Nightmare For Forest At Turf Moor

Nottingham Forest travelled to Turf Moor today, with the supposed aim of putting right a woeful performance on Tuesday night at Watford. Instead, they served up a horror show of a performance and ended up with a 5-0 hammering.

The pre match hopes of getting a result at promotion chasing Burnley were slim to say the least, especially with 5 changes to the team that failed at Watford. Few players will come out of this game covered in glory, but by all acounts, Perch and Morgan were relatively free of blame.

Underfire keeper Paul Smith was at fault for the first goal, as he failed to deal with a ball into the box from a Robbie Blake free kick. Blake’s kick came from the touchline and not only did it come into the box unchallenged, it flew into the net unchallenged. Burnley made it 2-0 just before the break and this time Blake turned provider. His ball to Elliott, made it an easy job for him to slot the ball home and set the Clarets on their way.

Forest failed to make a single attempt on the Burnley goal for the entire first half and were once again too lightweight in attack. Not that this should be seen as an attack on the strikers, because they have to be given the ball in the first place. In midfield we have too many players not pulling their weight and none more so of late than one Lewis McGugan. The comments of manager Billy Davies after the game, paint a very sorry picture for one of our most prized assets. Apparently McGugan was dropped for this game and relegated to the bench due to his off field discipline.

The second half was as poor as the first from a Reds’ perspective and two goals in a four minute spell, put an end to any hopes of a revival. Carlisle headed in the third on 51 mins and Rodriguez got the fourth with a great curling shot. Forest were a shambles and were being taken apart by the home side, who sadly didn’t have to try too hard to secure their place in the Playoffs.

Our misery was complete on 73 mins, when moments after coming on Gudjonsson volleyed into the net. 5-0 to the Clarets and no less than we deserved. There will be the inevitable calls for the gaffers head after this, but he can only work with the tools he’s been given. Unfortunately for Billy Davies, he has some right tools to work with. If people are really looking for people to blame, they should perhaps look a little further up the food chain. Messrs Doughty and Arthur have alot to answer for, in not bringing in new players. That lack of committment on their part, could see us in League 1 yet again and with only 7 games left in which to avoid it, things are looking pretty grim.