Brian Clough Takes Charge at Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest have today turned back time to appoint Brian Clough as their new manager. Clough is best remembered for his exploits as Nottingham Forest manager from 1975-1993, not least because of his unique personality! His most notable achievement with Forest was winning the European Cup twice in successive seasons (1978-1979 and 1979-1980), a feat not achieved by an English manager since. Nottingham Forest have seen their fortunes drop since then however, remaining in the championship for the last few seasons, always finishing in a reasonable position though, with the exception of 2011-2012, and reaching the play offs on a few occasions but never quite making the jump back to the Premier League. Brian Clough has been reinstated as manager to take the club back to the heights of past glory and to go beyond what he has achieved before.

The main objective of this story will be to win the champions league back to back, on top of getting Nottingham Forest back to the Premier League and bringing home silverware, with it all being told from Brian Clough’s point of view.

It's my first day at the club and I arrive to find the City Ground in turmoil. Nottingham Forest have been hit with a transfer embargo until the 31st December 2015 for breaching financial regulations, meaning we cannot sign any new players until the January transfer window! Luckily, we have a large squad so I'm going to have to make do with what we have until then! With it also being the club's 150th anniversary, it would be fitting to achieve promotion at the first time of asking, I'm feeling the pressure! First thing's first, a meeting with the chairman.



We have agreed on a one year contract for myself and depending on how the season goes, that contract will be extended for many years to come. There is a transfer budget of £0, not that it is any good to me, and a remaining wage budget of £1.05k p/w. Despite the embargo, we will still be able to sell players so I will be looking to get rid of some deadwood to free up funds ready to sign new players in January. The chairman has given me no philosophies to work on so that takes the pressure off slightly! Right, off to the training ground to meet and assess the lads...

Squad Summary

Nottingham Forest have quite a large squad to work with, providing plenty of depth for the grueling championship season ahead! Players are listed along with their age, current ability/potential ability and a short summary of their squad role and ability.

Goalkeepers

Dorus De Vries (34) – 2.5/2.5 – the clubs first choice goalkeeper, he may be 34 but he still has a good season or two left in him, especially in the championship.

Dimitar Evtimov (21) - 2/3 - at only 21 his best years are yet to come, should provide a decent backup 'keeper until at least January.

In terms of goalkeepers we seem to have sufficient players but will probably look to bring in a new long term replacement for De Vries in January.

Right-Backs

Eric Lichaj (26) - 3/3 - the only out and out right-back in the first team but a very good option for first choice with good pace and tackling.

Will have to make do with only one right-back to start off with but I will look to bring in another one in January to compete for a first team place.

Centre-Backs

Michael Mancienne (27) - 3.5/3.5 - a fantastic centre-back with great defending stats, will most likely hold down a first team spot for the majority of the season.

Matt Mills (28) - 3/3 - club captain - a great backup option for when the squad needs rotating during periods of intense fixtures.

Kelvin Wilson (29) - 3.5/3.5 - another quality player who will constantly challenge for a first team spot throughout the season.

Jack Hobbs (26) - 3.5/3.5 - the best centre-back at the club who will be the rock at the heart of our defence.

We are spoilt for choice with our centre-backs so we are pretty much set for the season in that position.

Left Backs

Bokan Jokic (29) - 3.5/3.5 - on loan from Villarreal - the best left back at the club and depending on his performances and promotion could be a permanent transfer target come the end of the season.

Dani Pinillos (22) - 3/3.5 - a good young backup who will become first choice left-back with development and experience.

Danny Fox (29) - 2.5/2.5 - another decent backup, very useful for cup games and congested fixture periods.

Left-back seems to be a solid position for the team, will possibly look to get rid of Danny Fox to help with financing other transfers in January.

Central Midfielders

Chris Cohen (28) - 3.5/3.5 - injured for 5-7 months - a midfielder who can also play as a left-back, his presence will be missed with regards to squad rotation.

David Vaughan (32) - 3/3 - despite his advancing years he could still be a useful player as he can also play as a defensive midfielder.

Robert Tesche (28) - 3/3 - injured for 5-7 months - another player for the long term injury list so we won't be seeing much of him until a least December.

