So, how have things been going in the world of Forest during the last month or so?Well, October got off to a spectacularly bad start, with the Reds getting thumped 4-0 at home by Scunthorpe United in front of a live TV audience on Sky.
And typically, this was one of the games chosen by the club as a ‘kids for a quid’ fixture – so with it having been a bad day at the office for pretty much the whole team, it means there are probably several thousand youngsters across Nottingham who won’t be in any hurry whatsoever to return to the City Ground...
To be fair though to Forest, they bounced back admirably from the Scunny humiliation by chalking up six successive victories in subsequent matches. As a result, the Reds are, at the time of writing, five points clear at the top of League One… and also in the area quarter final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy!
Cor! After all the European successes of the past, the City Ground must be awash with cup fever right now…
Well, not quite. In fact, Forest’s 2-1 home win against Brentford in the second round of the JPT was watched by less than 3,000 people – the club’s lowest crowd for a first team home game since the Second World War. Indeed, probably the most interesting thing about the Reds’ JPT campaign so far has been the fact that they played Gillingham in the first round just three days after having played them in the league, and then Brentford in the second round just four days before playing them in the league. Happily, Forest won all four games – inspiring wags to taunt the opposing fans with choruses of “Can we play you twice a week?”
So things are pretty much back on track then for Forest after the wobble in form that occurred in September. What’s made the difference?
Various members of the team have been playing blinders. Nicky Southall in particular is in a rich vein of scoring form, with an impressive five goals in just four matches from the right wing. Kris Commons has also firmly established himself back in the team after his injury lay-off, most notably with two almost identical goals – both from direct free-kicks – in the 2-0 league win against Brentford.
But as well as the players getting the goals and the headlines, it’s no coincidence that Forest’s six straight wins have coincided with the return of Danny Cullip from injury. It’s strange really, as if you look at him in isolation, all Cullip seems to do is hoof clearances way up into the stratosphere. But nevertheless, the Reds’ defence seems to look much more steady when he’s in the team.
We hear though that Cullip has been scaring little children...
Yes, that’s unfortunately true. For reasons best known to themselves, Forest decided to have a ‘colour-in by numbers’ page in the matchday programme for the JPT game against Brentford. And imagine though how terrified your average child would have been, upon completing this fun exercise, to be confronted by the scowling, ogre-like face of Cullip – a man who frankly makes the Mitchell brothers off EastEnders look like a pair of big jessies.
It’s rumoured that the club were initially going to use an image of Colin Calderwood - however, it was felt that not enough children would own any of those expensive metallic crayons, which would undoubtedly be required in order for them to accurately portray the perma-tanned Reds manager’s bronze features.
Has anything else funny happened in the world of Forest?
Oh yes. One of the funniest things seen at the City Ground in ages was during the Reds’ home game against Bristol City, when both teams’ physios had to come onto the pitch at the same time to treat injured players. The two injured players were writhing around in the same area of the pitch – and as the two physios made the dash from the far touchline, both sets of fans started roaring them on as if it was a race!
Pleasingly, Reds sponge-man Gary Fleming won by a whisker - and indeed showed greater pace than we’ve ever seen from misfiring striker Neil Harris, who inexplicably remains in Calderwood’s starting line-up in spite of his underwhelming record of one goal in 1,785 games (or whatever it is). Still, we’re top of the league, so let’s not dwell too much on the negatives…
Anything else to shout about?
Well star striker Nathan Tyson has made an early return from injury after three months out, which leaves Calderwood with a glut of options up front. In less happy news though, inept former Reds manager David Platt – the man who almost bankrupted the club by wasting millions on useless players - has had the audacity to take legal action against the club for an apparent unpaid ‘performance bonus’!
No wonder Charlie Stubbs tried to drown the little weasel in the bath in Corrie…
