11-01-2015, 15:18
Love & Pride
At Fulham, it was pride in the fans. At Man City last week, it was pride in the team. Yesterday it was both.
First half, we were slightly the better of two poor sides. Westwood made one good block but we went close a number of times with Maghoma pulling the strings. We had a penalty shout when Maguire went down but just about deserved it when Lee bundled the ball home. As with last week, May burst clear down the right & pulled the ball back perfectly for Nuhui. This time, he didn't score but Lee reacted the fastest to force the ball home.
Two thoughts in my mind at that point. Firstly, Lee gives us an extra attacking dimension when he gets in the box like this and secondly, that is another win because we are so good at seeing out these kind of situations.
The first half had gone pretty much as I had suggested was ideal in my pre match thoughts on the game. The second half started & it was clear that Forest were incredibly nervous. Maguire took the ball down well found space & fired home.
After that it was just a question of how many. Westwood still had to make a couple of tidy saves but the result was never in doubt. May burst clear but the keeper saved before Nuhui had two late chance, a volley going just wide when it looked like it was in and another when he was just too slow from three yards. We could even give May, Maghoma & Maguire a rest & give some valuable game time to Baker & Lavery.
Westwood - 7 - three important saves
Palmer - 7 - in total control
Lees - 7 - a pillar of consistency
Loovens - 7 - another captains performance
Dielna - 7 - oozes class
Maguire - 6 - took goal brilliantly
Semedo - 7 - did what was needed unspectacularly but efficiently
Lee - 7 - starting to find last season's form, another goal
Maghoma - 8 - was the catalyst, put Forest on back foot
May - 7 - makes great runs, his unselfishness is winning us matches
Nuhui - 6 - steady, good job for the team
....................................................................
Helan - 6
Baker - 6
Lavery - 6
Overall, this was a great team performance.
On one hand, we have just beaten a third consecutive terrible team so talk of playoffs is premature. On the other, we are building up a momentum which could take us to great heights if we can win our next three matches.
We have thrown away some silly points this season (Millwall, Bolton, Leeds, Rotherham, Wolves) but there is a steely determination in the players now that I haven't seen since the promotion run in in L1 just after DJ took over.
We were terrible against Blackpool and needed a penalty to win. We were poor first half against Wigan but improved second half & won. Yesterday, Forest were there for the beating but we won it. So cynics might say that we haven't beaten much but if you add in how we performed against Man City, it is pretty clear that we can step up against better sides.
There are a number of things that are starting to come together. We have discovered how good Dielna is. Not sure what his best position is yet but he has real class. Lee is starting to look like the player we hoped he would be after a poor first half of the season. Maghoma looks like a player that can take the game to the opposition. If he can do the same at home...... Our defence has looked solid all season but recent results have added to our invincibility.
I have said for several months that our squad is by far the best we have had since our PL days. We are now starting to play to our potential. The line between a "winning team" and a "losing team" is often quite fine but we are the right side of the line and just a handful of matches from being promotion contenders.
For most of the season, we have been solid defensively but struggled for goals. The question is "which changes first?" We have answered that. We have started scoring enough to win matches while continuing the clean sheets.
Often a team emerges from nowhere to get promoted like Stoke, Sunderland & Palace have done in the last decade. The key is momentum & to keep doing things right. Don't think about promotion, just enjoy win after win.
We have one giant hurdle left to clear and that is our home form. If we can continue with our excellent away form and start to get some home form together then the dream might just become a reality but for now, it has to remain a dream.
Our bench yesterday was also stronger but recent results have meant that Helan can be rested, Hutchinson can be eased back and we can give game time to Baker & Lavery with the match already won.
One final comment on Nuhui. We regularly get posters criticising him but one thing is certain, we look a better side with him in it. One or two have turned on May but again, his movement adds so much to the team. Maybe their goal tallies are a little low but we are starting to look like a team from back to front.
The matches can't come quickly enough now. That is a mark of our progress over the last few months.