Henri Lansbury (24) - 3.5/4 - the best centre mid at the club, we will be looking to him to run the show from the core of the team.

Andy Reid (32) - 3.5/3.5 - club vice-captain - injured for 5-7 months - yet another centre mid with a long term injury, his experience and technical ability can't come soon enough!

Gary Gardner (23) - 3/3.5 - on loan from Aston Villa - the loan legend himself, he will be looked to mostly as a rotation option but I'm sure he will rise to the challenge when required.

Despite 3 long terms injuries, there is plenty of quality in this position and this will suffice for the first season, possibly looking to add to in January.

Right Midfielders

Ryan Mendes Da Graca (25) - 3.5/3.5 - on loan from LOSC - a fantastic loan signing with great pace who will be looking to power down the right side of midfield and provide countless assists, could become a permanent signing based on performances.

Jamie Ward (29) - 3.5/3.5 - the best right midfielder at the club who recently arrived from Derby on a free transfer, could turn out to be a bargain signing.

Excellent right midfielder choices with no need for additions just yet.

Left Midfielders

Ben Osborn (20) - 3.5/5 - the youngest player in the first team squad with already impressive stats, he can only get better!

Only the one left midfielder in the first team squad so we will look to be adding to that position in January.

Strikers

Britt Assombalonga (22) - 4/4 - injured for 9-10 months - only 22 and already the best striker in the squad, things can only get better from here, such a shame about the long term injury meaning he will miss most of the season.

Chris O'Grady (29) - 2.5/2.5 - on loan from Brighton - not the best striker in the squad but given the current injury situation should feature in the first team frequently.

Dexter Blackstock (29) - 2.5/2.5 - a very good backup choice who will be a good option for cup games and filling in for the injured strikers.

Matty Fryatt (29) - 2.5/2.5 - injured for 5-7 months - the long term injury will keep him out for a while but he should still feature at some point.

Nelson Oliveira (23) - 3.5/4 - on loan from SLB - an amazing loan signing for the championship, he will be the first choice striker for most of the season.

Even though our best striker is out for most of the season, the other players have shown they have the quality to perform in the championship so we shouldn't struggle in this position.

Out On Loan
GK Jordan Smith (20) - on loan at Nuneaton
AM(R) Jamie Paterson (23) - on loan at Huddersfield
AM(R) Chris Burke (31) - on loan at Rotherham
ST(C) Lars Veldwijk (23) - on loan at PEC Zwolle

Overall, I am very satisfied with the squad and feel we should have a good season. I will be looking to add to certain positions in January but for now we have the depth and calibre to perform even with long term injuries to some players. Right then, onto pre-season friendlies...

A decent set of pre-season friendlies, with no opposition seeming too challenging, so this will be a good opportunity to maybe try out some of the youth players and assess them for the coming season. The next few updates will be any transfer activity and the results from these friendlies...

Danny Fox Leaves Nottingham Forest

Danny Fox has transferred to Brighton for a fee of £375k, signing a 2 year contract. It's a shame to see Danny go, I didn't get much time to work with him but it was the best move for both parties. Danny will get more playing time at Brighton, that's all a player wants. He was also the second highest earner at Nottingham Forest, earning £20k a week, which is quite high for a championship player and for a player who is not guaranteed a starting spot. This frees up the wage bill for January signings.

Nottingham Forest issued the following statement:

"We would like to thank Danny for his service during his 2 years at the club and we wish him all the best in his new chapter at Brighton"

Pre-Season Summary

Overall a pretty good pre-season, with a little slip up at Aberdeen but that doesn't concern me too much. I played the first half of every game with the first team squad and then substituted on several youngsters at half time. The youngsters really impressed me so I will be giving them some game time in the cups. However, the injury curse has struck again and we have another player to add to the long term injury list. Jamie Ward will miss 9-10 months with damaged cruciate ligaments. Such a devastating blow to the team but I'm sure that Ryan Mendes da Graca will provide a fitting first choice for right midfielder. Next up, the first game of the championship season against Brighton...

