12 hours later ..,,

Had time to think about last nights game and as people say on here, Forest have spent some serious money this season so far and they have a lot of players sitting on the bench that would easily get into our side (Mackie)
I thought it was an entertaining game and as much as I dislike Davies what he said in his interview was right, about Big Tom keeping us in the game first half etc.
They stuck to their game plan and it paid off for them, the only player they couldn't deal with was Kaz and he was our only threat really as well as Croft's who had another great game as well.
As for Barnes, it seems to me that he knows he has no pressure on his position at the moment and he is to busy appealing to the officials for fouls etc and when he does get a chance in front of goal he can't convert it. One assist and no goals in 11 games is not the form of any decent striker in my opinion.

That is all !

Prepare for slating

I don't think that Barnes is not playing well because he feels no pressure on his position; he knows full well that Leo will be back in 5-6 games. It's more to do with him not being good enough as a lone striker. His hold up play was actually quite good last night, but he was never any threat in the box when the ball was crossed in. He an Leo were a very effective partnership when they played together last year; although I still see CMS and Leo as the ideal front men.

Barnes cannot play as a lone striker, he was gash yesterday just kept falling over and appealing for a foul. If you are 3-1 down and you sub him for another striker that really sums up to me what Oscar thought of him.

We really do need a loan striker in ASAP or we play Barker instead of Barnes.

Following the Barnes is crap..... Don't play him cos he is crap and a moany little boy, I'd try out Buckley & Conway seeing as they can both play as a forward, they could even swap during the game like buckers and kaz do with the wings, we need to try something new if no hope of a loan signing is coming in!

and Barnes still can't find the net !!

Time to put Ward up front. He's our most experienced striker at present.

ees complicated said:

Following the Barnes is crap..... Don't play him cos he is crap and a moany little boy, I'd try out Buckley & Conway seeing as they can both play as a forward, they could even swap during the game like buckers and kaz do with the wings, we need to try something new if no hope of a loan signing is coming in!

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Buckley has had several short spells through the middle already and made no impact whatsoever. Barnes will at least keep one of the centre backs occupied. For me, Barnes seems to be best at nipping in front of defenders on to driven crosses so he's more of a second striker than a lone target man at this level. Didn't get any opportunities like that yesterday. He's never going to match Ulloa as the guy is basically a Premier League forward so it'd probably just be best if people cut Barnes some slack rather than constantly slate the bloke during the game. Totally unjustified. He'd do himself some favours if he moaned less about fouling, although Leo gets away with that without all the derision. Good example yesterday in front of the benches of people's anti-Barnes focus. Buckley has the ball. Barnes is one on one with the full back and his weight is on his right foot as he looks for a ball to run on to. Buckley plays it square instead and as Barnes checks back he slips. Normal result: a few people grumble about Buckley's pass and a misunderstanding between two players. Because it's AB: howls of anguish from the usual Barnes haters, boosting his confidence by telling him he's shit and to get off. Well played, lads.

Agree that Barnes is not good enough. When he was played in midfield, people were saying he was not scoring as he was out of position. Put him up front and still no better. I actually think Barnes plays better behind a striker. He has no pace though and spent most of yesterday on his arse. A very good league 1 striker but I feel the defenders in the championship are too pacy and strong for him.

Beach Hut said:

Barnes cannot play as a lone striker, he was gash yesterday just kept falling over and appealing for a foul. If you are 3-1 down and you sub him for another striker that really sums up to me what Oscar thought of him.

We really do need a loan striker in ASAP or we play Barker instead of Barnes.

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I saw Barnes being taken off as a precaution so as to avoid injury for the next game, with defeat more or less assured.

Charlies Shinpad said:

Had time to think about last nights game and as people say on here, Forest have spent some serious money this season so far and they have a lot of players sitting on the bench that would easily get into our side (Mackie)
I thought it was an entertaining game and as much as I dislike Davies what he said in his interview was right, about Big Tom keeping us in the game first half etc.
They stuck to their game plan and it paid off for them, the only player they couldn't deal with was Kaz and he was our only threat really as well as Croft's who had another great game as well.
As for Barnes, it seems to me that he knows he has no pressure on his position at the moment and he is to busy appealing to the officials for fouls etc and when he does get a chance in front of goal he can't convert it. One assist and no goals in 11 games is not the form of any decent striker in my opinion.