At Fulham, it was pride in the fans. At Man City last week, it was pride in the team. Yesterday it was both.
First half, we were slightly the better of two poor sides. Westwood made one good block but we went close a number of times with Maghoma pulling the strings. We had a penalty shout when Maguire went down but just about deserved it when Lee bundled the ball home. As with last week, May burst clear down the right & pulled the ball back perfectly for Nuhui. This time, he didn't score but Lee reacted the fastest to force the ball home.
Two thoughts in my mind at that point. Firstly, Lee gives us an extra attacking dimension when he gets in the box like this and secondly, that is another win because we are so good at seeing out these kind of situations.
The first half had gone pretty much as I had suggested was ideal in my pre match thoughts on the game. The second half started & it was clear that Forest were incredibly nervous. Maguire took the ball down well found space & fired home.
After that it was just a question of how many. Westwood still had to make a couple of tidy saves but the result was never in doubt. May burst clear but the keeper saved before Nuhui had two late chance, a volley going just wide when it looked like it was in and another when he was just too slow from three yards. We could even give May, Maghoma & Maguire a rest & give some valuable game time to Baker & Lavery.
Westwood - 7 - three important saves
Palmer - 7 - in total control
Lees - 7 - a pillar of consistency
Loovens - 7 - another captains performance
Dielna - 7 - oozes class
Maguire - 6 - took goal brilliantly
Semedo - 7 - did what was needed unspectacularly but efficiently
Lee - 7 - starting to find last season's form, another goal
Maghoma - 8 - was the catalyst, put Forest on back foot
May - 7 - makes great runs, his unselfishness is winning us matches
Nuhui - 6 - steady, good job for the team
....................................................................
Helan - 6
Baker - 6
Lavery - 6
Overall, this was a great team performance.
On one hand, we have just beaten a third consecutive terrible team so talk of playoffs is premature. On the other, we are building up a momentum which could take us to great heights if we can win our next three matches.
We have thrown away some silly points this season (Millwall, Bolton, Leeds, Rotherham, Wolves) but there is a steely determination in the players now that I haven't seen since the promotion run in in L1 just after DJ took over.
We were terrible against Blackpool and needed a penalty to win. We were poor first half against Wigan but improved second half & won. Yesterday, Forest were there for the beating but we won it. So cynics might say that we haven't beaten much but if you add in how we performed against Man City, it is pretty clear that we can step up against better sides.
There are a number of things that are starting to come together. We have discovered how good Dielna is. Not sure what his best position is yet but he has real class. Lee is starting to look like the player we hoped he would be after a poor first half of the season. Maghoma looks like a player that can take the game to the opposition. If he can do the same at home...... Our defence has looked solid all season but recent results have added to our invincibility.
I have said for several months that our squad is by far the best we have had since our PL days. We are now starting to play to our potential. The line between a "winning team" and a "losing team" is often quite fine but we are the right side of the line and just a handful of matches from being promotion contenders.
For most of the season, we have been solid defensively but struggled for goals. The question is "which changes first?" We have answered that. We have started scoring enough to win matches while continuing the clean sheets.
Often a team emerges from nowhere to get promoted like Stoke, Sunderland & Palace have done in the last decade. The key is momentum & to keep doing things right. Don't think about promotion, just enjoy win after win.
We have one giant hurdle left to clear and that is our home form. If we can continue with our excellent away form and start to get some home form together then the dream might just become a reality but for now, it has to remain a dream.
Our bench yesterday was also stronger but recent results have meant that Helan can be rested, Hutchinson can be eased back and we can give game time to Baker & Lavery with the match already won.
One final comment on Nuhui. We regularly get posters criticising him but one thing is certain, we look a better side with him in it. One or two have turned on May but again, his movement adds so much to the team. Maybe their goal tallies are a little low but we are starting to look like a team from back to front.
The matches can't come quickly enough now. That is a mark of our progress over the last few months.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.