Expected to slip up

[Rodshig]

Forest result is a reality check of the actual quality of our squad. Millwall game was a one off, where the opponents did not turn up.

Despite having a brilliant front 3. We still have weaknesses in the team. I also feel SP is not up to the task.

Its expected that we will tumble along the way.

[west kowloon white]

A minority view - cheer up - enjoy the sun and potentially a good season.

[Jem]

I think we should give Scott a little longer. It's still the early days and we are not going to win every match.

[Lighthouse]

I am not sure that any conclusions can be based on a few games. Every game we play and we win we will get the lie that our opponents didn't turn up.  Every game we lose we will get the criticism of Parker and the squad and TK.  We have weakness and strength and on any day we can win or lose. The last time in the Championship we would say the same things. A wonderful run after Christmas hid the fact that we had weakness and gaping problems in that squad.

I predicted a top half finish but little more. We have all been here long enough to know that a great Fulham performance is followed by a poor one. Although I don't think we were that poor against Forest. But luck and poor finishing were our undoing. At Christmas will be time enough to see if we are going to have a chance to do well. There will be plenty of ups and downs before then. 

[RaySmith]

Agree. Good post Lighthouse.

I thought we played well, with a couple of defensive errors- still not that confident in playing out from the back,but our finishing wasn't great against a packed Forest defence and good keeper, but would have scored and got at least  a draw out of all our chances on another day.

[colinwhite]

The signs are there that Scott is already doing a great job. Dont get the criticism.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Scott Parker is doing a good job, nothing happens overnight, there will be some downs as well as ups on the way. I was at the match on Saturday, and the salient points are that goals change games. We cannot afford to start slow as we tend to do. Forest were very organised at the back, a bank of 4 tall defenders dominated the arial battles, and they kept their shape whilst having plenty of traffic behind the ball. Their second was a sucker punch, and yes it was an unfortunate gift, but we had enough chances to score more than one goal. But their keeper was in fine form when called into action. We will play a lot worse and win.
But we are not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless I do believe we are heading in the right direction, but patience is a virtue. 

[KingofCheese]

Forest result is a reality check of the actual quality of our squad. Millwall game was a one off, where the opponents did not turn up.

Despite having a brilliant front 3. We still have weaknesses in the team. I also feel SP is not up to the task.

Its expected that we will tumble along the way.

It is interesting how people get into a rut in their mindset. I took the opportunity to glance through your 30 posts on here and found that of these 5 were neutral, one was sort of positive and the other 24 were negative about the team, players or managers. It isn't for me to judge but constant negativity blinds people to seeing the good in life.

[MrFFC]

From what I have seen in the 5 games yes we have weaknesses like every team but I think we have a good chance of promotion come May

[AnOldBrownie]

Forest result is a reality check of the actual quality of our squad. Millwall game was a one off, where the opponents did not turn up.

Despite having a brilliant front 3. We still have weaknesses in the team. I also feel SP is not up to the task.

Its expected that we will tumble along the way.

Entitled to your opinion.  I disagree.

As mentioned in another thread...Leeds drew against Forest.

We lost to a pretty good team.  It happens.

[Rodshig]

Under our more successful managers, tigana, slav n hodgson we had a clear style of play.

Its still feels that SP teams lack that belief n purpose to their play. He is just putting out the best 11 and hoping that the results will come.

I hope i am wrong and that SP can develop into a top manager. We shall see !

[New Kid on the Block]

Just to put things into perspective, a very good Leeds side were held to a draw at home, by Forest. Obviously, it's not the same as being beaten at home, but I think it would be fair to say that Leeds were expected to win that match.

Let's see how the next few games pan out, before we are all doom and gloom.

[Sting of the North]

Under our more successful managers, tigana, slav n hodgson we had a clear style of play.

Its still feels that SP teams lack that belief n purpose to their play. He is just putting out the best 11 and hoping that the results will come.

I hope i am wrong and that SP can develop into a top manager. We shall see !

I strongly disagree. Think we have a clear way to play, and doesn't seem one bit like a bunch of players just being thrown together. Very surprised by this specific critique.

[garyclashcityrocker]

Sorry, but don't agree with the original comments. Reality check? We were unlucky and essentially got mugged.

I thought we played well throughout. Bossed possession, created chances and although we were not as clinical as I would of liked - on another day we'd have won that at a canter. Got caught out early, so a lesson to be learned there. The second was a slip up that saw us punished.

