes in the game yet still managed to get another plum job.”
by inoffthered
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 12:15AM
“AM,au contraire mon brave, I beg to differ with your assessment of the game v Watford. Actually I think your tactics were a major reason for the defeat which, let's be honest, could have been much greater than 0-3.
You played a midfield diamond, a formation that was fashionable a few years ago but seldom used these days. Even if you could not predict that Watford would line up with a 5 man midfield that should have been obvious within 3 minutes of kick off. I felt sorry for Gillett at the base of the diamond because whenever Watford attacked he had 3 opposition midfielders coming down the pipes at him. He was in an impossible position because where ever he chose to go, Watford had a spare man and could pass it round him.
Unfortunately, AM isn't tactically aware enough to change things on the pitch and the players didn't seem to know what they should be doing. ****ging off the players and calling them brain dead demonstrated another unwelcome and rather unpleasant trait in our manager....I wonder how long before he loses the dressing room (if he hasn't done so already).
After some of the less inspiring games we had under SOD (although none were ever as bad as saturday), I cannot remember such vocal criticism of the players. Far from making AM look hard and in control, the outburst actually exposes his lack of confidence in his ability and shows him to be just another old sweat as a manager who has not adapted to changes in the game yet still managed to get another plum job.”
by MeInTheKorma
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 11:00PM
“The worst thing about all of this is the predictability of it all. The moment SOD was sacked I knew our season was over. Despite a few setbacks and poor performances, the team were looking upwardly mobile. Now they're a bloody shambles and it doesn't surprise me in the least.
The huge disruption is behind the recent poor form. The players were rightly shellshocked by the sacking and now have to play under a new manager who's style is in complete contrast to the last one. Also, it must affect the players when the man they are currently playing for could be ushered out of the exit at any point for some arbitrary reason.
I don't blame them or the new manager for the situation we find ourselves in - the buck stops with the owners. Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that we'd have amassed more points over the last few games with SOD still at the helm? I am still livid at the decision and hope the new owners admit their terrible mistake when the season inevitably fizzles out.”
by Parvared
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 10:42PM
“Bristol City 2 Watford 0
Same on our bungling owners and all Forest fans who bad mouthed Sean OD!”
by davies72
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 9:24PM
“Bristol City 2 Watford 0”
by knawrybred
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 9:05PM
“This guy is not the manager to take our club to another level, SOD would have possibly taken us up over a number of years, I hate to say it but Billy Davies with right funding definitely would get us there, it would cost but we would get there, unfortunately I do not believe we have the finances to get us where we want. WE ARE SKINT! Freebies and loanees, clubs with money spend big, Hull, Cardiff, bin robbers for example, they have money, we don't.”
by zicorice
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 6:29PM
“Patbret is spot on. Why do these players play key roles at other clubs getting them promoted, then underachieve at Forest? Conversely, Halford has actually played quite well and yet his previous clubs often bombed with him! We are a bit contrary as a club aren't we?”