Championship Game 1 - Brighton

The Line-Up



Our strongest possible line-up with the players that we have at the moment, lets kick off the season with a win!

The Match

Things couldn't have gotten off to a better start as Nelson Oliveira managed to score within the first minute! Ryan Mendes da Graca added another in the 19th minute before James Wilson pulled one back for the hosts to make it 2-1. However, we were not deterred and Jack Hobbs and Nelson Oliveira each grabbed a goal before to half time to make it 4-1 to us at the interval! There was little action from Brighton in the second half as we dominated, with Gary Gardner scoring in the 56th minute before Nelson Oliveira completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute, what a player! Nothing else much happened up to the final whistle.

The Result



What a first result, especially with Nelson Oliveira grabbing a hat-trick on his debut, if this is a sign of things to come then he will be our best player all season! To win by 5 goals is an incredible feat for the first game of the season and I'm hoping we can carry this kind of form on for a long time!

Capital One Cup First Round - Leyton Orient

The Line-Up



With 5 changes to the previous squad, I thought this would be a good opportunity to give 3 youngsters a start against a lower league opponent.

The Match

We started off slowly, Leyton Orient were really up for this match and throwing everything they had against us but we resisted. Gary Gardner broke the deadlock on 36 minutes to put us ahead and we went into the break 1-0 to the good. It didn't take long for us to double our advantage in the second half, with Gary Gardner scoring his second goal of the game in the 55th minute and then completing his hat-trick on 58 minutes with a well struck penalty. After that the game died down and it became more of a competition for possession as we held our 3 goal lead.

The Result



A good but expected result. I was thrilled to see Gary Gardner grab a hat-trick, it looks like some of these loan players will become permanent transfers at the end of the season.

Championship Game 2 - Rotherham

The Line-Up



I named the same squad that had beaten Brighton on the opening day of the season, hoping for a similar result!

The Match

The game started off quite slow, with not many chances at either end and we went in 0-0 at half time. This was also true of the start of the second half. However, during the 63rd minute Tom Thorpe took advantage of a poor clearance by Eric Lichaj to slot home and give Rotherham the lead. We were finding it impossible to break down the Rotherham defence until Nelson Oliveira equalised for us in the 85th minute.

The Result



A slightly disappointing result given our explosive first game, we dominated possession and had 7 shots on target against Rotherham's 1 so it can be seen as an unlucky result as well. Nelson Oliveira's 4th goal in 2 games is a big positive to take away from this. Here's hoping that we can get back to winning ways against Charlton.

Championship Game 3 - Charlton

The Line-Up



Dani Pinillos comes in to replace the injured Bojan Jokic, other than that the team is the same one fielded against Rotherham.

The Match

Henri Lansbury got us off to a flyer, scoring early in the 8th minute to give us the lead. Ben Osborn scored 10 minutes later to give us a 2-0 cushion. However, Ricardo Vaz Te pulled one back for Charlton right before half time and the pressure was back on! In the 63rd minute, Nelson Oliveira gave us back our 2 goal cushion with a great finish after a counter attack and that was the last major event of the game.

The Result



It was great to see the team back to winning ways, hopefully we can build from this result and continue our good early season form. It was also good to see Nelson Oliveira grab another goal, Gary Gardner also put in a solid performance from central midfield to gain a man of the match award.

Championship Game 4 - Bolton Wanderers

The Line-Up



An unchanged line-up from Charlton.

The Match

We started strongly, crafting several chances but ones that we could no capitalise. Against the run of play, Bolton took the lead through Neil Danns in the 23rd minute. We tried and tried to find the back of the Bolton net but it seemed like a goal would not come, they somehow resisted every attack! It remained at 1-0 for another 45 minutes of the game before that man again, Nelson Oliveira, equalised and raised our hopes of a miraculous comeback. This started a period of intense pressure from us but we were unfortunately unable to break through.

The Result



Another frustrating and disappointing draw that we could have easily won were it not for our sloppy finishing. We need to sort out this inconsistent form early on if we are to have a chance of gaining promotion.

Capital One Cup Second Round - Aston Villa

The Line-Up



Bojan Jokic returns from injury, replacing Dani Pinillos and Kelvin Wilson comes in for the injured Jack Hobbs.