That is all !

Prepare for slating

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How many chances did Barnes get in front of goal yesterday?

Even te best strikers in the world would struggle to score with our inept tactics at the moment

Lifelong Supporter said:

I saw Barnes being taken off as a precaution so as to avoid injury for the next game, with defeat more or less assured.

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Nah.

Oscar has a winning mentality, we could have still got at least a draw at that point (vs ten men).

He was brought off just after he gave away a ball that was played in front of him, center of goal on the edge of the box.

The next game is two weeks away.

supaseagull said:

How many chances did Barnes get in front of goal yesterday?

Even te best strikers in the world would struggle to score with our inept tactics at the moment

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Inept tactics? When the players stuck to the gameplan they went 1-0 up and gave Forest a hard time. It was the players' fault that they fell apart in the second half, and they were always going to struggle to break down 10 men behind the ball.

I genuinely don't understand the criticism Oscar, his tactics and approach to the game is getting. Not sure how much football experience the people making these observations have, either..

theonesmith said:

Inept tactics? When the players stuck to the gameplan they went 1-0 up and gave Forest a hard time. It was the players' fault that they fell apart in the second half, and they were always going to struggle to break down 10 men behind the ball.

I genuinely don't understand the criticism Oscar, his tactics and approach to the game is getting. Not sure how much football experience the people making these observations have, either..

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Agree

We are having a dip but we had dips under Gus and we're well under strength. Keep the faith, Forest were a good if win ugly side..

I actually like the way Oscar has us playing, much higher tempo and more direct with two wingers, so I won't slate him at all, but as someone said about Barnes having no chances, well there was one in the second half which would have put us two up, then going back to the Reading game he again missed when it was easier to score and is know people will say he set up our first goal last night but that was a miss hit shot and when OG took him off for Barker that said it all for me

Time to make use of our set pieces. Incredibly dull and predictable. I almost yearned for our Wilkins short corners that came to nothing. At least it would have provided a little variety.

Barrel of Fun said:

Time to make use of our set pieces. Incredibly dull and predictable. I almost yearned for our Wilkins short corners that came to nothing. At least it would have provided a little variety.

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Yep, I would agree that our set pieces let us down. Forest committed twice as many fouls and picked up six yellows during the game, we just failed to make the most of our set pieces from them. Forest scored two good gaols but Greer didn't do us any favours for the third.

Yes we were flattered to be ahead at HT but ahead we were. It was necessary to take their sting for first 15 mins of the second half. We held out for 45 seconds. Poor concentration, nobody picked up Lansbury. 1-1.
Then at 1-1, Crofts hit the inside of the post and Calderon missed an absolute sitter. Calderon then got caught out of position ( regular occurence )..1-2...ok regroup...cue Greer, who decides to pass straight to a Forest player ( regular occurence ) then compounds the problem with a clumsy, ill-timed lunge....1-3.
Forest lost their composure in the last 15 mins of the first half and that was our chance. We needed to start strongly for the second half. Caught cold, we then could and should have gone 2-1 up. We didn't and that was that. An under-strength team making too many mistakes.
At present, we have too many players underperforming for comfort.....Calderon, Lopez, Greer ( fans yesterday were saying it was a one-off....wrong...he's had other below par games this season and his distribution hasn't been good enough ) Barnes, Conway ( yes..I know we haven't seen much but what I've seen has been unimpressive ) Agustien, JFC ( needs to impose himself more ) and Bruno ( help! )
Plus points....KLL ( Outstanding...carrying the whole front-line on his own back ) Crofts ( clearly struggling with fitness but battling on ) Upson..dependable...TK...usual good form.
Ok but nothing better...Buckley, Ward, Andrews.
Should be playing.....Rohan Ince....what the hell is going on there?
Four players performing up to expectation is not enough. Forget all the injuries, we need better from those available. TB has indicated that a striker will be in place by Yeovil. Thank God. It is painful watching Barnes upfront on his own. ( Like a fish out of water..can't hold the ball, can't head the ball....that rehearsed free-kick which found Barnes on the edge of the box was embarrassing ) Why not gamble yesterday and throw in Upson or El Abd upfront at 1-3. There was nothing to lose...we were losing anyway. Their physical presence might have made a difference. But no..we got the diminutive George Barker!
I still think we will have a good second half of the season but we need more from those at present until we get our ' big ' players back. It's not Oscar's fault. He is being let down by too many indifferent displays. These players are being given their chance. If this carries on, some of them won't get second chances.

