sherm Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 As Mitch Huntsford stood in the corridors of the City Ground, he looked down the walls at the photographs of the legends of the club. Managers, players, even from decades ago. To be managing a club of this stature, one that should be in the big time, was an honour. His eyes fixed on a spot, just between Stuart Pearce and Brian Clough, and he decided that was where he wanted to be placed. However, he had his work cut out to do that. This once great club, two time European Champions, former Champions of England, now languishing in the third tier of English football. League One, with the likes of Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient and Millwall. Unthinkable really, and Brian Clough would be turning in his grave -- "You'll have a two year deal, and within that time we want to be challenging to get back into the Championship" "OK. Personally, I'd like to do that this season, then we can build from there. What about funds for players?" "Well, we aren't pouring with riches, but we can give you around £400,000 for new additions, plus 75% of whatever you make from player sales" "Right. Well I do have a list of targets, having researched the market already, but I think loans and freebies are the way to go" "Sounds like we'll get along just fine Mitch. Now, if you'll just sign here, we can get on with introducing you to the press" He shuddered at the thought. Even during his time with Tottenham, he had hated talking to the press. Pack of glory hunting bastards to him, but still, it was part of the job --- For a club like this to be in League One was, in all honesty, scandalous. The City Ground, a 29,500 all seater stadium, was a Premiership ground. Greats like Martin O'Neill, Nigel Clough and Stuart Pearce had brought prestige and honour to the city of Nottingham, but there was only one man that Mitch wanted to be compared to. That was the greatest English manager of all time, Ol' Big Head himself, Brian Clough. To win the European Cup with Nottingham Forest was an unbelievable experience, but to do it twice? It was a feat nobody had dreamed of, and although Mitch didn't allow himself to think that far ahead...well, it wouldn't be bad would it? -- Housekeeping notes ; Game being played under Wegason's Fallen Giants rules, on FM07, with English Leagues playable, while Spain, Italy and Scotland are in the background. Looking forward to attempting this one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Nottingham Evening Post Has Doughty Gone Mad? The city of Nottingham is in shock today, as they reel from the surprise appointment of Mitch Huntsford as their new manager. The disgraced 44 year old, formerly a player and manager at Tottenham, has been out of the game for three years, following a boozy incident in which he assaulted two journalists, breaking the jaw of one and causing him to be sacked from his role at White Hart Lane In North London, he had enjoyed a modicum of success, taking his side to three top 8 finishes in four years, while also reaching an F.A Cup Final and a League Cup Final. He was considered the best manager the club had appointed in years, and he was the logical choice, after 435 appearances as a gritty central defender. He lies third on the all time list for the club, but his drunken incident was something that many thought had ended his career within the game After the caretaker period of Ian McParland and Frank Barlow had finished, the club made it clear that they were struggling to find a decent choice for the hotseat. Nobody expected Huntsford to be one of the contenders. The city is divided, but it's fair to say that if he can guide them out of League One quickly, then they may all be jumping on the bandwagon. Huntsford however, has a lot of work to do... -- Ah. Yes, that's one thing I've not told you. I used to be quite well known, until that moment of madness three years ago. I was sacked from Spurs, many said I'd never get a job in the game again, and I've spent the last 18 months coaching my local club side. I'm grateful to Nigel and the rest of the Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity, and I want to pay them back in kind It's a decent squad that they've got down here, what with the likes of goalkeeper Paul Smith, who should easily claim the number one spot. Good defenders are something I'd like to think I know about, so when you have centre backs such as Julian Bennett, a youngster with a lot of potential, and Ian Breckin, a man with over 200 games experience at this level, it gives a manager a lot of confidence. Midfield seems to be where we struggle a little bit. Kris Commons is a highly talented left winger, while Sammy Clingan, a Northern Ireland international, is almost guaranteed a spot in the middle of the park. Besides those two though, we seem a little light on talent. Up front, we have a good strike force, with Nathan Tyson providing the blistering pace, while Grant Holt is the big target man. However, extra bodies are needed, as the support they have is a little less than what I'd expect I do have a list of players that I likes the look of, almost two dozen in total, put asterixes marked the players who I really wanted to bring to the club. My coaching staff would be crucial to me, and I would be giving them a chance to impress. If they didn't, then I had no problems bringing in my own