Nottingham Forest (H) | Sat 23rd Sept | PL | Post Match Thread

[Blueroses]

Strange game. We lost the plot from around the 25th minute and there seemed to be some bad blood that must have been carried over from the game in February. We played as well in the first third of that game as we have all season, but in the final two thirds we played as badly as we have done all season. Most odd.

No more happy flowers.

 

[Blueroses]

Showed a lot of character and discipline today coupled with flexibility and adaptability.
We can be pragmatic when we need to be which is a quality we've developed over the last season or so and in my opinion is the reason we were able to win the UCL last season and silence the "you're not a great team unless you win the champions league" wankers.

The second half set up was solid. Especially with how long we was man down the tactics did the job.

Arsenal and Co celebrating Rodri missing the game in October says it all. Rodri is marked man now, the heart beat of our team right now and the way they were marking him two and three at time got under his skin.

With the amount losses of players due to injure/ suspension. Beating Arsenal without Rodri will lay a marker and mentally can affect arsenal.especially with antics after the shield win.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

The second half set up was solid. Especially with how long we was man down the tactics did the job.

Arsenal and Co celebrating Rodri missing the game in October says it all. Rodri is marked man now, the heart beat of our team right now and the way they were marking him two and three at time got under his skin.

With the amount losses of players due to injure/ suspension. Beating Arsenal without Rodri will lay a marker and mentally can affect arsenal.especially with antics after the shield win.

You could even argue that the red card allowed Pep to work out how to win with 10 men (with limited midfielders too), which could help us in the long run.

 

[cleavers]

The moan about second yellows happens every game.

They weren't actually about second yellows, they were about firsts that were ignored.

He was shite, and lost control of the game.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

They weren't actually about second yellows, they were about firsts that were ignored.

He was shite, and lost control of the game.

Cool. Football is an emotive business.

 

[Blueroses]

A game of two halves and we were sensational in both. We passed em to death in the first half and we showed our often overlooked incredible mental fortitude in the 2nd when playing 10 against 12.

This was just the kind of gut check we needed with some tougher games approaching. The confidence and sense of togetherness that winning a game like this brings far outweighs the inconvenience of missing Rodri for a few games. Even the red card has its positives - he presumably won’t do anything so daft again and he gets a nice little enforced break.

Phillips has golden opportunity to play next games and looks good today especially going forward at times. This is the chance to grab it. Levels belies Rodri but quality of his own for sure.

 

[cleavers]

We played as well in the first third of that game as we have all season, but in the final two thirds we played as badly as we have done all season. Most odd.

I'd watch it back, after the sending off, Pep decided to defend the 2-0, which we did superbly for 50 minutes, yes some of it was last ditch, but Forest really went for it, yet created very little of note.

I thought our second half was superb, and our defenders loved it, and they rarely have to to "backs to the wall".

Credit to the whole team (Rodri apart - though he was superb first half), for a full team performance.

 

[paulchapo]

Strange game. We lost the plot from around the 25th minute and there seemed to be some bad blood that must have been carried over from the game in February. We played as well in the first third of that game as we have all season, but in the final two thirds we played as badly as we have done all season. Most odd.

I noticed this it was really odd. We were coasting and it was a case of how many we'd score when we seemed to lose the plot. Foden said similar in his post match interview, adding Forest worked us out or something along those lines.

I think they thought fuck this were not getting a hiding and decided to spoil the game. Fouling, going down injured, using every trick in the book, aided and abetted by Taylor. We allowed ourselves to get rattled and went right off the boil as a result. Pep saw it and warned them at half time but Rodri didn't take heed and off he went. I lost a fair bit of respect for Forest today. As for Taylor, he has history with us, all bad.

 

[Blueboy73]

The second half set up was solid. Especially with how long we was man down the tactics did the job.

Arsenal and Co celebrating Rodri missing the game in October says it all. Rodri is marked man now, the heart beat of our team right now and the way they were marking him two and three at time got under his skin.

With the amount losses of players due to injure/ suspension. Beating Arsenal without Rodri will lay a marker and mentally can affect arsenal.especially with antics after the shield win.

I've heard The Tarquins were celebrating Rodri missing that fixture like they've just won the league but we know how giddy they get with their premature over the top celebrations.
We live rent free in their heads and that along with their over emotional giddiness and lack of mental fortitude was their undoing last season.

It's their cup final, if they win they'll get giddy but making a big deal out of us not having Rodri will plant a seed of doubt in their head that they can't beat us with him in the team.

If we beat them without Rodri, it will crush them mentally.

Either way it's just another fixture for us and the fact that they cannot rest half of their team for European games this season will be a big factor over the course season.

 

[paulchapo]

A draw in the cockney derby and the Liverpool v West Ham game, or a Hammers win later today would be lovely.

