2022/23 Matchday Thread

[BelizeHatter]

Reasonable result. Could have easily won or lost it too. More injuries. Eli looking shot. We keep going. Nine days rest. Thought Muskwe looked a bit of a threat, Cameron a bit lost and Bell is Bell. Cant ever find one of ours and unusually - for a while - lost his man for the pen leaving a lumbering Potts exposed.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Great first Championship season for Blackpool. Thought they looked neat and tidy moved it well and perhaps just missing that threat up front and final ball. Do well to hold onto Critchley and press on next season.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

1-1 was on the whole pretty fair reflection of things really. Felt Blackpool looked the better side from general play but whilst they pressed well and we looked slightly nervy at the back at times, i don’t think Isted was tested that much if at all. Did well with crosses and the like bit chances to save he didn’t have much to do. Whereas I felt we were quite poor, we had the much better chances in the game overall through Cornick x2, Adebayo, Muskwe.

Felt we looked a bit below par again, but the early goal gave us something to hold onto. Odd sort of atmosphere, really hate these early kick offs for that.

As the game was going on whilst we didn’t look great felt as long as kept it tight we could eke out another 1-0, as as above, didn’t feel Blackpool looked threatening in terms of chance, but Bell slips over unfortunately and then Potts makes an extraordinarily bad decision to go to ground for reasons I think only he will know. Looked minimal if any contact and the winger made the most of it but a silly thing to do for which we got punished.

We pressed well at the end and I felt we looked the more likely to win in the last 10. Having Lansbury on helped the midfield greatly, if we had our time again I wonder if he’d have out Lansbury in from the start, move Naismith back into the defence and Potts to the bench. Naismith looked a bit shaky in midfield to today but I guess it worked well vs Forest.

Goal at the end was a legitimate one from my view of it but obviously other side of the ground to me. Lino apparently apologised for his error after the game which won’t give much comfort, NJ seemed to take it in good grace though so he’s evolving as a manager I think ha! Certainly in better grace than Forest fans who continue to be rattled by last weeks result seemingly

 

[BelizeHatter]

Not a bad set if results. Pressure could have been worse going into Fulham game with a nice rest and we will know what others have done and its a free hit. Boro have a decent run in and could easily win all three. Everyone else has a top 2 side as one of their games. Bournemouth not there yet either.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Just seen i missed Bournemouth equalised. Prob enough.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Good set of results, I think 1 more point guarantees a playoff place for us.

Milwall can only match us in terms of points but have a much worse GD by 10.
Boro need to win all 3 games to get 1 point above us, we would need to lose both our last 2
Blackburn can still match us but we have a better GD by 6

Could be guaranteed it before we play again at Fulham given Boro & Blackburn play 2 before then. Boro not won in the last 5 so not in the best of form, rumour that Wilder might be going to the Burnley job too I hear.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Yeah but imagine we get spanked by Fulham. More than possible. Boro have three winable games. Sheff Utd are at QPR next and can go level. Millwall are at Peterboro and if they win well can go level with a last game win. The cualdron of pressure last game, home versus Reading. Ahhh its ok we always win that game ;-)

 

[BelizeHatter]

Just playing. We'll go and win at Fulham of course.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Good set of results, I think 1 more point guarantees a playoff place for us.

Milwall can only match us in terms of points but have a much worse GD by 10.
Boro need to win all 3 games to get 1 point above us, we would need to lose both our last 2
Blackburn can still match us but we have a better GD by 6

Could be guaranteed it before we play again at Fulham given Boro & Blackburn play 2 before then. Boro not won in the last 5 so not in the best of form, rumour that Wilder might be going to the Burnley job too I hear.

The odds are 1/66 on Luton making the top 6. The bookies are rarely wrong and relies on a total miracle for this to happen.

Luton are now guaranteed to finish in their highest league position since 1992. Nine years after their worst ever league position.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Peterborough officially down after yesterday also.

Felt that was on the cards from the first game of the season when we beat them 3-0 and they simply couldn’t deal with a championship level pressing game.

Biggest difference in levels (on the pitch) that I think we found and had to adapt to over the course of our first season was how physical, co-ordinated in their pressing, championship midfields are. Game just feels faster and more physically intense and they really struggled with that, whereas a side like Blackpool who have done well seem far better equipped to deal with it and indeed be able to impose that sort of game on opponents. Peterborough were just a bit “nice” to play against.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Looks like James Shea is going to be out until the end of next season. Wow, that’s a really bad injury he suffered on Monday.

Adebayo also going for a hamstring scan. Not sure what happened with Bradley but he was clutching his hamstring then his ankle when he went off.

We really are getting shot to pieces at the moment - I really don’t think any other club could’ve coped with this level of injury.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Basically have quite a decent 11 out now. I’m sure Nathan could fashion a result of sorts out of Shea, Bree, Burke, Bradley, Onyedinma, Rea, Clark, Berry, Pelly, Osho, Adebayo! Being a bit liberal there as injuries to some are not known and Rea I guess technically wouldn’t be here but illustrates a point.

Thankful to our recruitment over the summer I think that we are still going and the fact that we have an actual “squad”, players willing to play multiple roles and where their is negligible difference between players -“next man up” to steal a slightly glib phrase from American football.

Unfortunately Adebayo is one of those players who will be a big miss so everything crossed it’s nothing serious. Whilst playoffs not totally confirmed I’d even go as far to say it’s not really worth fielding him against Fulham even if he is fine. He needs a rest.

Sheas injury sounds quite serious, club made a thing about standing by him during his recovery and still offering him a new contract - which sort of implies to me that it’s very serious, perhaps we’ll into next season too and we could have easily walked away from it. Pleased to see we didn’t.

 

[BelizeHatter]

You wonder why the medical team let him play on for a bit. Lockyer reacted like Shea had broken his leg at a minimum.

