Philippe Montanier - the right man at the wrong time?

Nottingham Forest’s dismal run continued yesterday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Reading at the Madejski Stadium. Philippe Montanier will now feel under considerable pressure after only picking up one win in 11 games in all competitions.

It seemed like all was well back in August as Forest were picking up wins and scoring plenty of goals in the process. Results such as the 4-3 wins at home to the likes of Burton and Wigan and hard-earned 2-2 draws away at the likes of Rotherham and Aston Villa, had fans very optimistic for the season ahead.

However, the £13 million sale of home-grown talent Oliver Burke to RB Leipzig in addition to many other off the field issues now seems to be taking its toll on the pitch. Forest’s away form in particular has been diabolical this season having failed to win a single one and losing six of them.

Forest’s defensive frailties were apparent right from the first day of the season as we conceded three goals to newly promoted Burton Albion. Despite this, nothing seems to have been done to improve the team defensively and in some ways the goals being conceded are getting worse.

Philippe Montanier will clearly have to take a significant amount of responsibility for this. However, how is he meant to deal with individuals making such costly errors game after game? For example, Aron Gunnarsson was allowed to score a header from 6 yards out for Cardiff City at the City Ground last weekend. These sort of basic errors wouldn’t be accepted at Sunday League level, let alone the Championship.

Despite all these problems Forest are currently experiencing, I can’t help feeling that Montanier is still a good manager. There have been many glimpses of what could be achieved, most notably the 3-1 wins over Leeds and Birmingham where the defence looked solid whilst Forest were still just as potent in attack.

It just seems that the Forest job is an impossible one and that Montanier just finds himself to be unlucky to be in the hot seat at this particular time with Fawaz Al-Hasawi looking to sell the club and fans becoming increasingly apathetic.

However, I do believe that Montanier will be given the opportunity to turn things around. This is mainly because I can’t see a takeover going through anytime soon and with Al-Hasawi looking to sell, he is unlikely to spend any of his time and effort on a search for yet another new manager.

Apostolos Vellios Edges Closer To Forest Move

Former Everton striker, Apostolos Vellios is reportedly edging closer to a move to the City Ground. This will make the 24 year old Forest’s first signing of the summer. Evangelos Marinakis, the new prospective owner of Forest is said to have undergone most of the negotiations personally with the owner of Iraklis. This would suggest his takeover for an 80% share in the club is also nearing completion.

However, there is still a managerial vacancy available at the City Ground with further complications coming yesterday as Olympiacos boss Marco Silva dramatically resigned leading to Marinakis appointing Victor Sanchez, a Forest managerial target, as their new manager. This is unlikely to have any bearing on the signing of Vellios due to the new format Forest will now be working under. Forest recently appointed Pedro Pereira as a Director of Football, meaning that whoever is appointed as manager will have less of an influence on signings anyhow.

 

Aspotolos Vellios is edging closer to becoming Forest's first signing of the summer.

The full cost of the transfer is yet to be confirmed but is said to be around the £950,000 mark. This is arguably a significant amount of money for a striker without the greatest goal scoring record to say the least. He had a three year spell at Everton between 2011 and 2014 but only managed to score 3 goals in 22 appearances. At his most recent club, Iraklis, he has managed to score 11 goals in 27 appearances which is his most successful goal scoring return in his career. However, the Championship is a whole different animal to the Superleague in Greece so it will be interesting to see how he partners Britt Assombalonga in the Forest attack.

Do you think  Apostolos Vellios would be a good signing for Forest?

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Twitter: @ForeverForest1

Did Tesche, Wilson and Burke deserve new deals?

It has been a busy day for Nottingham Forest with the release of the new 2016/17 home kit for next season and their retained list. The retained list confirms that out of contract players Robert Tesche, Kelvin Wilson and Chris Burke will not be given new deals and are now free to join other clubs. However, fans favorite Andy Reid is in negotiations to extend his stay at the club.

Robert Tesche

Tesche is the one out of the three released players who some supporters may be most disappointed to see leave the club. Whilst never being spectacular, he always did a solid job in the centre of the park and was good back-up for whenever the likes of David Vaughan, Henri Lansbury, Ben Osborn and others were unavailable. He only scored 3 goals whilst at the club which included a screamer against Charlton in a 1-1 draw at the City Ground back in 2014. At the beginning of Dougie Freedman’s reign, things didn’t work out for Tesche and he was sent on loan to Championship rivals Birmingham City where he performed very well. It would not be a surprise to see him quickly snapped up by the Blues on a free transfer this summer as he would be a real asset to Gary Rowett’s team. However, Tesche showed his professionalism over the summer and managed to gain a place in Freedman’s starting 11 for the away trip to Brighton back in August before unfortunately being ruled out with a lengthy injury after breaking his foot. Tesche did manage to regain his fitness and scored his final goal for the club as recently as the 3-1 away win at Fulham in April which all but confirmed Forest’s safety in the division.