men. It's vital to have the right backroom team supporting you when a challenge this big awaits you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 From being appointed, I had 8 days to prepare for the side's first pre-season game, one of six that had been pre-arranged, and all (except two) were against opposition at lower standards than ourselves. With that in mind, I soon set about the transfer targets, and within 48 hours I had three new additions on board. Former Blackburn man Matt Jansen was the first to sign, and I was confident he could more than play well at this level. He could play on the left wing, or upfront, and I was confident his Premiership (and limited International) experience could benefit some of the younger players in the squad. However, his injury proneness was a concern, and it was unlikely he would manage a full 46 game season For that reason, I decided to bring in more cover on the left wing, and that came in the form of Senegalese wide man Khalilou Fadiga. He had played in Europe with Auxerre and amassed enough caps for his country not to require a work permit, so I was delighted to get him on board. Jansen and Commons were both a little injury prone, so at least I had adequate cover for the job in hand. The third man to join up with the squad was Chines striker Dong Fangzhou. He had obviously done enough to impress Sir Alex Ferguson to purchase him for Man United, and he was willing to allow him to join us at Forest. He was looking forward to getting first team exposure, and he most certainly would, with his pace, power and aerial ability, he would be a perfect foil for Nathan Tyson I had also offered a contract to Brazilian midfielder Giovanni, and I was awaiting a work permit for him. I knew he would be a one season wonder, but he could provide some good back-up in the central role. I was busy ironing out my list of players, putting lines through the targets I was unsure about, and it took me that long that I was still doing it as the players and myself boarded a coach South for our opening friendly. Our opponents were League Two side Wycombe, and all three of the new additions were in the team. Matt Jansen started on the left wing, while Dong partnered Tyson upfront. Fadiga sat alongside me on the bench, along with talented youngster Lewis McGugan, who had been singled out as a star for the future, as had defender Luke Chambers It was a dream start, as 87 seconds into the match, we were ahead, James Perch finding Clingan, who laid the ball in for Matt Jansen to slot home at the far post. Clingan himself should have doubled the lead on 12 minutes, while Dong won every single aerial ball that came his way. There was a blow though on 23 minutes, Jansen limping off after a crunching tackle from his marker, and that brought Kris Commons on in his place. This turned out to be a pretty good move, as he was on the pitch just a quarter of an hour before he doubled our advantage. Perch and Dong combined beautifully, before Perch played the ball down the line for Kris, who cut in and toe poked the ball past the 'keeper, who really should have done better but was beaten at his near post. It wasn't a perfect first half, and we should have been more than 2-0 in front at the interval, but the second half was just as good. From the minute Commons stung the 'keeper's hands with a rasping volley five minutes into the half, I knew we would score again, and on 58 minutes, we did. A free-kick on the right hand side was floated in, before the ball fell loose to Dong, and the Chinese forward hammered it into the roof of the net. There weren't too many chances after that, Clingan missing the best when he fired over, but on 78 minutes, Dong scored his second and our fourth, his long legs taking the ball down from the air, before slipping it past his marker and firing across the goalkeeper, giving us a 4-0 win and a brilliant start, especially for new boy Dong Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Following on from the Wycombe win, more signings were brought into The City Ground. I felt that though Paul Smith was easily first choice, Danish 'keeper Rune Pedersen wasn't the best back-up, so I had no hesitation in forking out £22,000 to my old club Spurs for their young English stopper Tommy Forecast. Though he hadn't played any first team games for the club, I was sure he would provide some good cover for Paul, eventually taking over his role between the posts. He realised he wouldn't be playing much at Spurs, and within an hour of talking, he was keen to sign the contract we placed in front of him. Three years, at £500 per week was more than reasonable Aswell as Forecast, I raided another Premiership club, as I persuaded Liverpool to loan us their central midfielder Danny Guthrie. The young lad was talented, a born and bred scouser, and I felt that he would be the creative spark in the middle of the park, the man to feed us all the attacking passes forward. We were contributing just £250 of his wages, and I was delighted with his acquisition. I was sat in my office looking through the financial figures for the previous two seasons, when there was a gentle knock on my door "Come in" Scout Ian Woan popped his head round the door, his usual cheeky grin across his face "You got a minute boss?" "Sure. Drink?" "Yeah, just a tea cheers" I poured the drinks, before setting them on the table and sitting back in