A successful season in many ways, and yet it ended in disappointment. What were the highlights, the lowlights and the leading lights for Nottingham Forest in 2019/20? David Marples, Andrew Brookes, Paul Severn and Peter Blackburn conduct the season review
David Marples
Player of the season?
It’s a tough call between Ben Watson and Matty Cash. An honourable mention to Joe Worrall too. Perhaps Cash just shades it on the basis that this was a debut season in a new role for him.
Signing of the season?
Both Sammy Ameobi and Yuri Ribeiro have done very good things. But Brice Samba perhaps just ahead of these two. If Samba Sow had remained fit…
Goal of the season?
Lewis Grabban’s first at Fulham was beautiful, although I did enjoy João Carvalho’s at QPR too.
Highlight of the season?
It’s easy to forget but there were numerous outstanding moments. Grabban’s goals at Fulham. Alfa Semedo’s goal at Swansea. Ameobi’s goal at Stoke. Carvalho’s at QPR. When we thought we’d won at Millwall. When we thought we’d won at Reading. Joe Lolley’s goal at Brentford. Cash’s goal at WBA.
Following Forest away this season has been a genuine pleasure. But perhaps the highlight was the precise moment when Tyler Walker swept the ball in and the Trent End came fully unhinged. It was chaotic pleasure and we really thought we were onto something.
The condiments table at Stoke was pretty spectacular too.
Disappointment of the season?
Seriously?
What were the reasons for failure?
While the obvious contender is to point an accusing finger at our admirable ability to concede goals in added time, perhaps the real issue that held us back was our tendency to drop points against lower/mid-table teams at home. Going one goal behind at home meant we had to implement a significant gear change in our style of play yet too often it seemed beyond us.
Where did you think we’d finish the season back in August last year?
Mid-table, most likely 16th.
Verdict on Sabri Lamouchi?
What has particularly impressed is how he has improved players at his disposal: Cash, Joe Worrall, Figueiredo, Watson, Ryan Yates and arguably even Lolley (who seems a more rounded player).
Perhaps the question we should be asking is whether he is the type of manager under whom we can improve? Have we seen enough to suggest he can build on his debut season in English football?
He seems like the kind of guy who will go away and be brutally honest with himself as to how he could have done better and he appears to have the respect of the players. In light of this, there is a strong case to suggest he will evolve into a very good manager.
What do we need to do next season?
While I am not a fan of the old adage of having a much fabled ‘Plan B’, an ability to adapt and be more proactive in getting ahead at home would be beneficial.
Where will we finish next season?
I genuinely have no idea. We could come tearing out of the traps with purpose and a deep determination to put things right or we could endure a season-long hangover.
Andrew Brookes
Player of the season?
Matty Cash. His transformation into rampaging modern full-back has been incredible. Tiger-like in defence and explosive in attack, Cash makes us a much better side.
Signing of the season?
Sammy Ameobi. We’re a far more potent attacking force when he’s on the pitch. Yes, sometimes he does some crazy things, but look past those and you’ll see skill, pace, vision, power and hard work in abundance.
Goal of the season?
I mean, I know the answer really is that Fulham team goal, isn’t it? For an individual strike though, Ameobi’s first against Swansea was a beauty and really summed him up. Cash’s late leveller at the Hawthorns also worthy of a mention.
Highlight of the season?
Tyler Walker’s goal against Leeds. The icing on the cake on a great night at the City Ground. What a shame it was a false dawn for him and that, for whatever reason, he wasn’t able to be the fresh legs up front we needed. You feel the team as a whole struggled to hit the same heights too, with three wins in the 15 games that followed. That was our peak.
Disappointment of the season?
The end of the very last game, against a club whose name rhymes with joke, which is perhaps apt.
What were the reasons for failure?
While it’s tempting to point to individual moments, especially when the margins were so fine (hat tip, Warburton), there were two systemic issues that let us down. First and foremost, for me, was the home form. If you look at points collected for away games alone, we were the third best team in the league. Do the same for home games and we were 13th. We actually collected five points fewer at home than in 2016/17 – the year of the goal difference, last day relegation escape. We really struggled when we had chance to dominate the ball and had to break down compact teams – and that held us back from being a more serious promotion contender.
