JfR

4 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Signing Christie to put in a defensive team doesn't make sense. A strange signing for them

Pretty much my thoughts on it. He did a good if not necessarily exceptional job in his first years with us and at Parker's Fulham where the play was expansive and his attacking side prioritised, but there's a reason that Rowett and Pulis got rid of him very soon after they arrived here and at Middlesbrough respectively. I have a slight hunch that Lamouchi could be considering moving to a back three, though, what with Tyler Blackett, another player who attacks well but without the best defensive ability, coming in as well, and that might suit the pair of them. Lamouchi tried it a few times at the end of last season, but it didn't really work.

3 minutes ago, nottingram said:

No one can beat you if you buy every single player in the league

Just got Julien de Sart flashbacks

2 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

Liverpool 1-0. 4 mins.

I for one am shocked that their new defender that made the most mistakes leading to goals last season in the Bundesliga has already made a mistake leading to a goal

8 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

I wonder what the record is for a relegated team in terms of points (in this league before anyone starts)? 

Rotherham a few years back, I think. 23 points.

Stevie Gibson in the relegation zone

Looks like Rodrigo's the perfect replacement for Bamford

7 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Have I won?

Way too much time on your hands

Spot the difference

Forest home:

QPR away:

So we're all backing Bayern in the final, right?

Pep Guardiola has never managed to take Man City further in the Champions League than David Moyes managed to take Man Utd in his one season in charge there

They're winning the title early this year, haven't even made it to the start of the season this time

9 hours ago, JfR said:

I'm also not convinced that he's as much of a raw goalscorer as he's made out to be. He has previously put up good numbers in the lower-tiers, but when you dig into it you see that those numbers are inflated by penalties, sometimes massively so. This year, for example, he got 11 goals, but 4 were from penalties (over 1/3 of his goals), only 7 were from open play (and 2 of those were against the club he now plays for).

Just looked the goals up as well, and two of his goals were goalbound shots that deflected off him, those being his goals against Blackburn and QPR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNk3BlAOCw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkN3tauZrm8

I have to say, I've not really gotten the hype that's been around Taylor this season. A 30-year old lower league journeyman who has only ever played 22 games at this level and who has had bad injury problems this season, and one who would be expecting fairly large wages and a fairly lengthy contract. Just seems an odd player profile for a club with ambitions to get into the top flight. 

I'm also not convinced that he's as much of a raw goalscorer as he's made out to be. He has previously put up good numbers in the lower-tiers, but when you dig into it you see that those numbers are inflated by penalties, sometimes massively so. This year, for example, he got 11 goals, but 4 were from penalties (over 1/3 of his goals), only 7 were from open play (and 2 of those were against the club he now plays for). Likewise, In 18/19 at Charlton, he got 21 goals in League One, an impressive return, but that includes 8 penalties (around 40% of that total), only 13 being from open play. 

In fact, he's only got a double-digit return for open-play league goals in five of the seasons he's played since 2008: 13 for Charlton in League One in 18/19, 11 for Wimbledon in League One in 17/18, 19 for Wimbledon in League Two in 15/16, 23 for Falkirk in the Scottish second-tier in 12/13, and when he got a total of 34 goals for Concord Rangers in the Isthmian Division One North (8th tier) back in 09/10 (I can't find penalty statistics for that level, but I'm assuming he didn't score 25 penalties).

I'd also say that if he doesn't work out at Forest, he has the potential to be a real thorn in their side. He's been pretty open about the fact that he's after one big payday while he still has the chance, and you'd have to imagine that he's chosen Forest as they're the club that have offered him the most money. If he falls out of favour, they might struggle to find a club willing to match his wages, and I doubt that he'd be willing to leave for less money when, at this point in his career, the money is what he wants. I think he could easily become pricey deadwood for them.

I do think Jack Colback's not a bad signing, though. Played for them before and did a decent enough job, and could prove to be a younger, possibly cheaper, and arguably slightly better replacement for Ben Watson when he leaves. Not a signing that will move them forwards, but I think he's a good replacement.

I'd 8-2 be Barcelona right now
(Can't believe I'm actually able to make that joke)

25 minutes ago, David said:

Forest doing their best to ramp up their average age of the squad, first Colback and now Taylor, that’s a combined age of 60 for their first 2 signings

 

With their respective world views, how long do we reckon it's going to be before Lolley lamps him in a training session?

Colback and Sow midfield. Looks like they've decided if they can't get promoted, they can at least come top of the disciplinary charts.

That Sheffield United goal against Aston Villa that wasn't given has had a real knock-on effect in regards to relegation
I could see Bournemouth taking some sort of action over that

Only Arsenal could beat Liverpool, beat Man City and then lose to Aston Villa

On 12/07/2020 at 17:36, JfR said:

I've just realised that with the Leeds game being moved to Sunday, if Leeds beat Barnsley, West Brom don't win at least one of their next two games and Brentford drop points in their next two games then we have to give them a guard of honour

I'm going to go and put some money on Forest to get promoted, so when that inevitably happens as well I'll at least be able to console myself with a few quid

With all the talk about Leeds, it shouldn't be forgotten that West Brom had a 12 point lead over 3rd place Fulham in mid-December and now look likely to end up in the playoffs, and for it not to be Fulham to overtake them. Pretty poor when you consider the quality they have.

1 minute ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Think West Brom will save us that. If not get the sprinklers and refrigeration units out to ice those paths Cardiff 17/18 style.

 

Yeah, you'd have to back West Brom to win at least one of their coming games, especially with how poor Huddersfield have looked as of late, and failing that Brentford are definitely a better side than Preston and Stoke and are more than capable of beating both, but with the way the season's gone so far it would really be the cherry on the cake.

I've just realised that with the Leeds game being moved to Sunday, if Leeds beat Barnsley, West Brom don't win at least one of their next two games and Brentford drop points in their next two games then we have to give them a guard of honour