my chair "So what can I do for you Ian?" "Thought you might like a quick look at this..." As he was talking, he threw me a brown package across the desk "...video of a player" I slipped the tape into the player, and for ten minutes I watched in amazement at the apparent skills of the striker on the screen in front of me After stopping the tape, I turned back to Ian with a look of wonder on my face "Who was that?" "Swiss lad, Charles-Andre Doudin. He's available on a free, although it would require compensation, but I think he's worth a gamble" "Having seen that video, I find it hard not to agree. Would he move?" "Don't see why not, his side in Switzerland, Neuchatel Xamax, aren't that good" "I'll get on it. Nice work Ian" I was as good as my word, and three hours later, I had managed to persuade Doudin to fly to Nottingham for a tour of the ground and a medical. His club couldn't stop him, they knew that, and they just seemed grateful that I had been decent enough to speak to them first Before that though, we had a second friendly game, which saw us travel to the Black country to face Championship Coventry. They had spent a fair amount on some new players, and many felt they were possible promotion contenders, so I knew we had a tough game on our hands Luke Chambers started at the heart of the defence, with Bennett at left back, while Paul Smith was replaced by Tommy Forecast, who came in for his debut, as did loanee Danny Guthrie. It was a fairly slow start, the home side obviously trying to figure out our game, but they almost paid for it within the first ten minutes, a through ball from Guthrie finding Grant Holt, who cracked his shot straight at the 'keeper. It was the sort of opportunity which needed to be taken, but again, on 23 minutes, we should have opened the scoring, a mistake from Ward letting in Tyson, who slid his shot just wide of the post. The remainder of the half saw both sides cancel out the other, and it was left back Stuart Giddings who impressed me most, stopping Clingan and Kevin James from getting into the match at all. 0-0 at half time was probably a little flattering to the home side, but in the second half, they showed us why they were a division higher than us. We just couldn't get near the ball, and it was only thanks to our defensive combination of Breckin and Morgan that we kept the score at 0-0. Until the 77th minute however, when Kevin Kyle set up Don Hutchinson to slam the ball past Forecast and secure his side a pre-season victory Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Doudin was due to fly into Nottingham on Friday, two days after the Coventry game, but until then, I was busy trying to secure the signing of another player. Arsenal defender Ryan Garry had been told by his club that he was not going to be getting any playing time, so he was free to leave the club. This certainly attracted me, and I was certain that a player of his quality would be vital to our cause. Ryan could play at centre back, or his preferred left back role, and I quickly matched the asking price of £75,000 Charles-Andre did fly into Nottingham airport on Friday, and I was there to pick him up as his flight got in. He had brought his dad with him, to act as an agent, and it was clear from the off that he had his sons best interests at heart. We headed straight to the ground, and I gave him a tour of the place, showing him all the legends, even indicating where he could put himself in a few years time. He seemes to be an ambitious young man, who wanted to excel himself, and that was clear during his medical. While he was off completing his fitness regime, I had the opportunity to talk with his father, and the feedback was positive. His son was as keen to test himself at a higher level as I was to bring him to the club, and once he had completed his medical, he signed a three year contract to play at the City Ground -- With the signing of Doudin completed, he travelled with the squad to Scotland, as we faced Peterhead in our third pre-season friendly. It was a game against weaker opposition than ourselves, therefore one that I expected us to win. Doudin was straight into the starting line-up, while Paul Smith was also back in the team. To show what he could do, Doudin had promised to put on a show, and within 23 seconds, he had kept his word, breaking free of the defence and sloting the ball coolly underneath the onrushing 'keeper. It was a lovely, calm finish, and if he kept that up, we would be doing well. The first half saw us create chances, with Doudin, Tyson, Commons and Breckin all missing opportunities, and we went in at half time with just the one goal advantage. We had scored in the first minute of the first half, and we did exactly the same in the second, Clingan squaring the ball across, a dummy from Tyson allowing Kris Commons to fire home from the edge of the area. The home side never had a chance after the second goal, and we eased into a victory. A third goal came on 75 minutes, Commons swinging a corner onto the head of Wes Morgan, and we secured a good win The signing of Garry completed, I felt that the squad I had at my disposal was good enough to compete for a promotion charge, a goal which was something everybody at the club wanted. All I was waiting on was the work permit application for Giovanni, but that wasn't to say that new players were not possible through the remainder of the