Random footie

[yuppie]

Do keep me informed of this SP. I would love nothing more than seeing Anderlecht suffer greatly.

[sussexpob]

The prosecutor, for the first time, has came to release the details of the fix for Mechelen, and has said other teams (no hiding who it was after yesterday's police raids) have clearly done it, and evidence has been sufficiently collected to start charges elsewhere.

Rather than a straight fix of the match, Mechelen approached Waasland to throw the game crucial to the relegation battle. The CEO, through an agent, contacted his opposite number and fees were agreed. Waasland for their part guaranteed not a result, but for a severely weakened team.

Heres were it gets a little crazy. To avoid having the whole team having to agree on the fix, or even one player, Waaslands CEO told the chief medical officer that he need to write off most of the squad as ill for the game, so the manager would be forced to play most of his kids without knowing about the fix.

The medical officer agreed under duress, and a story was made up that someone had become ill in the squad, and to risk the illness spreading, the whole first team was quarantined, and not allowed to be with each other until the nature of illness was confirmed.... Until after the Mechelen game.

Three players desperate to play sought independent advice on their own, and were clearly of any illness. These players, still told they couldn't play smelled something was wrong and threatened to go to the press about what they thought was the club going under finally.

These players were then told of the fix, and paid for silence. Mechelen then beat Waaslands U19 team 2-0.

The irony was, Mechelen in winning the game thought they'd done enough to guarantee safety....enter Eupen.

Eupen were 6 points and 6 goals behind Mechelen. They won their penultimate game, and with 15 mins left of the season, were drawing 0-0 with mouscron. They scored 4 times and survived on goals scored.

This game was investigated. The prosecutor believed almost with certainty Eupen had bought it, but despite having all the correspondence discussing it through agents, and dialogues between clubs about how it would be done (including a signal given in the latter half, judging on the Mechelen game score, how many goals would be needed, to players on the pitch)....no correspondence was ever found of the smoking gun saying both agreed the fix. It was decided without it, the charge wouldn't hold up in court.

[yuppie]

The oldest football league club have been relegated.

The oldest league club is now located on the other side of the Trent

[Durhamfootman]

It was 20 years ago today that on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored the winner for Carlisle against Plymouth with the very last kick of the very last game of the season and in doing so preserved Carlisle Utd's league status and sent Scarborough out into a non-league wilderness that they were never to recover from.

At the time I knew a chap at work whose son played for Scarborough. For some reason the Carlisle game finished several minutes after the Scarborough game and his son said that they had celebrated with the fans on the pitch and were all sitting in the dressing room having seen the Carlisle scoreline and assuming that it was the final score and it mean't they were safe. Out came the champagne with which to celebrate league survival and then the news filtered through to the dressing room that Carlisle were still playing. Cue a nervous wait followed by the shock news that Carlisle had somehow managed to score with the last kick of the game.

Jimmy Glass has been, I believe, a legend in Carlisle ever since

[Durhamfootman]

I see that that nice, cuddly Leeds Utd have failed to make the play off final, which is a real shame for the club, their manager, their lovely fans, and football enthusiasts everywhere

[yuppie]

wanting both teams to loose is such a horrible feeling. Through out the season Leeds got some pretty big decision go their way which helped their cause no end. Nearly happened again last night. In the end it feels like justice was served.

And now we need Villa to do us a favor.

[sussexpob]

Villa deserve it for the excellent turnaround, and had the season started in January, theyd have won it by ease I think. Definitely the best team I have seen this year, even though Norwich attack well, they look terrible at the back... Plus I want my boy Jackie in the Premier League. I stated ages ago I think hes exceptional on here, and hes just getting better and better...... he miles too good for the Championship, and hes that in love with Villa, I dont think he'd leave unless someone offer ridiculous money for him.

Was always a massive fan of your old boy (Landsbury) too..... those two together when they play in that midfield..... its a dream at this level.

Plus no one wants Frank Lampard boring us to death in press conferences.

[yuppie]

Villa were the 2nd best team against Forest after Norwich. Though it is hard to follow a game on iplayer.

They deserve to go up with the form they have had. If they don't then they are in huge trouble with FFP. So is Leeds and Derby

[sussexpob]

Villa were the 2nd best team against Forest after Norwich. Though it is hard to follow a game on iplayer.