Secondly, we became over-reliant on a small band of players. Sabri only truly trusted something like 14 or 15 of his squad to start games – and every attempt to find someone to replace those key players fell flat (especially the influential wide men). That meant trying to flog players who were struggling for fitness – and trying to drag out lots of games from signings unaccustomed to playing 30/40 games of men’s football at the pace and intensity of the Championship.
Where did you think we’d finish the season back in August last year?
I really wasn’t sure. There were so many imponderables when it came to the new signings and Lamouchi and there’s such a small difference between teams at this level. I think my gut feeling was that we were too reliant on Grabban going forward. I guess, if pushed, I thought we would probably finish 9th-ish again without extra firepower (with a sniff of 6th if everything clicked).
Verdict on Sabri Lamouchi?
He’s hit the ground running and shown an astute understanding of the squad and the challenges posed by Championship football. There have been occasional blips – we perhaps underestimated the strength of supposedly ‘lower’ teams in games against Wigan and Charlton – but he’s certainly delivered a well-organised, hard-working side that has been particularly strong when going toe-to-toe with the division’s best. He’s ‘built from the back’ and forged an effective side, just not yet a squad with multiple ways of winning matches. The Stoke Implosion exposed all of our weaknesses in one shocking episode and threatens to taint the undoubted progress he’s made.
What do we need to do next season?
Find a way to evolve ‘the plan’ to be more creative at home. Find/develop more players who can be part of the ‘core’ of first team starters to avoid burnout and help us to either chase games when we’re behind or see them out when we’re ahead (as well as helping us to last the course over 46 games). We need to build on the work we’ve done, not tear up the script and gamble on another new strategy.
Where will we finish next season?
I’m a little bit worried that Lamouchi is ‘on notice’ after the nature of the end of season humiliation. If he’s not gone before the season kicks off, you fear that one bad run of form could cost him. I’m also worried about losing key players with little time to unearth replacements. It’d be all-too-easy to unravel the foundations that have only been established for a season and we should be wary of that. I’ll say 12th (with a sniff to go one better than this season if we’re lucky/smart).
Paul Severn
Player of the season?
I think Matty Cash will win the award, but I like a comeback story. I wasn’t sure Ben Watson could be our ‘quarterback’ but in a deeper role he excelled and showed exactly why he’s had a great career.
Signing of the season?
Yuri Ribeiro and Sammy Ameobi were great pick-ups, but I think Brice Samba was a key signing. He made the goalkeeping position his own and stamped his personality and authority on things immediately. It was a shame he seemed to be struggling with injury after lockdown. He wasn’t himself.
Goal of the season?
Lewis Grabban’s team goal at Fulham will live long in the memory, but his run down the right-hand side to set up Alfa Semedo’s winner at Swansea was an incredible piece of individual play. His equaliser at Middlesborough was clever skill too.
Highlight of the season?
I think I’ll always remember the Leeds United win. An incredible atmosphere and Tyler Walker’s clincher blew the roof off. We ground out a lot of results, but that night, we deserved it. At that point, anything seemed possible.
Disappointment of the season?
Obviously the last 20 minutes broke our hearts. But there were other tough moments too. The Charlton defeat and the two draws versus Reading seemed to hint that perhaps, we weren’t quite strong enough to mix it at the very top.
What were the reasons for failure?
A lot of people are pointing to signings and other factors, which of course play a part. But if we are asking why we missed out on the play-offs, I think it was sporting reasons. We never recovered mentally from conceding such a costly goal at Derby. I also think the containing strategy, defending out of possession didn’t work so well with games so close together post-lockdown. A number of key players were running on empty by the end.
Where did you think we’d finish the season back in August last year?
About where we finished. I felt it was a tall order for a manager new to the Championship to take this squad into the play-offs. I feel overall, we were punching above our weight most the season, especially when you see how much Stoke and Huddersfield struggled.
Verdict on Sabri Lamouchi?
Sabri was a credit to himself and the club over the course of the season, leading the club in a dignified manner. He brought some dress sense to the dugout and made us more competitive. His tactical approach seemed to stall whenever we conceded and that was costly. The open question is whether he could have taken a more talented team further.
What do we need to do next season?