season. Anybody that would improve the squad would be good enough for me. We had our shortest gap between pre-season games too, as we stayed in Scotland and prepared to face Scottish Premier Division side Motherwell. They were a decent side, so a tough game was always in the offing, but I hadn't anticipated how tight the first half would be. The defences were excellent, allowing very little chance of attacks, with only Scott McDonald for the home side and Grant Holt for us testing the 'keeper. That was, until right on half time, when a defensive mistake from Wes Morgan allowed Scott McDonald in, and the Aussie striker chipped the ball deftly over Paul Smith. In the second half, it was a little more open, as both sides were keen to score a goal, and within five minutes of the half, we were level, Bennett advancing down the left hand side, firing in a low cross, and Craigan diverting past his own goalkeeper. This should have been the opportunity for us to push on, but just after the hour mark, we went behind again, McDonald playing in Smith, who fired across the 'keeper into the bottom corner. It was a second defeat in four games, but I wasn't too concerned. The fitness was coming and the team were playing together, so we seemed to be getting there slowly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 With two defeats and two wins in pre-season, I was fairly happy with the way the team had performed. The two teams we had lost to were better opposition than us, so to speak, so losing by the odd goal wasn't a shameful defeat. Our next two games were ones I expected to win comfortably, but I was desperate for the season to come around now, and the real stuff to begin I had seen the odds for promotion in the football section of the Daily Mail newspaper, and we had been quoted at 7/4 favourites. That added more pressure on us, but it was something I thrived on. Pressure was everything in this game, and the more you had, the better your team were likely to perform. We received a bit of a blow before our next game though, as Charles-Andre Doudin was ruled out with a swollen knee, which would keep the Swiss striker out of our opening game It also kept him out of our penultimate friendly, which saw Irish side Portadown visit Nottingham. Dong was back in the starting line-up, while Kevin James came in to the team for a start too. Matt Jansen started on the left, while James Perch replaced Luke Chambers. We started quickly, testing the visitors' 'keeper with two efforts in the opening ten minutes, which were both from Tyson's left foot. Despite 20 minutes of dominating possession, we had failed to make a significant contribution, but on 27 minutes, we took the lead. A lovely move down the right, which saw Perch and Clingan overlap, saw Clingan whip a beautiful cross into the box, which was headed down by Grant Holt, and Matt Jansen swept the ball home into the bottom corner. This should have seen us push on, and to score three or four would have been nice, but we went in at half time 1-0 ahead The second half was much more of the same, as we dominated possession, despite four half time substitutes, but it was our right back James Perch who sealed the win. He was bombing forward to help out Kevin James, and the ball fell nicely for him. A deflection saw him get free of his marker in the area, and he fired a low shot across the 'keeper into the far corner. We did create more chances, Holt, James, Clingan and Guthrie all testing the Portadown 'keeper, but we had to make do with a 2-0 win. Grant Holt took some abuse for missing an open goal, but the big striker was able to smile about it, and we were building nice momentum going into the season -- The Daily Mail ; Football First Promotion Contenders ; League One This article sums up all the promotion contenders from League One, assessing their chances, star players and if they can play Championship football next season Blackpool The Seasiders are a strong, physical outfit, and they will be a decent bet for a promotion push. Expect goals from the threat of Kiegan Parker, while a solid defence and tough central midfield unit will stop goals leaking in. Good chance for Simon Grayson's men to get out of the Division Star Man ; Kiegan Parker Promotion Chance ; 7/10 Nottingham Forest Huntsford's team have looked decent in pre-season, and with summer acquisitions of Danny Guthrie and Dong Fangzhou, they should have the best chance of winning promotion. Experienced campaigners such as Paul Smith and Ian Breckin, combined with the youth of Luke Chambers and Lewis McGugan, should see them there or there-abouts come the end of the campaign Star Man ; Danny Guthrie Promotion Chance ; 8/10 Millwall Former Championship side, they would like to return there again. Fire-power in abundance, just a weaker backline than any of the other sides challenging them, which could be the let down for them. Aerial ability is their strength, but lacking in pace, but their record at the Den recently has been top notch. Their home form will be the key to their chances Star Man ; Neil Harris Promotion Chance ; 6/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Perfect Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Who's that jumpin' off the pier? Who's that drownin' in the sea? Well it's Simon and his boys Making all the forking noise Cos Preston are the greatest football team! All together now... Good