On Barnes....


How are people blaming him?? The supply to him has been awful, can anyone name a time he's had the ball at his feet in or around the box with a sight of goal? I can't think of one yet. Unfair to compare him to Leo we all know he's Prem class and easily one of the best in the division. He's got different attributes too, much taller and stronger than Barnes, therefore the long ball approach works, lumping the ball up to Barnes on his own and expecting him to keep it isn't going to work every time. Need to play to players strengths. Barnes barely had a sight of goal tonight and thats more down to a lack of creativity in the team to find him. He made enough runs around the box but no one was looking for the decisive pass. Watch it back if you don't believe me. Maybe he isn't as strong and quick as other players? Can't dribble round a whole defence or win a long ball pumped upfield. Can someone like RVP do much of that?? But give him the ball around the box and he scores goals? Can't even see how RVP would've scored last night receiving the ball in the positions Barnes did last night.

@Charlies Shinpad, think you've just made up that bit about Barnes having a chance to put us 2 up. Don't remember a chance myself, and besides we wouldn't have been 2 up; Upson was the only BHA player to touch the ball between half time and their first goal. Don't remember him missing a chance against Reading when 'it was easier to score'. So assuming your making that up too....

@trueblue is 100% right, any other player and thats Buckley's fault.

Basically people get off Barnes' back, he tries harder than alot of players in the team, chasing lost causes and closing down the keeper last night countless times, with poor support from midfield to help close the other defenders down. Slating him for moaning to the ref? Difficult when your being manhandled just as Ulloa is, and no one moans about him having a go at the ref. Must be frustrating with such poor service, just highlights how good Ulloa is. When Barnes gets a chance as good as Ulloa's against Sheff Wed from Bruno's pass and fluffs it, then people are entitled to doubt him a little. Not that anyone highlights how horrific it was for Ulloa to miss that?! Just stop moaning and get behind him like you would the rest of the team.

On the set pieces...

Wrote a thread towards end of last season about lack of goals from our centre backs at set pieces - http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?275378-Goals-from-centre-backs/page2&highlight=centre+backs

Obviously its just a few a season, but that can easily make a difference in games. Greer had a free header against Sheff Weds at the South End straight at the keeper, Upson and Calde both had headers they should've done much better from last night. Need others to chip in especially at times like this. Just think where we'd be without Crofts this season, aren't him and Andrews the only players apart from Ulloa to score for us this season??

Can't blame it all on the defenders. The delivery this season has been woeful. Lopez probably the worst offender, but on loads of occasions Lualua has been just as bad from set pieces. For example, think it was the free kick after the sending off last night. Was neither really a cross or shot and straight into the keepers arms. Couldn't of made it any easier for him. JFC wasn't particularly impressive with his delivery last night either but didn't have loads of opportunities. Also need to stop these 'clever' routines of one player pulling back to the side of box and heading it in middle for others, think we tried it with Upson last night. Can't see how thats supposed to provide us with a good opportunity to score, its hopeless. Especially if Upson isn't even going to win the header anyway!

If we don't have the height dominance in the box. No point floating the ball in. Get some pace on it for players to attack it. e.g Barnes against Arsenal good example of quick ball in and attacking it. Good set piece against good side = effective? If we want to try play a clever free kick, watch Man City last night, keep it along the deck and simple, much less chance of error and effective?

Finally

Our squads a bit threadbare to say the least. Only have to look at our bench last night and the players out injured to see how lacking in quality we are. However we've got some decent players, need some a few adjustments and make the most of what we've got. No point sitting here and complaining how 'this player isn't good enough' or 'Oscar's the wrong man, get rid'. Just get behind the team and stop moaning, 'SUPPORTers'.

Ok maybe it wasn't a chance to make it 2-0 but he still fluffed his chance when he had it in front of goal and as for the Reading game, obviously Sky also made it up when he missed from a yard out as well then
He is a striker and gets a lot of money to put the ball in the net and when you miss chances like he does he deserves criticism
I and many others on here pay his wages every week and if he isn't doing his job properly we are entitled to criticise, just like your boss would at work