When teams don’t get promoted there always tends to be an element of rebuilding. Leeds lost Jack Clarke, Pontus Jansson and Kemar Roofe, so we shouldn’t fear changes. If players go, we need to reinvest wisely and a solution needs to be found for the Joao Carvalho debate – for all our sakes!
Where will we finish next season?
It’s very difficult to make predictions at this point. It will be a massive job to pick up the players and fans to start over. If we are up there, battling for the play-offs again, I’ll be delighted. We can bounce back so I’ll be positive. Sixth!
Peter Blackburn
Player of the season?
There have been a few players worthy of mention: Samba, particularly in the earlier stages of the season, really changed the feel of the defence with calm and assertive performances bringing out the best in the players in front of him; and Lolley and Grabban have often been the obvious heroes of the team with both bringing great skill and maturity and performing wonders in a side which is rarely proactive in chance creation. Honourable mentions for Watson, Ribeiro, Silva and Worrall too, for moments and periods of performance.
But for me the player of the season is Matty Cash. I’m not sure there are enough words to praise this young man on the pitch. I always felt Cash might end up needing to make a particular role his own – perhaps as a box-to-box 8 using that acceleration, strength and energy, but what did I know? From a winger capable of moments of magic and offering serious work rate suddenly a defender of genuine skill and guile has emerged. He has been a vital outlet and partner for Joe Lolley in attack and a remarkably consistent full-back while defending, too. He’d be a steal for half the teams in the Premier League and I’d be very surprised if he’s still at the City Ground come next season. All the best to him – I’ll be watching on Match of the Day.
Signing of the season?
Tough one with shouts for Samba and Silva, but I’m actually going to go slightly left-field and opt for Yuri Ribeiro. Left-back has been a famous problem position for the club for many years and the little terrier has done a sterling job making the role his own.
Goal of the season?
That goal against Fulham. If only we’d seen a bit more of that swashbuckling football the crushing end of season low might seem very slightly less all-consuming.
Highlight of the season?
Tiago Silva’s slinky bit of skill at home to Derby — a rare piece of individual flair in a season characterised by rigid organisation and collective responsibility.
Disappointment of the season?
Watching Stoke score four goals to crush my dreams in an empty stadium via comedy streaming platform iFollow during a global pandemic.
What were the reasons for the failure?
If I knew this I’d perhaps be working in the game rather than just watching. The psychological impact from the late goal at Derby seems an easy target for blame but overall I would probably suggest the issue is luck slightly running out with respect to the side’s pragmatic approach to winning football matches (the underlying stats suggest this, I think) and, surprisingly given some of the players in the dressing room, a lack of character and mental strength in key moments and seeing games out.
Where did you think we’d finish the season back in August last year?
I suspect I would have gone for around 10th.
Verdict on Sabri Lamouchi?
I’m torn. I like him as a man, and I love that he’s brought a team together to perform with a sense of clarity and identity and often as greater than the sum of its parts. But the painful end of the season is difficult to overlook and when you add in that we’ve so often stolen points, arguably fortuitously, from games courtesy of one moment of quality from Grabban or Lolley one could be forgiven for wondering whether the plan is quite right.
The organisation and the desire has been magnificent but I don’t think it’s greedy to hope for a bit more quality going forward and some sort of idea of how to keep the ball and use it to hurt teams. If I was in the owner’s shoes I’d want to hear his views on where it went wrong and his ideas to overcome the psychological impact and take us forward with a degree more emphasis on positivity with the ball. If he can satisfy those questions with convincing answers then he gets another chance, for me. He has been a good leader for this football club, overall.
What do we need to do next season?
Try to keep hold of the players that have provided good moments this season and add to the squad with three or four talented, young players — perhaps who are acclimatised to football in this country as our overseas recruitment seems quite patchy. We also need to come up with a plan to ensure the hangover from this disaster is banished quickly.
Where will we finish next season?
The finances of the club — particularly in these times of turmoil — worry me a bit and the recruitment is often iffy. If the club can keep the core of this squad, presumably minus at least Cash, then there’s a top 10 squad with good management. But at this moment another sustained effort in the higher reaches of the league seems unlikely to me. I’d go for around 10th at this point, with little understanding of what the squad will look like and who it will be led by.