start! I've alway had a soft spot for Forest. Found it hilarious when they visited Deepdale last season gloating about their European successes and we responded with chants of "Have you ever won the double? Have you f**k!". We forget that that happened 120 years ago... Anyway, I'll be keeping an eye on this. :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Cheers SP. Forest hammered City 3-0 in January in the cup, but even before then I'd always had a bit of a soft spot for them --- Our final pre-season game came just four days before the season opener, so with that in mind, I rested several players, including Paul Smith, Charles-Andre Doudin, Dong Fangzhou, Ian Breckin and Danny Guthrie, giving some of the reserves and younger players a chance to impress Our opponents were League Two side Rushden, who had a series of injury problems and were a side I fully expected to beat. However, judging by the way we started, the lads were unsure, as Tommy Forecast was forced into making two decent saves. I had wanted the players to build momentum for the season with a win, and was pulling my hair out on the sideline, but with just ten minutes of the half left, a bit of magic turned the game around and put us ahead. Kevin James played the ball for Lewis McGugan in the middle, and he beat three men before shooting, forcing a save from the home sides 'keeper, which fell straight to Khalilou Fadiga, and the Sengalese winger slotted home. This gave us all the momentum we needed, and from then on we dominated the game. Eight minutes into the second half, a Fadiga cross found Grant Holt, who buried his header home, and just after the hour mark, the game was sealed by big Wes Morgan, who hit a thunderous 25 yard drive, which took a wicked deflection and flew into the top corner. The 3-0 win could have been more, Holt, Tyson and substitute Clingan all missing efforts, but it was a nice way to finish off the pre-season schedule -- My football schooling, so to speak, started when I was just seven years old. I lived in Liverpool at the time, with my Dad's job, and he promised to take me to a football game for my seventh birthday. So he did, Liverpool vs Stoke City at Anfield. From the minute I saw the thousands of people walking to the ground, dodging in and out of each other, people talking about the season, I was hooked. The game finished 2-1 to Liverpool, but I wasn't too fussed about that. I wanted more, I wanted my fix. Just two weeks after the game, I joined a junior team, Old Liverpudlians F.C. The manager, who happened to be a friend of my dads, asked where I wanted to play - I didn't know, and responded with "Anywhere except in goal". My first game, he started me in central midfield, but after three crunching tackles in the first five minutes, it seemed I was destined to be a central defender. I played for the Old Liverpudlians up to the age of 14, before I was spotted at a tournament in London. The scout was from Tottenham, a big club back then, and he offered me a trial. His name was Harry Lamb. I liked him straightaway, as he was up-front. He offered me a trial, not a contract, and was honest about it. So up I went to White Hart Lane, and endured three days of gruelling physicality - but in the trial game, I was immense. I had never played in that kind of pressure, but I thrived on it. Come the end of the three days, I was among four lads selected, and we all signed youth terms with the club. I was in dreamland - my dream was starting The rest, as you know, is history, as I played 435 games for the club, aswell as earning my coaches badges (UEFA 'A' and UEFA 'Pro'), before retiring at 34. Within 12 months, I was back as manager, and enjoyed six fairly decent years before my night of shame. It was while playing for Spurs I realised I had a passion and a talent for coaching, as I used to emphasise points on the video, sometimes that even the manager would miss. I had been away from the game for three years before Forest came calling, and I don't intend to be out of the game anytime again soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 August 2006 With the signing of Giovanni completed, we went into the opening game of the season full of confidence. A visit to Cheltenham was the sort of game that, although I enjoyed and much preferred to start with a home game, I felt we were capable of winning the match. A good start was in order, and we certainly managed that, as we took the lead on six minutes. A nice move down the right with Perch and Clingan saw the Northern Ireland international play in Dong, and the big Chinese striker struck a powerful shot past the 'keeper. Starts like that don't come every game, yet we failed to make the most of it, Wes Morgan adjudged to have handballed Kayode Odejayi's cross, and Melligan firing home the penalty, our lead having lasted four minutes. Chances came and went for both sides, Paul Smith pulling off an awesome save from an Odejayi header, while Tyson and Dong both missed good chances to put us back in front. The second half saw more of the same, as both we and the home side created chances, but it was on loan midfielder Danny Guthrie who took the game by the scruff of the neck. He was creating chances, and his passing was sublime, and he was the man who restored our lead, breaking clear of the defence and firing past the goalkeeper. That was with ten minutes remaining, and looked to secure