They deserve to go up with the form they have had. If they don't then they are in huge trouble with FFP. So is Leeds and Derby

If you dont like dodgy streams, and can afford a bit of a splash, you can buy all your clubs games if you live abroad for about £100 a season with IFollow. Stream them through the club website on proper tv quality, without all the dodgy popups. Some teams havent signed up though, Forest might be one of them (Derby are definately one that doesnt allow it, they negotiate their own deal)....but I believe all but 5-6 teams in the football league do it.

[sussexpob]

Villa were the 2nd best team against Forest after Norwich. Though it is hard to follow a game on iplayer.

They deserve to go up with the form they have had. If they don't then they are in huge trouble with FFP. So is Leeds and Derby

If you dont like dodgy streams, and can afford a bit of a splash, you can buy all your clubs games if you live abroad for about £100 a season with IFollow. Stream them through the club website on proper tv quality, without all the dodgy popups. Some teams havent signed up though, Forest might be one of them (Derby are definately one that doesnt allow it, they negotiate their own deal)....but I believe all but 5-6 teams in the football league do it.

[yuppie]

yep it was ifollow, i paid the 100 quid. It i a great service, though sometime the camera angles are not great. A few hoe games the top of the pitch could not be viewed. Funny and annoying......

Talking of Lansbury, he seems to have fallen out of favor at Villa and he left Forest with not having much love his way. He had a one goal in 5 games ratio for us, and he really has not kicked on the way he was expected to. The general view is that the money has taken his desire away from him. By all accounts his golf game has come along rather well.

Jack was probably the best player in the league this year. Wasted at Villa if they don't go up. He seemed to be headed for nothing, but has turned it around. Needs to be playing in the top league.

[sussexpob]

Landsbury might just be one of those guys who has outstanding games every time I have seen him. Whats the mood down in at Nottingham like this season? Seem to recall they spent some ridiculous cash on this season, signed that Portuguese lad for a whooping sum.... are they set to continue the high rolling for now? I guess 9th might seem like a terrible return on all that money, but Forest were in danger of slipping out the bottom of the table after a pretty lengthy decline. Hope for the new year? I did read that you are going to sign Jack Colback from Newcastle, or are expect to, which is another decent signing at that level if hes fit, cant be that old.

Lewis Grabban scored a few, but by all accounts hes a toxic character in dressing rooms; Sunderland handed him back even though he was scoring in a disaster year, and I think he is supposed to have had a punch up at Norwich with Alex Neil after he went AWOL from the team hotel. Not the kind of people Id want to build a team around.

On Norwich, I was reading something about how they put their team together on a load of undesirable freebies, sold loads of players for big money, and promoted several players from the local area to the first team. Got to respect that. I often find the trouble with teams in Forest's position is, they chose a manager whos been out of the game or has no track record of being decent in a league thats changed rapidly in culture, and its always a danger. Its O'Neill in charge isnt it? Whats he done recently other than the train wreck with Ireland and Roy Keane?

Guess he is a club legend mind, I think he was part of your Clough led European conquering side, wasnt he?

[yuppie]

Where to start on the car crash that is Forest. Basically the club is being run much better off the pitch than it was with the previous owner Fawaz. The on pitch stuff though seems just as bad as it was during the previous regime. A little history over the last 2 years to get an understanding of just how deep in the ...... we are.

Start of last season we get in Mark Warbutton with the plan to use academy players and supplement them with good cheap British talent. Sounds like a good plan for a club that was a fiasco. Warbuton gets us playing some attacking football that was exciting to follow but it was either boom or bust. Even so it was entertaining. Got in some young talent with Dowell on loan from Everton being the most exciting. Academy players getting the chance and there was some real enthusiasm from the fans. He got sacked with Forest in 14th but he had spent very little, and had actually made the club 10 million by selling our best player who was never replaced. The fans were a little surprised as it seemed we might be getting some stability. Some mud was thrown at Mark from the new owners as well via some journalists in Greece.