Kelvin Wilson

Wilson has caused a huge debate amongst supporters about whether he should be given a new deal or not. His casual style of play and debatable attitude makes him unpopular with a large majority of supporters. The fact he is said to be one of the highest earners at the club also did not help his cause. Supporters were delighted to hear that Wilson had made a return to the club in the summer of 2013 to be reunited with former manager Billy Davies for a fee of £2.5 million. However, his return to the City Ground has largely been halted by injury with him only making 46 appearances since his return. His second spell at Forest has no doubt been nowhere near as successful as his first and he will mainly be remembered for the length of time he spent out injured and some costly mistakes. One mistake which springs to mind was back in January when Wilson made a shocking error at home to Watford in the FA Cup which allowed Ighalo to slot home the winner for the Hornets with ease. Wilson summed up his second spell at the club with a woeful performance in a 3-0 home defeat to Brentford at the City Ground which really made fans concerned about relegation from the Championship.

Chris Burke

It was already common knowledge that Burke no longer had a future at the club and it was therefore no surprise to see him released today. After constantly tormenting Forest’s defence in the past, it was a relief to see him sign for the Reds in the summer of 2014. He scored on his debut as he curled in a beauty in a 2-0 home win over Blackpool as Forest fans welcomed club legend Stuart Pearce back to the club. He made 50 appearances in total for Forest scoring just 6 goals which isn’t a fantastic return for a winger. However, he was an honest player who always put in a shift. He also scored in Freedman’s first home match in charge which resulted in a 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic. He then went on to score in his next two matches against Blackpool in a 4-4 draw and Bolton Wanderers in a 4-1 win. However, Burke failed to get into Forest’s first-team set-up this campaign and ended up on loan at Rotherham United where he scored 2 goals. It is likely that Rotherham will be his next destination for a permanent move as the club are said to already have a deal in place to keep Burke at the New York Stadium.

Do you think Forest were right to release Tesche, Wilson and Burke? Or do you think they deserved new deals?

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Twitter: @ForeverForest1

Should Oliveira make a permanent move to the City Ground?

Nelson Oliveira is one of a host of loan players who have featured for Nottingham Forest this season. Due to the fact the club are still on the search for a new manager, it is yet to be seen whether the likes of Oliveira, Gary Gardner, Ryan Mendes and Bojan Jokic have a future on Trentside.

From a Forest perspective, it makes sense for them to express interest in bringing Oliveira back to the City Ground on a permanent deal, but only for the right money. A figure of around the £1 million mark would be a reasonable deal for the Reds but Benfica may argue that he is worth more than that. Despite the fact Forest are expected to come out of the embargo this summer, the budget available to spend will still be fairly low so spending any more than £1 million on Oliveira would be a risky move. He certainly contributed significantly in a season to forget for Forest and they most definitely would have been in relegation fodder had he not found the back of the net 9 times before being ruled out for the rest of the season. To contribute as much as he did in a team which played little attacking football under manager Dougie Freedman suggests he could prove to be a valuable asset. Forest fans also find the prospect of a partnership of Oliveira and Assombalonga upfront very exciting and believe they have what it takes to cause any Championship defence problems.

Nelson Oliveira scored 9 goals for the Reds before being ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.

You suspect that Oliveira himself would consider a permanent move back to Forest should the opportunity ever arise. He had previously struggled to make an impact in England when he went on loan to Swansea City where he scored just 1 goal in 10 games in the Premier League. However, he really looked at home at Forest and made a significant impact. The fact his first team football opportunities may also be limited at his parent club Benfica, may also suggest that he needs to move on in his career. The Portuguese outfit already have a host of attacking options such as Raul Jimenez, Jonas, Luka Jovic, Nuno Santos, Goncalo Guedes and also Konstantinos Mitroglou who has been on loan from Forest’s Championship rivals Fulham this campaign. This certainly suggests that Oliveira would have his work cut out to break into a team which finished top of the Primeira Liga this campaign and also came close to knocking German champions Bayern Munich out of the Champions League. 

Would you like to see Nelson Oliveira make a permanent move back to the City Ground?

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Twitter: @ForeverForest1

Ex-Brighton Boss Linked With Forest Job

Oscar Garcia has become the second ex-Brighton boss to be linked with the Forest job this summer after Gus Poyet recently opted for Real Betis over the Reds.

Speculation over Garcia has become apparent over the past couple of days and he is said to be preparing for talks with the club within the next week. He appears to be a managerial target of Forest chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi.

However, what could make things more complicated is that Evangelos Marinakis who is said to be waiting for Football League approval over an 80% share in the club may have different ideas on who he wants to be next boss.

Who has the final say on Forest's next managerial appointment? Fawaz Al-Hasawi or Evangelos Marinakis?

It is clear that Garcia would be a popular choice amongst majority of Forest supporters. This is mainly down to his proven track record within management, most notably leading Brighton & Hove Albion to the Championship play-offs in his first season only to resign after a heavy aggregate defeat to Derby County in the semi-finals.

Garcia is just one of a handful of names being linked with the vacancy as it stands. It is understood that Al-Hasawi is also a huge admirer of Carlos Carvalhal and the job he has done of transforming Sheffield Wednesday this season. It would not be a shock for Al-Hasawi to at least consider an approach for Carvalhal especially if Wednesday are unsuccessful in their play-off final against Hull City.