the points, but a nightmare mistake from Wes Morgan (again) allowed Odejayi to equalise with a minute left, and we left with a point Disappointed with just a point, we were determined to pick up all three in our second game, as we travelled to Wales to face Swansea. They were a dangerous side, and with Lee Trundle up-front they always had the chance of a goal, but in the 90 minutes, our defence were excellent. Morgan had a nightmare against Cheltenham, so Luke Chambers was brought into the side, and the youngster was brilliant alongside Ian Breckin. Trundle and the rest of the Swansea front-line didn't get a kick, but as much as we stopped the home side, they stopped us from creating chances. That was, until the 85th minute, when a long ball from Perch bounced over Garry Monk, onto Doudin's left foot and the Swiss striker volleyed home from just inside the area, securing us our first win of the season, in a relatively poor game The squad was coming together well now, with four points from our first two away games, a start that wasn't too bad at all. Our first home game saw Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra make the trip to the City Ground, and they fell victim to the best performance the team had given under my management. It did however, take us 20 minutes to get into the swing of things though, when Lewis McGugan tested the 'keeper with a rasping drive. McGugan was making his first competitive start for the club, and he was performing like he was 27, not a 17 year old rookie. It was the midfielder's ball that set up the opener too, as he played it for Dong, who turned his man and fired home into the roof of the net. The lead was doubled just nine minutes later, when Guthrie swung the ball out to Jansen, who crossed the ball hard and low for Charles-Andre Doudin to side foot home into the goal. It would have been nice to go in at half time 2-0 ahead, but Pavol Suhaj scored just before half time to give his side a glimmer of hope. That was soon eradicated, as Dong doubled his personal tally just 33 seconds into the second half, heading home Clingan's cross. We still had chances through the rest of the game, but we had to wait until five minutes from time for a fourth, substitute Tyson racing clear and sliding underneath the 'keeper Following on from the win, there was a second home game, which saw Scunthorpe come to Nottingham, and there was only one intention from the visitors. That was to come for a point, and they achieved that aim succesfully, as we were strangled into a 0-0 draw. Dong and Doudin could not get into the game, and credit where it's due, the visitors were excellent in defence. It was just an infuriating result when sides come and 'park the bus', making themselves hard to get past, and I knew that we could have won if they had come at us a bit The League Cup was not top of the list of priorities for myself or for the team, and If we lost in the first round I wouldn't be too upset. Hartlepool were our opponents, and we sent out a much changed side to the usual starting elevn, with players like Kevin James, Spencer Weir-Daley, Giovanni and Tommy Forecast taking to the field. The visitors were up for it, having brought 1,500 supporters with them, and Richie Barker gave them something to cheer about just before the half hour mark, as he slotted home from an angle to put his side 1-0 ahead. Their lead lasted almost six minutes, as Weir-Daley's shot was parried, straight into McGugan's path, and the youngster celebrated his first goal with a smile. From then, we were poor, and in the second half, we conceded two Joel Porter goals in six minutes, on 74 and 80, that put us out of the competition. Giovanni gave us faint hope, when he pulled one back with four minutes to go, but it made no difference and the 3-2 defeat sent us out. Not that big of a loss, if I'm honest We ended the month with a big game, as we travelled to the New Den to face fellow promotion contenders Millwall. I was determined for the boys to show the rest of the division that we meant business, and the 3-0 win certainly did that. Giovanni kept his place in the team after his man of the match performance in the previous game, and the Brazilian got us off to a flyer, curling home a stunning free-kick from 30 yards, leaving the Millwall 'keeper with no chance. The home side were never allowed to get into the game, as we were first to every loose ball, won every challenge in the air, and were much the better side. Half-time came and went, and two minutes into the second half, we were 2-0 ahead, Guthrie playing in Doudin, and the Swiss forward rounded the 'keeper and slotted home. Just four minutes later, the points were secured, a Clingan cross deflecting off Craig Gardner and into his own net, giving us a 3-0 lead. We could have had more, Dong and Holt both missing opportunities, but we ended on a high and 3-0 was a great result for the team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 September 2006 The final day of August, and the transfer window, brought about another new addition to the squad, as Manchester United's Belgian midfielder Floribert N'Galula joined us for the rest of the season on loan. His defensive midfield role would be crucial for the team, and he went straight into the squad for the first game of the month, as Rotherham visited the City Ground. The visitors were never in the game from the kick off, and