 

[Blueroses]

I've heard The Tarquins were celebrating Rodri missing that fixture like they've just won the league but we know how giddy they get with their premature over the top celebrations.
We live rent free in their heads and that along with their over emotional giddiness and lack of mental fortitude was their undoing last season.

It's their cup final, if they win they'll get giddy but making a big deal out of us not having Rodri will plant a seed of doubt in their head that they can't beat us with him in the team.

If we beat them without Rodri, it will crush them mentally.

Either way it's just another fixture for us and the fact that they cannot rest half of their team for European games this season will be a big factor over the course season.

The pressure is all on Arsenal in the lead up to that game we all know how they do when the it’s gets cranked up.

We have nothing to prove so it’s will be cracking game even better if we actually win. Pep has time to cook something up before then.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

The pressure is all on Arsenal in the lead up to that game we all know how they do when the it’s gets cranked up.

We have nothing to prove so it’s will be cracking game even better if we actually win. Pep has time to cook something up before then.

They are feeling it already. It’s crazy. Not lose at their place and they might implode.

 

[Blueboy73]

The pressure is all on Arsenal in the lead up to that game we all know how they do when the it’s gets cranked up.

We have nothing to prove so it’s will be cracking game even better if we actually win. Pep has time to cook something up before then.

I don't think Arsenal will be challenging for the league this season.
Playing UCL football is a big factor as you can't rotate and rest like you could in The Europa League and keep everyone fresh.
They're not used to playing at this level twice a week whereas we are.
Spurs have no European football and The Dippers are playing Europa League football and know they can rotate in that competition and still win as they did this week.
Those two will be a more serious challenge than Arsenal over the course of the season IMO but I might be wrong.

 

[Blueroses]

They are feeling it already. It’s crazy. Not lose at their place and they might implode.

I don’t like spurs but rooting for curve ball and they win for first time in long time at the emeralds for NLD. This will just crank it up. With Spurs they always get stuck somehow and capitulate maybe it’s different under Ange.

 

[Blueroses]

I don't think Arsenal will be challenging for the league this season.
Playing UCL football is a big factor as you can't rotate and rest like you could in The Europa League and keep everyone fresh.
They're not used to playing at this level twice a week whereas we are.
Spurs have no European football and The Dippers are playing Europa League football and know they can rotate in that competition and still win as they did this week.
Those two will be a more serious challenge than Arsenal over the course of the season IMO but I might be wrong.

Spurs are dark horse for top 3 finish with lack of mid week games. Let’s see how they do tomorrow…

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I don’t like spurs but rooting for curve ball and they win for first time in long time at the emeralds for NLD. This will just crank it up. With Spurs they always get stuck somehow and capitulate maybe it’s different under Ange.

Spurs fans do too. He’ll likely do the same as the others.

He seems a top bloke though.

 

[Plain Speaking]

Rodri received a push in the centre of his back that totally floored him, immediately prior to his sending off, Taylor completely ignored it. He also couldn't hide his sly smile as he showed Rodri the red card.

Whilst Rodri undeniably lost his cool and overreacted, it was partly because our players were frustrated at Taylor's failure to blow the whistle and protect them.

Is there any way the club can reasonably object to Taylor's appointment for future City games? He seems to subtly and consistently shaft us.

 

[SamTheGuru]

I don't think Arsenal will be challenging for the league this season.
Playing UCL football is a big factor as you can't rotate and rest like you could in The Europa League and keep everyone fresh.
They're not used to playing at this level twice a week whereas we are.
Spurs have no European football and The Dippers are playing Europa League football and know they can rotate in that competition and still win as they did this week.
Those two will be a more serious challenge than Arsenal over the course of the season IMO but I might be wrong.

Arsenal are yet to be known.
In my opinion, Spurs may make a push this year.
Dippers kicked off at quarter to 6 on a Thursday. Enough said.

 

[Blueboy73]

Spurs are dark horse for top 3 finish with lack of mid week games. Let’s see how they do tomorrow…

Spurs can concentrate solely on the league until January as they're also out of the league cup.
I can't stand Spurs but I do like their new manager.
He's got them playing some good stuff, the players seem to have bought into his philosophy and it looks like a happy ship from the outside
I don't think they've got enough to win the league but I think they'll be right up there.

 

[Blueroses]

Rodri received a push in the centre of his back that totally floored him, immediately prior to his sending off, Taylor completely ignored it. He also couldn't hide his sly smile as he showed Rodri the red card.

Whilst Rodri undeniably lost his cool and overreacted, it was partly because our players were frustrated at Taylor's failure to blow the whistle and protect them.

Is there any way the club can reasonably object to Taylor's appointment for future City games? He seems to subtly and consistently shaft us.

I saw ESPN analysis with that ex Goalie Shaka something he said we should go down to 10 men more often to make the game competitive. How Pathetic!
This will will help the team build on it and only come out stronger.