[yuppie]

All was forgotten though when Karanaka was appointed because many thought that was a shrewd choice. Suddenly though we stopped scoring, creative players like Dowell were given the boot and the team tactics changed to a more pragmatic approach. Not direct, but not pretty either. It was a change of direction from the club but maybe one that could be understood. Karanka goes on a no goal spree for 7 games i think, but the fans stuck by him. You could see a plan, but this team was not set up with that in mind. Finish 17th, playing boring footy.

Then the start of this season we seem to have a deal with super agent Jorge Mendes. We suddenly sign 3 Portuguese players, Jorge Carvelo on a 4 year contract, and Gabriel Dias and Dioga Conclaves on loan. The deal for all this and Mendes expertise was about 14 million. Grabben came in for 6 million and then a few other players for a couple of million. Colbeck on loan and there was a lot of optimism round the club. A lot was spent, but over the last 5 years more has left the club then came in. Basically they spent 20 million after years of neglect. Karanka kept the cautious approach bbut we were doing fine. Near the play offs, even occasionally getting into the top 6. We were getting better. Then Norwich happened. Leading 3-0, the better team, then the last 15 minutes Forest imploded, and Norwich draw the game. This was the turning point as it seems something was said to Karanka by the owners. After this Karanka was basically forced out the club...it just took over a month to do, by which time Forest was pretty much out of contention. Through Greek journalist again we hear that Karanka was the problem.

Then the owners bring in the club legend. And this throws out any form of a football plan. We suddenly play football the Pulis would be proud of with out the players. We actually bring in some good players, but Martin has a scatter gun approach to selection. He drops Carvelo who is probably our best player and does not start him again until the season is totally gone. We bring in 2 CB, Yohan Benalouane and Alexander Milosevic, who look like they have played together for years. Great together, Martin drops Milosevic for no reason, and everyone is confused. Forest implode until the season is totally gone, suddenly Martin plays 3 5 2 and the ball stays on the ground. Brings back the creative players, we win 3 in a row.

So here we are, end of another season, with not style of play. A manager who is stubborn, a bloated squad of too many players thanks to 3 different type of managers in less than 2 years.

Even with this fiasco we had our biggest crowds for many years. Average 28,000 which was the 3rd best in the league. I'm not sure Colbeck will sign, and I'm still surprised Martin has the job. Him and hi pschyo assistant can leave. And Martin is a club legend, but he is not the saviour he is made out to be. Forest had tried to get him many time before, but he was never interested. It was not till there was no other offers that he returned. Something about tax debts to be payed. Forest is a soap opera. Sorry for the long reply....sometimes one needs to rant....

[sussexpob]

Rant away, I asked because I wanted to know, so thanks for the response.

I think even maybe 5-6 years ago the nature of football in England meant someone could buy a club at any level, splash some cash around everywhere relative to the specific league, and that would be that, you had a successful team. As TV money increases and more Championship teams get bought for the same "pump 25 million in, get to the Prem, milk profits" style, the fact is spending big money even if you are willing to is no guarantee of quality, and the league has become so competitive spending 50-100 million might not even win you the league. Just look at Fulham, they spent exactly 100 million and will be in the Championship with someone who assisted the winning goal in a World Cup final 5 years ago, and with a player Barcelona tried to sign a year ago.

I think thats the problem with a lot of these foreign rich owners though, I think they see an outdated model, thrown in things recklessly and everything is easy; when in reality its about making the right signings, getting the right blend of players, getting a manager who can bring a style and get them playing. As I mentioned Norwich, it seems amazing what Farke and their sporting director guy has done when you look at the finances. Picked up the right players, had a blend of football they clearly wanted to play (which was a bit reckless, but hey, they scored bags of goals too)..... and identified early which younger lads could fit into the squad and contribute. Good management is so essential at this level, its such a tough league to make a difference in.

Might be a weird question, but do you think the effect of winning the European Cup has zero impact on the ability to attract people to the club? I always thought that managers would jump at the chance to step into Cloughie's shoes, or manage a team with an almost uniquely illustrious past? But Martin O Neill being the manager says to me that its long past.... same goes with players. If it were me, id love to play for a club like Forest, it would feel like an honour.

Always a horrible place to watch football as an away fan too. Never watched Brighton, but I have been with my uncle a couple of times there, and the crowd were always rowdy, got behind the team, and it was an intimidating place to play.