we took the lead after 12 minutes, Tyson feeding through Danny Guthrie, and the on-loan midfielder firing home past the 'keeper. Tyson was awesome, his pace and quickness forcing the defence into making mistakes constantly, and just five minutes before half time, we doubled the lead, Guthrie turning provider for Tyson to turn his man, and fire a low shot into the bottom corner of the goal. We could, and probably should have scored more in the second half, Tyson and Dong both missing good opportunities, but the 2 goal win was more than good enough for three points A second Yorkshire team was next on the agenda, as we travelled to the Galpharm Stadium to face Huddersfield, and again, we started well, Doudin testing the home sides 'keeper twice in the first ten minutes. Dong headed over the bar, before we took the lead after 25 minutes, a long pass from Julian Bennett finding the head of Dong, who nodded it down nicely into the path of Kris Commons, and the winger fired home, with the help of a deflection. We needed to push on from there, and in the next twenty minutes, we hit the bar, through a Commons free-kick, forced a world-class save from the Huddersfield goalkeeper, and missed a couple of easy chances, seeing us just 1-0 ahead at half time. Missing the chances cost us dear, as the home side came out all guns blazing in the second half, getting their reward on 55 minutes when David Mirfin slotted home after a scramble in the box. One goal would be enough to decide the game, and it came ten minutes from time, when Doudin flicked the ball to Dong, and the Chinese striker curled home from 12 yards to give us the points Games were coming thick and fast, and the players were getting little rest, and the third match of the month saw Yeovil make the trip to Nottingham. As in our previous home game, against Rotherham, we were never truly troubled, and we had the points sealed in 34 minutes. The first goal was a scrappy affair, in which a defensive scramble in the box saw the ball fall to Dong, and the big man tapped home his fifth goal of the season. He was proving to be a good acquisition for us, and he played a part in the second goal too. A counter attack saw Commons bring the ball down the left, before passing it inside to Dong. The striker brought it forward, slipped in his striker partner Doudin, and the Swiss forward finished beautifully to give us a fourth successive League One win. In all fairness though, we owed some of it to Paul Smith, as he pulled off a string of saves in the second half, as a rejuvenated Yeovil side, led by Arron Davies, played well, but we hung on with a fifth clean sheet in eight league games That became six in the next game, and a fifth league win on the trot, as we saw off the visiting Northampton, although it wasn't as comfortable as it could have been, and they even gave us a bit of a scare. The first half saw both sides create chances, with both 'keepers being forced to make saves, but this was the game that really brought to my attention just how good Floribert N'Galula was. He had quietly gone about his job in the previous two games he played, but in this match, and particularly the second half, the Belgian midfielder was awesome. Everything after half time that the visitors tried, they couldn't get past N'Galula, so much so that the occasions they did, he was there to clear off the line and put in last ditch tackles. He even set up the first goal too, as he passed the ball through for Charles-Andre Doudin, who was fouled in the box, and Kris Commons converted the penalty. This sent the heads of the visiting fans and players down, and we sealed the points on 78 minutes, James Perch crossing for Doudin to head into the corner Our winning run was broken in the next game, as we welcomed over-achieving Brentford to Nottingham. They were obviously fully intent on taking just a point, and they achieved their mission, stopping our midfield and forwards from doing anything noteworthy. We had four shots on goal, the closest of which came from 20 yards out. 0-0 was a frustrating result for us, and cut our lead at the top to four points, with Tranmere winning and Blackpool picking up the full quota of points too. Back to winning ways next up, and maybe that was down to having Alexander Mostovoy in the stands. The Russian midfielder was available on a free transfer, and having just secured his signature (and awaiting his clearance to play), Iinvited him down to travel with the team to the seaside, where we faced 23rd placed Bournemouth. I had told him he would be a rotational player in the centre of midfield, and whenever I looked up to the stands, he seemed to like what he was watching. Chance after chance came our way, as Guthrie and McGugan were dominant in the centre of the park, but we had to wait until 19 minutes from the end for the breakthrough. Having just replaced Clingan with the returning Scott Dobie, who had come back from injury and needed game time, the Scot proceeded to set up Nathan Tyson, another substitute, within 2 minutes of being on the pitch, allowing the striker to run onto the ball and smash it home into the roof of the net, securing a 1-0 win and a sixth clean sheet in seven games Paul Smith had been a spectator for most of the month, and he was again as we closed out with a second trip to the White Rose, as we faced Chesterfield. As far as games go, it was a little dull, to