The Match

Against a tough premier league opponent, I wasn't too sure of what to expect from this match so I was thrilled when we took the lead after 2 minutes with one of the most bizarre own goals I have ever seen. Micah Richards made a back pass to the goalkeeper from almost at the halfway line and this somehow snuck past Brad Guzan to give us the lead, game on! Aston Villa equalised 20 minutes later through Gabby Agbonlahor but we responded just 10 minutes after with 2 in as many minutes, with the goals coming from Henri Lansbury and Nelson Oliveira. On the stroke of half time, Rudy Gestede scored for Villa, meaning we went in at half time 3-2 up, if we could just hold on this would be an upset! Ben Osborn scored for us on 53 minutes to make it 4-2 but our two goal advantage was reduced one minute later by Gabby Agbonlahor, the pressure was really on to hang on to our lead. So close to the end, in the 87th minute, Carlos Sanchez equalised for Aston Villa, shattering our hopes and taking the game to extra time. With neither side able to break the deadlock in the extra period, and with the Villa left-back Aly Cissokho being sent off for a second bookable offence, the match went to the drama of penalties! The penalty shootout went normally for both teams until the last 2 kicks, in which Carlos Sanchez missed and Dorus de Vries saved Carles Gil's shot to win the shootout for us!

The Result



What an exciting game, there was never a dull moment during it. It was definitely a rollercoaster ride for the fans and myself but we came out on top and are through to the third round where we have been drawn against Southampton. Dorus de Vries put in an excellent performance, with his heroics in the penalty shootout proving the deciding factor.

Championship Game 5 - Cardiff City

The Line-Up



Henri Lansbury and Ryan Mendes da Graca have both picked up injuries since the Capital One Cup victory over Aston Villa so Gary Gardner moves up to the second striker position, with Dylan Burns in to replace Henri Lansbury and Oliver Burke replacing Ryan Mendes da Graca.

The Match

We began the game with a very fast pace, taking the lead through Ben Osborn in the 12th minute to give us an excellent start. From there on, the game took a slower pace, with chances occurring at both ends giving the game a back and forth motion to it. Not much else happened in the match, it was one of those afternoons where we just couldn't capitalise on the chances created.

The Result



A lucky win given that we had an equal amount of shots as Cardiff, although we did slightly edge them on possession which worked in our favour. A much needed win to push us up into the top 6 of the table and that brings us to the end of August and my first competitive month in charge.

Monthly Summary - August 2015

Fixtures



A gruelling schedule of no less than 7 fixtures has seen us achieve an unbeaten start to the season throughout August, including that thrilling 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup ending with us beating them on penalties. I'm hoping that we can maintain this sort of form as it will see us make the play-off positions easily and have a shot at making the Premier League!

Awards

Manager of the Month - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - Q.P.R.
Player of the Month - Nelson Oliveira - Nottingham Forest
Young Player of the Month - Ben Osborn - Nottingham Forest
Goal of the Month - Nicky Maynard - MK Dons

I am delighted to see two of our squad win the Player and Young Player of the Month awards. Nelson Oliveira is so deserving with over a goal a game in the league so far and Ben Osborn has been ever present for us on the left wing, creating several chances.

Here's hoping September brings a similar month!

Championship Game 6 - Q.P.R.

The Line-Up



Henri Lansbury returns from injury and Dylan Burns moves back to replace David Vaughan, who has picked up a 2-3 month injury during a training session in the international break.

The Match

The first half was a quiet one, with Q.P.R. dominating in terms of shots on target. Dorus de Vries was playing at his absolute best to keep them at bay and it remained even going into half time. Shortly into the second half we took the lead on 53 minutes, with Nelson Oliveira scoring yet another goal. We managed to hold on for another 20 minutes before Junior Hoilett equalised. Q.P.R. took this opportunity to throw everything they had at us but Dorus de Vries was at his best to deny them again and again.

The Result



A point away from home against the league leaders is an impressive achievement and I'm proud of the lads for this result, especially Dorus de Vries for his impressive display between the sticks and Nelson Oliveira for yet another goal.