Things are getting heated. With the continued possibility of a takeover, and the chairman finally agreeing with his critics that his era has not succeeded and needs a more professional approach, now is a good time to look back at the players the team has acquired during his period in charge.
Is the squad stronger or weaker than the bunch that were pounding the doughty academy training ground in July 2012? And which managerial team was responsible for that?
Keepers
A difficult category to assess. De Vries and Stojkovic have been astute free acquisitions, with De Vries in particular masking defensive frailties with shot stopping heroics. Both Camp and Darlow at their peaks were strong keepers, although by this period Camps form had declined, whereas Darlow continued to progress until he got a Premier league transfer. It has not been a problem position for the club, and the first choice keeper looks not to have progressed but may not have declined either, although there is clearly less strength in depth as Henderson made a very shaky start. I'd give it on balance to Billy Davies signings, as Camp and De Vries go back to his era.
Left Back
For many years a problem position and arguably the one which showed up Davies' era signings most, an Achilles heel during playoffs. Freedman takes the crown for this position hands down, with Pinillos and Jokic the two outstanding players, both acquired for free. Hard to exaggerate the weakness at the start of the Fawaz era, and whilst the jury is out on Traore, and Fox selection elicits widespread facepalms across NG2, Pinillos with Traore/Fox back is a far better state of affairs than the honest but limited endeavour of Harding and Maloney.
Right Back
Despite bursts of decent form by Jara and the promising but short recovery from injury of Chelsea Loanee Hutchinson, the right back position had become a weak point too by the end of the Doughty ownership era. Lichaj has made the position his own, despite limited competition, and Pereira whilst a talented player with attacking flair, does not provide the defensive positioning and tackling prowess needed to beat him. I give this to Davies, and again think we are stronger now than we were four and a half years ago.
Centre Back
A cast of thousands. Ayala, Ward and Lasceilles were a fairly strong starting point in the first season, with Danny Collins backing up, although the leadership of the Morgan and Chambers / Wilson first era, had long since moved on. Davies signings were mixed: Wilson (era 2) was an expensive mistake for a player in decline having lost his reliability, although Hobbs was a solid - if injury prone - signing. Gomis? Lets move on. Although Perquis looks a decent signing, Lam is ill suited to the role and overall Pereria/Montanier have struggled hugely defensively. I'd give centre back to Dougie Freedman. Picking up the championships most expensive previous centre back signing on a free in Mills and top flight German league, and ex England youth international Mancienne, during a transfer embargo with a wage cap was outstanding. On paper the team at this position is stronger now than in 2012 with Mills/Perquis/Hobbs/Mancienne, but progress in individuals only underlines the scale to which the championships leakiest defense bar Rotherham is underperforming, with 3 seasons of year on year defensive decline. The best signing the club could make right now is a defensive coach.
Left Midfield/Left Wing
We continue to mourn the passing from football of the mercurial playmaker that was Andy Reid, and the undervaluation of one of the premier league's best acquisitions from the championship in Michail Antonio. Osborne's effort and tidy ball control make him popular with the fans but we have not hit the heights. Whilst Abdoun and McLaughlin showed up the random disaster that was the chairman and wee scot together losing the plot. I'd have to give this to the Pearce era. Given Antonio was willingly given up by Sheffield Wednesday fans as an under-performer, we captured a gem. Had we kept him, or got a fee in keeping with his quality, who knows where we might be. Despite Osborne's industry, Carayol's patchy performances and Dumitru's yet to be seen adaptation to championship football show we are not stronger in this berth.
Right Midfield/Right Wing
At the start of the Kuwaiti's tenure, Forest basically did not play with wide men. Doncaster's Coppinger comes from the SOD connection. He was and is a decent league one midfielder. Davies strengthened in decent but overpaid Tonka Toy Mackie, and the initially impressive but never quite worked out Patterson. Pearce did well with Chris Burke initially very strong but fading, whilst giving the first outings to teenage prodigy Oliver 'Twisty' Burke gives him credit, although it was freedman who built on this. Freedman's acquisition of Ward also added depth, so by the start of this season we were much strengthened on this flank, particularly with link play with Pereira. The club self-destruct button applied since then has left many fans deeply saddened. Burke in a bit part in the Bundesliga, and Lica yet to blossom, Ward loaned out. Whilst not quite back to the threadbare 2012 situation, we have reversed the progress that was made.
Central Midfield
It is striking the sheer numbers of central midfielders in the squad in 2012. Gillett and the by now fading Moussi showed frailty in defensive duties in the centre of the park. A string of journeymen passing through were not righted until Chris Cohen overcame the successive injuries to resume his box to box duties although David Vaughan has been a solid acquisition.
Creatively we never replaced the initially magical but in decline Majewski, and still do not have an attacking midfield link player of quality, nor the creativity and set piece alchemy of Lewis McGugan.
In the centre of the park Lansbury is maturing and Matt Cash looks an exciting prospect although Kasami whilst showing some early skills has hit a prolonged period of poor form and shows a lack of fitness. We continue to lack the physical leadership qualities that Paul McKenna in a previous era provided. Forest are prone to get bullied in the middle of the park, and the whole seems less than the sum of the parts. Overall an area that remains a problem for the club to control the play and to unlock stubborn defences. No manager gets the award for this position.
Up Front
With Assombalonga, Bendtner, and Vellios now settled in (and Fryatt continuing to warm the injury table) Forest have much higher calibre firepower than in 2012 albeit less depth. We might just give that to the Pereira/Montanier era who captured two of these three. Assombalonga in the Pearce era is the top signing, but the failure of Veldwijk and injury prone Fryatt to make a difference suggests mixed results back then, and Brit was possible only due to Fawaz taking a deal for Darlow and Lasceilles which was not the manager's preference.
Summing up
On balance, the club has a significantly stronger squad than 2012 although it continues to underperform, and good individuals do not always make the best overall team.
Given all the players who have passed through to select from, I'd probably pick the following as my Fawaz era first eleven:
GK - De Vries
RB - Lichaj
CB - Mills
CB - Hobbs
LB - Pinillos
RW - O Burke
CM - Cohen
CM - Reid
LW - Antonio
ST - Assombalonga
ST - Sharp
Do the stats bear this out? Thats a good question.
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