say the least, and for a home side, the Spirietes had a very defensive mindset. Only one chance came their way, and that saw a good save from Paul Smith, and from then, we dominated. However, the Chesterfield 'keeper kept us at bay time and time again, until one move changed the game. Dong and N'Galula combined, before the midfielder played a beautiful ball through to Tyson, who slid home with just 40 seconds of normal time remaining, and we stretched our lead at the top to six points, ending a good month on a high note Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 October 2006 We began the month of Halloween with a few changes to the backroom team. Many of the old team had shown desire to leave, and had therefore been released from their contracts, so four replacements were brought in. Two coaches, in the form of Andy Jeffrey and former Man United coach Mick McGiven were added to the team, aswell as 36 year old scout Stephen May. While all three of these would be useful additions, it was my new assistant manager that excited me the most. Manchester United coach Eamonn Malvey had always wanted to be a number two, and his cool head and calm persona made him my instant number one choice. He cost £40,000 compensation but I was sure he was going to be well worth it All four members of staff joined the bench and sat in the dugout for our opening game, which saw Gillingham visit the City Ground. Alexander Mostovoy started his first game for us, and he made an explosive start, curling home a free-kick in the opening 90 seconds. The Russian, despite his advancing years, was still easy to watch on the eye, but even that didn't stop the visitors from equalising five minutes later, Eifion Williams firing home from 10 yards after turning his man. From that point on though, we took control of the game, and over the next half an hour, we secured three points. It was Kris Commons who put us back ahead, breaking free and beating the offside trap, before converting Nathan Tyson's pass. Scott Dobie, who had started on the right wing, hit a fabulous third goal, as the ball dropped to him from a headed clearance, and the Scotsman just fired home with a sweet right foot volley. The second half was more conservative, with very little created, but no more goals were scored and we had to settle for a 3-1 win We had gone thirteen league games without a defeat, picking up 33 points out of a possible 39, when we travelled to Merseyside to face another promotion chasing side, Brian Little's Tranmere. It was, without a doubt, our worst start of the season so far. We just didn't get out of the traps, we were slow to every ball and the home side won everything in the air, and we were dominated so much so that after Joyce put them in front, on 13 minutes, we were lucky not to be 3 or 4 behind , a debt we owed a great deal of thanks for to goalkeeper Paul Smith. We even managed to go in at half time level, a terrible defensive error allowing our Swiss striker in, and he nipped the ball past the 'keeper. While we were miles better in the second 45, although we couldn't have got much worse, the home side improved too, and they were determined to send us crashing to a first defeat. They did so on 74 minutes, on loan Sheffield United midfielder Stephen Quinn slotting home past Smith from six yards. My first League One defeat hurt, but it didn't half hurt as much as the poor performance the players gave Another mickey mouse game was up next, and the Johnstones Paint Trophy lay lower on my list of priorities than the League Cup had been. We travelled to Edgar Street to face lowly Hereford, and we were never troubled at all. Changes were made, with five players given their chance to shine, and one of them was big Grant Holt. He was determined to try and hold a place down in the team, and when he headed home on 23 minutes, his smiling face told a story. Despite a convincing performance, we had to wait until thirteen minutes from time to score again, substitute Danny Guthrie firing hard and low into the bottom corner. Stuart Fleetwood's consolation meant nothing, and Khalilou Fadiga wrapped it up with his first goal in a Forest shirt three minutes into injury time to send us into the hat Yorkshire side Doncaster were our next opponents, and they came to Nottingham with one intention - to stop us scoring. In fairness, they were excellent in their task, and achieved their goal for more than 80 minutes, but seven minutes from time, we secured the win. A move down the right hand side involving Perch and Dobie saw the Scotsman play the ball to Doudin, who was tackled well, but the loose ball fell straight back to Dobie, who fired across the goalkeeper and into the far corner to seal a 1-0 win and keep us top of the pile From White Rose to Red Rose next, as we headed to Lancashire and Boundary Park to face Oldham. It was another poor game, and we were fortunate to escape with a point from this one. We even took the lead too, with 22 minutes gone, as Doudin raced through the defence and slotted home with ease. However, the second half was poor, and we paid for playing badly too, as McDonald rose above everybody to head home and rescue a point for his team, although we had Paul Smith to thank for keeping us in the game, but we remained at the top of the table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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