Cracking season. Questions need to be asked on how/why the players are pushed to play so many games in exceptional circumstances. Absolute madness to only allow three subs. Too many too in too short a time once squads thin out but i dont know what the answer is with Intl calendar, two cups and season sandwiched between Euros and World Cup. We had a month off mid season with covid and its hurting now.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

EFL awards ceremony tonight. Winners:
Player of the Season: Mitrovic
Young Player: Brennan Johnson
Manager of the Season: Nathan Jones

Seems pretty fair on the whole. Mitrovic clearly the best player at the level and Johnson with his goals and assists in a very good Forest side has had a fantastic season. Clearly bias but dont think anyone comes close to the job Jones has done. Perhaps Corberan at Huddersfield, the other one who you could throw in.

Team of the season
GK: Nicholls (Huddersfield)
CB: Adarabioyo (Fulham)
CB: Kelly (Bournemouth)
CB: Worrall (Forest)
LWB: Robinson (Fulham)
RWB: Spence (Forest/on loan from Boro)
CM: Yates (Forest)
CM: Billing (Bournemouth)
CAM: Wilson (Fulham)
FW: Solanke (Bournemouth)
Manager: Jones (Luton)

I guess not too controversial either. Only ones id slightyl question perhaps are Kelly (simply because he played very badly against us), & Yates - mainly because i dont remember him being stand out either. Pretty amazing that Boro loaned out Spence to Forest, I know they have their own very good young fullback in Isasiah Jones but i wonder if they regret it. Will be sold for big money in the summer, probably to Forest if they go up.

 

[Super_horns]

Blackburn putting themselves into play off contention?

The last spot is between 3-4 sides .

 

[SF_]

I think Ryan Lowe knows exactly what this supposed group of footballers are, I just hope he gets some backing.

I'm glad I'm abroad because my passion for this club is dead right now, for the first time ever.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Blackburn putting themselves into play off contention?

The last spot is between 3-4 sides .

Blackburn can still catch us. And Preston’s literal ability to be shafted has brought GD back into play. Cheers again PNE…

 

[Bartonyellow]

Blackburn can still catch us. And Preston’s literal ability to be shafted has brought GD back into play. Cheers again PNE…

Boro can still catch you too.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Im sure Kenny's well aware of that. Millwall too if theres a few goal swing esp with us at Fulham and them versus Peterboro

 

[Kenneth E End]

Im sure Kenny's well aware of that. Millwall too if theres a few goal swing esp with us at Fulham and them versus Peterboro

Indeed. And we have Fulham next Monday. No chickens are being counted at all, especially with our current unprecedented injury crisis. I do hope that by the time Monday comes around, we have our place guaranteed.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah last nights win for Blackburn and the goals they scored do ratchet up the nerves ever so slightly more. Certainly makes the “goal” we had ruled out at the end of Saturdays game look a bit costly.

Hoping Cardiff can do us a favour and at least knock Boro out of the running tomorrow night and then Bournemouth can do the same on Saturday for Rovers. Then becomes about not getting hammered by Fulham for us

 

[Super_horns]

Early goals for Swansea and Forest on top v Fulham.

Fulham defending for the Forest goal was awful !

Are Bournemouth going to blow 2nd ?

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Bournemouth in all sorts of bother now I think. Got forest, Millwall, Blackburn in the last 3 - tough games that are also HUGE in the context of what it means, for a side not playing well and with what I think is a distinctly average to poor manager.

Could in the process open the door to others coming into the playoffs, certainly Blackburn will fancy it with their GD looking better after last night.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well that comeback certainly helps Bournemouth!

 

[Bartonyellow]

Well that comeback certainly helps Bournemouth!

Not really. Lose to forest and they are in the driving seat. It’s 2 points lost in reality. They are losing their nerve.
Take salanke’s goals away and they would not be where they are.
My money is on forest to pip them.

 

[Super_horns]

Bournemouth at Blackburn I think and Forest at home to Swansea of all teams.

Both could be going into next Tuesday's game at Dean Court level on points.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Not really. Lose to forest and they are in the driving seat. It’s 2 points lost in reality. They are losing their nerve.
Take salanke’s goals away and they would not be where they are.
My money is on forest to pip them.

I guess not but it extends their ability to at least be level on points with Forest going into the game on Tuesday next week. They very well could have been 3rd and behind on points by the time of that game, in a worst case now they are level still (not sure on the tiebreakers after GD though as its currently level! So they might not be 2nd but at least would be level). So some psychology to that perhaps but like you say, 2 points dropped probably.

I think Forest will get it too, i think i saw just on the basis of Coopers time in charge (so basically exclude the first 7 games) Forest would be top. Been going like a freight train for a while now and carrying all the momentum.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Yeah last nights win for Blackburn and the goals they scored do ratchet up the nerves ever so slightly more. Certainly makes the “goal” we had ruled out at the end of Saturdays game look a bit costly.

Hoping Cardiff can do us a favour and at least knock Boro out of the running tomorrow night and then Bournemouth can do the same on Saturday for Rovers. Then becomes about not getting hammered by Fulham for us

Cardiff do look a bit hopeless as a side right now, but they probably were worth a point last Monday against us. I can’t see Middlesbrough not bearing them.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Cardif not doing us any favours so far as they are 1 down at Boro. Performed ok so far and probably shaded it but Boro have had 1 shot and scored it.

As for us, a few training ground pictures posted by the club today, good news is that we seem to have 11 players available one of whom is a keeper. Bad news is Adebayo isnt present in any of them seemingly, unless I’ve missed him lurking in the background of one of them

 

[Super_horns]

Boro stake a claim tonight for the play offs winning their game in hand.

2 points behind and have Stoke/Preston to play so good chance of 6 points .