• 19 Dec 2023, 5:13 p.m.

    Wasn't really thinking of love or otherwise of Cooper.

    Just don't think there's a team there with players we have, especially with no striker, that is competitive.

    So we will go behind and the full force of the old days toxic crowd will start and the players won't be arsed.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:22 p.m.

    I would refer you back to the conversation of last night. I really don't understand this idea that elite players are lacking in motivation. And make no mistake, they are all elite players - to use another basketball comparison, there's a guy called Brian Scalabrine who was an OK at best bench player in the NBA who famously said "remember, I'm closer to being Lebron than you are to being me". None of the players in our squad have become Premier League players without having a skill level and a work ethic that few human beings can come close to, and they're really not about to down tools in the first game under the new manager. So whatever else might go wrong on Saturday, I don't get where you finding "the players won't be arsed".

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:39 p.m.

    I would like to take this opportunity to say that Russ is completely correct. Elite footballers are what they are, because every day they give their best.....form or injury, or external factors, can affect their confidence and standards...but they get to cross the white line because they have levels of personal motivation that only a small section of society possess. They are used to working with different people, and they wont be agonising over a coach that's gone. They will be looking to impress and cement their place under a new coach. That's just the nature of the beast.

    Things may go well, they get the first goal, and the confidence that engenders take them on to a magnificent win...or they may struggle as a team, lose a goal, confidence be undermined, and go on to get hammered.

    Whatever happens it wont be attitude or application....but the vicissitudes of elite sport where sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Against other elite sportsmen also trying. Where you get impact of a coach is over the longer term...the ability to identify skillsets, and set up to maximise those against various opponents.

    Players might be very well paid, and in some cases highly prized as brands...but ultimately they all have their day, and get turned over without sentiment when they no longer do it. They all live with that every day of their career....and they are much better at functioning under that pressure, and subject to changing work environments, than the average human being.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:41 p.m.

    Exactly. It won't be motivation lacking, but they will clearly be in a different headspace, which does have an effect. With all the modern technology, managers can see if a player is physically fatigued, and rest them. But that doesn't show if a player is mentally fatigued, which will also affect their performance. Off-field matters undoubtedly affect a player's mental health, which will affect their physical performance.
    And any new boss is stressful for employees. What will they be like, will they like me, will they pick me, do I fit their style etc (Neco for example is a RWB, not a RB)?
    It's obviously great for the players on the outside (the loanees, McKenna, Worrall), but worrying for those currently 'in favour'. I imagine the Forest players' Whatsapp group is full of players quizzing Boly and MGW about what Nuno is like.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:42 p.m.

    I hope Nuno realises very quickly that I'm going to be really sad if I don't get to watch Murillo every week.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:45 p.m.

    I think it's over for McKenna regardless. Out of contract in the summer and I can't imagine anyone would put him ahead of Murillo or Niakhate as a left-sided central defender.

    Nuno does apparently favour a small squad and doesn't make many changes, so once he figures out his best team, that patio is going to be massive.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:47 p.m.

    Well we are replacing Steve with Portuguese milk toast. Nuno pretty much did the same thing as Steve but with better players at Wolves. He failed miserably at Spuds and got sacked in Saudi.

    I wonder how he will do without a striker until January. Also Morgan isn’t exactly that big a fan of him so there’s that.

    Yay!

    But but he speaks Portuguese so that’ll help.

    I would have preferred the nazi who had a pretty good record. I guess Dortmund are interested in him now.

    I wonder if Steven Reid will stay? They sure as shit are probably going to need him now!

    He might even take the team on Saturday.

    We might well survive but I am uninspired. This sounds like a Mendes move to me. Wolves 2.0.

    Saturday line up will be interesting as Toff’s, Neco and Yates were our best players. Not sure any of them will be playing now.

    Arsecakes!

    Chicago: Watching through the fingers.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:47 p.m.

    I wonder if he's met the owner's son yet...

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:50 p.m.

    It did occur to me that that is a consideration for working with the Brazilian players, and I don't think many would disagree that Murillo and Danilo are crucial to our chances of becoming the kind of side that we all want Forest to be.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 5:55 p.m.

    I just think when you've been used to 25,000 people cheering you on win or lose it is gonna be a shock when 25,000 people are now booing you're every backwards/sideways pass and that may make them think fuck this for a laugh.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 6 p.m.

    Marinakis’s statement said that Cooper will always be welcome. Would (not) be funny if he did a Clough and turned up on Saturday.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 6:02 p.m.

    That's the step too far for me. I don't believe that they will think that....but a shower of negativity might put doubts in their mind, lead to hesitancy (and a potential downward spiral), and may cause some of them to 'hide' and shy away from putting themselves on the line to make things happen, to avoid making mistakes.

    The margins in top sport are miniscule. It's amazing how closely matched so many diverse teams are...although that is being consistently undermined by the financial clout ring fenced for the 'bigger' clubs.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 6:04 p.m.

    I think you've written long hand what I mean by fuck this for a laugh.

  • 19 Dec 2023, 6:06 p.m.

    Babelfish says: "Can't wait to come back with a better squad of players, in a more stable working environment, and hand you your arse on a platter"

  • 19 Dec 2023, 6:08 p.m.

    Er.... Brighton? It's probably about the only club outside the top 8, which he isn't getting, that isn't a basket case.