Playing this type of possession based passing game we will get caught occasionally. But although I was disappointed by the result and frustrated by the time wasting and poor reffing decisions I wasn't distraught about the performance.

Thought Arter was outstanding. The way he pressures the ball out of possession was immense. Knockheart was always at it. Mitro linked well. Ream was solid. Bryan, Sess (bar the slip up), Mawson were steady and Reid and Kamera both looked lively when they came on.

Scott looks like he knows what he's doing to me - I see no reason to push the panic button and think based on what I've seen so far (and it is early days yet) we'll be there our there about's come the end of the season.

[ALG01]

I now think we are moving in the right direction.
I think Forrest was a wake up call but we should have got a draw.
I think too many of our team on the day were not at their sharpest and that is just one of those things.
I do think that the quality of our crossing is poor and I am sure that is being worked on
I do think we do not get enough bodies in the box when we attack
I do think TC and stfjo are too advanced and lose quite a lot of their potency as a result. This leads to a disconnection of defence through midfield to attack too often and that balance needs looking at. Too often we look like 5 at the back and five at the front.
However, I do not think we can make any judgment from losing a single game on such a very hot day to a good team playing a classic smash and grab away team tactic and I would expect us to shred them at the city ground later in the season.

[WindyCity]

Reality check? We were unlucky and essentially got mugged.
I thought we played well throughout. Bossed possession, created chances
Got caught out early, so a lesson to be learned there. The second was a slip up that saw us punished.
frustrated by the time wasting and poor reffing decisions

Scott looks like he knows what he's doing to me - I see no reason to push the panic button and think based on what I've seen so far

Luck (unlucky) has got nothing to do with it.  FFC was beaten, fair and square.  Created chances?  Not really, not in the attacking third for most of the game.  Getting caught early and slip ups can't happen if you are a top club, playing at home, against a 'weaker' opponent.  All teams are guilty of some time wasting late in games in which they lead, FFC included.  Poor reffing just simplistic excuse making.  I think FFC fans just have to suck up this unfortunate loss, and hopefully the players/team learn from the mistakes and failures to execute an attack with dominant possession. 

I do agree that our new coach seems to know what he is doing, and it's far too early to panic at this point early in the season.  That said, all the games count, and one never knows if this lost point or three might make a difference at seasons' end.

COYW!

[Rodshig]

I stand by my opinion that we will not get promoted with SP.

Holding on to possession by passing the ball left to right in the your own half of the pitch won't bring us wins. We are juz too nice and instead of punishing teams we get punished.

A more experience mgr is required if we intend to challenge for automatic promotion.

[Statto]

Surely if the squad is as poor as you made out in your original post, it won't be Parker's fault if we don't go up.

Or am I missing something?

[Spirit of 2000]

Surely if the squad is as poor as you made out in your original post, it won't be Parker's fault if we don't go up.

Or am I missing something?

But the side is plainly good enough certainly to be top 6, possibly top 2. The problem is our painfully slow transition to our forwards from midfield does not suit or benefit our front 3 who have a packed and organised defence in front every time they receive the ball, due to the way we play we either need to score a perfect goal or spectacular strike. Parker worryingly refers to transition of play into attack as getting involved in a "Basketball match" that we're unsuited to. Nobody is asking us to launch it Cardiff or Millwall style but to increase the tempo of movement.

[Matt10]

Surely if the squad is as poor as you made out in your original post, it won't be Parker's fault if we don't go up.

Or am I missing something?

But the side is plainly good enough certainly to be top 6, possibly top 2. The problem is our painfully slow transition to our forwards from midfield does not suit or benefit our front 3 who have a packed and organised defence in front every time they receive the ball, due to the way we play we either need to score a perfect goal or spectacular strike. Parker worryingly refers to transition of play into attack as getting involved in a "Basketball match" that we're unsuited to. Nobody is asking us to launch it Cardiff or Millwall style but to increase the tempo of movement.

Are you basing this off of the Cardiff match? That was one of the only times I've seen us play at a much slower pace. This is because we will rarely face a team that man-marks the way they do, so the passing lanes are much more risky.

Where are we slow in transition exactly? And if it's so slow, how do we manage to get almost 20 shots in a match?

The stats don't balance out the statement unfortunately. I know it's tough to hear, due to its simplicity, but I think our "problem" is that we don't get enough shots on frame. We took 17 shots and only 6 on target, scoring 1 goal. That's not a good enough ratio. Pair that up with 13 corners in which 7 of them didn't get past the near post man...and we're just wasting chances to score.