When Nottingham Forest started the season with eleven new signings, the majority were saying they needed time. The signings needed to bed in, and Sean O’Driscoll required time to discover his best eleven.
In the midst of the season, and the heat of the rollercoaster, this should not be forgotten.
Sean O’Driscoll and Forest have been slight victims of their early success. Playing Huddersfield and Charlton off the park, things were looking promising. Since then, teams have sussed out how exactly to prevent Forest from using their Plan A effectively.
The true test was always going to be how they would counter that. Where will their Plan B come from?
In recent games, against Leeds United and Derby County particularly, the Greg Halford long throw has been utilised, and they gained a goal from it, as Dexter Blackstock headed in at Elland Road.
All creativity from Forest has gone, in recent weeks. Lewis McGugan and Andy Reid have lost form, and Adlene Guedioura received a red card against Crystal Palace, bringing a suspension. The variation of Greg Halford’s throw came about because they had to, as the Reds had become predictable.
What fans, and board alike need to have during this period, is a big dose of patience.
Sean O’Driscoll is learning, and having to learn relatively fast. It won’t be long until ‘SOD’ realises his best side, and unleashes it on a consistent basis. When that occurs, Forest will quickly scutter up the league.
Henri Lansbury, Billy Sharp, Adlene Guedioura and Jermaine Jenas; all players that have either started their season slowly, not up to full fitness, or not started at all. When every fan looks at these names, their eyes would light up. When they’re at full fitness and settled in, other teams in the league will only be able to look on in awe, as the team then flourishes.
There’s a big October ahead for Sean O’Driscoll to attempt to find his best team. There’s a tinge of fear from some, as Forest will play the likes of Blackburn, Cardiff and Blackpool. It’s a matter of time before ‘SOD’ finds a team that clicks, one that moulds together perfectly.
It should be the managerless Blackburn fearing Forest, as the club attempts to recover from a referee assisted defeat to bitter rivals Derby County. Blackburn will come to win, unlike Derby, which will leave many opportunities open for hungry Forest to pounce.
In the next week, Sean O’Driscoll may go some way to putting in more pieces of the Nottingham Forest jigsaw. O’Driscoll lives with the approach that “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, you can reap the rewards.”
A lot of Forest fans over the next few days will be putting a negative slant on the season so far. Rubbishing the possibility of going any further than mid-table, as supporters try and swallow the latest reality, that it’s going to be far from the easy ride they’d dreamed, when the Al-Hasawi family walked in with millions.
Sean O’Driscoll will see this tough month out with the same approach he’s always taken. Let us hope that the Al-Hasawi family follow suit, along with the rest of the Nottingham Forest faithful.
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