The manager’s seat in the City Ground dugout is a hot one. Nottingham Forest haven’t exactly been scared of pulling the trigger in the past and current manager Sabri Lamouchi appears to be moving into the board’s cross hairs.
The Reds fell apart at the end of the last season, dropping out of the play-offs in the final minutes of the final game. They had been in the play-off positions since Boxing Day and falling at the last hurdle appears to have hit Lamouchi; his staff; the fans and the players hard. They are yet to earn a point, or even score a goal, this season.
Matt Lee will be presenting the case for the Forest boss to be given more time and Alex Brinton will be arguing that Lamouchi has to go.
Last season
Alex Brinton: Before lockdown Forest were flying, they seemed set for their first appearance in the play-offs since 2010-11. They ended up capitulating in the closing stages, winning none of their final six games and taking two points from a possible 18. This startling change in form was concerning for Forest fans last season, and the fact that it has carried on will be even more unsettling.
Lamouchi has had plenty of time to get a hold of this issue and has failed to do so. Forest deserved a shot at the play-off lottery, but Lamouchi’s inaction and lack of change meant they missed out. A more dynamic manager would have made sure that their team didn’t fall of a cliff. As always in football, the manager is the first to be blamed when it all goes wrong – I see no reason why this case should be any different.
Matt Lee: For many Forest fans, to have aspirations of reaching the play-offs – or even to challenge Leeds United and West Brom for automatic promotion – had come as a surprise. Their form against the top six was formidable, their starting eleven was one which would comfortably challenge any team and, at times, they looked worthy of promotion.
So, to have missed out on the play-offs entirely in quite a dramatic implosion at the end of last season, it will have been an agonising watch. But it’s important to remember where Forest have come from.
Sabri’s arrival at The City Ground was one of surprise, bewilderment perhaps. Very few had heard of the Frenchman prior to his name being announced as the new Forest boss, and very few others knew what to expect. Therefore, realistically, it is difficult to criticise the 48-year-old. After all, last season’s finish was still an improvement upon the respective finishes of 9th, 17th, 21st and 16th that preceded him.
New Signings
AB: Lamouchi has been desperate to secure new faces at the City Ground and he has done just that. Striker Lyle Taylor is the marquee signing, joining from Charlton Athletic, but he has failed to have any impact so far. In total, Lamouchi has signed 12 players and with some time left in the window it is possible, that he will sign more.
The new signings are yet to make any difference in the three league games Forest have played this season. They are yet to score a goal and have only mustered two shots on target. It could be argued that these players need time to settle in before they can be expected to perform, and whilst that maybe true the signs are not promising. The appeared misspending of the money Forest received for the sale of Matty Cash to Aston Villa is a cardinal sin. Spent correctly they could have used the money to buy players they knew would hit the ground running, and give his team the extra boost needed to reach the play-offs.
ML: The number of additions to Forest’s squad this summer is astronomical. Sabri Lamouchi has added in almost every position of his squad, excluding on the left and right wings.
In last Friday’s defeat at Huddersfield Town – live on Sky Sports – eight of the 11 players were signings made this summer. Central defender Scott McKenna started at the heart of the defence alongside fellow new signing Loic Mbe Soh; the Scotsman, however, had signed just two days after putting pen to paper at The City Ground.
It is understandable, therefore, that the new additions will need time to embed with the rest of the squad.
A player likely needs one full week of training to gel and build camaraderie with his team-mates. While this may not be an issue for the likes of Lyle Taylor or Luke Freeman – both of whom were signed early in the window – they will still be adjusting given the players around them have frequently changed with the subsequent additions of Fouad Bachirou and Harry Arter.
Forest’s history with managers
AB: It was the eve of football’s post-lockdown return and everything seems to be going well for the Reds. The board announce that they have handed Sabri Lamouchi a contract extension and for once it seems like Forest have their act together. They have a solid manager – the only way appears to be up. Lamouchi is the first manager to be handed a contract extension since Billy Davies in 2010-11, after his Forest side finished sixth.
Fast forward a matter of months and the feeling at the City Ground has changed dramatically. In their recent history Forest have not been shy of sacking their manager. Will this time be different? Does last season’s comparative success count for something? And do the board recognise the need for stability at the club? These are all big questions that need answering. The way things are going, the answer to these questions is just around the corner.
ML: Having noted the league positions Forest have ended up in prior to Sabri’s arrival, it’s also worth remembering their history with managers.
Having been offered a contract extension back in June, the 48-year-old is the first manager to be given extended terms at The City Ground since Billy Davies.
Since January 2010 the Reds have had an astonishing 14 different managers. During that time Forest have endured financial difficulties, poor ownership and inconsistent league finishes. But, with the new ownership of Evangelos Marinakis, the Reds have enjoyed some level of stability.
While the start to this season may be far from perfect, it is important that – for the hope of stability at Nottingham Forest – a manager needs more than one season in order to leave a lasting legacy.