Who would you like to see take the Forest job? 

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Twitter: @ForeverForest1

KEMAR ROOFE - Oxford United Starlet Linked With Reds Switch

23-year-old forward Kemar Roofe has been one of the star players throughout Oxford United’s superb League Two campaign to date. The youngster has now been linked with a potential switch to Forest in the summer.

This link follows interesting comments from owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi surrounding the Financial Fair Play situation this summer. Forest are expected to have their embargo lifted in the summer, but another heavy summer of spending would be likely to put Forest back into embargo again. However, Al-Hasawi has hinted that he will back the new manager considerably in the transfer market and that any FFP implications as a result will be dealt with when they occur. This is a very risky decision but is one which could pay off if Forest managed to gain promotion to the Premier League.

Kemar Roofe could be Nottingham Forest's first signing of the summer.

Kemar Roofe looks like he could potentially be Forest’s first signing of the summer despite the fact they have yet to find a new manager. Roofe has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season and looks more than capable of making the step up to the Championship. As Roofe can play both out wide and up front, his versatility is likely to make him a pleasing addition to any manager especially considering Forest’s lack of cutting edge upfront this season.

Roofe has scored 25 goals in all competitions for Oxford United this season.

Credit: OUFC Yellows

However, there is bound to be competition from other clubs for his signature with Premier League outfit Sunderland also said to be interested. Reading are also said to be in the hunt for the youngster who has so much potential. Al-Hasawi will be hoping he can persuade Roofe to make the switch to the City Ground.

Let me know if you think Roofe would be a good signing for Forest!

Twitter: @ForeverForest1

Will Forest really get relegated?

Due to Forest’s recent horrific run of results, I’ve deemed it necessary to see whether people’s concerns about relegation have any substance. After a 2-1 defeat at Reading, Forest are currently 9 points off the relegation places with six games remaining.

As It Stands Table:

Forest are currently in 17^th position in the Championship, 9 points above the relegation zone.

Forest’s Run-In:

Current Form: WLDLLL

Remaining Fixtures:

Brighton (H)

Rotherham (A)

Blackburn (H)

Fulham (A)

Wolves (H)

MK Dons (A)

It is easy to see why Forest fans are concerned about relegation due to recent poor results and the remaining fixtures. The way Forest are playing at the moment it is difficult to see where they will collect any more points to secure their safety. They realistically need to get to the 50 point mark to 

make sure they are most definitely safe.

Brighton at the City Ground on Monday night, following several dire home performances, looks a very tough ask especially as they are still very much in the fight for automatic promotion. The likes of Anthony Knockaert and Tomer Hemed have been in superb form lately and will be looking forward to the prospect of facing Forest’s makeshift defence. Forest also face other teams who are battling the drop including Rotherham (A), Fulham (A) and MK Dons (A). These will be very difficult fixtures against three teams who are all capable of picking up results on their day. Forest will have to be up for a scrap to get any points off these teams, which they have not been up to in recent weeks. The two fixtures I believe Forest will have the best chance of getting something out of are Blackburn (H) and Wolves (H), two fixtures against teams who have little to play for. Both are safe and have no chance of promotion and neither are particularly fantastic teams. Forest should collect enough points in these fixtures to make sure that the last day of the season trip to MK Dons is a relaxing one.

MK Dons’s Run-In:

Current Form: WDDLLL

Remaining Fixtures:

Rotherham (H)

Preston (A)

Sheffield Wednesday (A)

Brentford (H)

Ipswich (A)

Forest (H)

Last night, MK Dons missed a fantastic opportunity to put pressure on those above them as they threw away a 1-0 defeat to lose 2-1 to Wolves at home. A win, would have put them just 6 points behind Forest and 3 points off safety. However, they are still capable of picking up results and will still believe that they can beat the drop.

MK Dons and Wolves players battle during their Championship encounter last night.

They mathematically need to win 3 and draw 1 to overtake Forest, due to Forest’s superior goal difference. This is also including the fact that Forest would have to lose every single one of their remaining fixtures. I believe the next two fixtures against Rotherham (H) and Preston (A) will decide their fate, with the Rotherham fixture of Saturday being particularly crucial. If Rotherham beat them on Saturday, I can’t see the Dons avoiding the drop. Fixtures against Sheffield Wednesday (A), Brentford (H) and Ipswich (A) are all also very difficult fixtures even if they do manage to pull off wins against both Rotherham and Preston. I believe if Dons do have a chance of surviving, it will go down to the final fixture against Forest. By then Forest themselves will hopefully already be safe as Dons would have to be within 2 points of them for Forest to have a chance of being relegated. By looking at both their current form and remaining fixtures, I find it difficult to see MK Dons catching Forest before the end of the season even if Forest lose every match.

Charlton’s Run-In:

Current Form: WDWLWD

Remaining Fixtures:

QPR (A)

Derby (H)

Bolton (A)

Brighton (H)

Leeds (A)

Burnley (H)

Charlton have put together a decent run of results in recent weeks, leading Forest fans to think they are the team to watch rather than MK Dons. Last night they got a very good point in a 0-0 draw at play-off chasing Ipswich which leaves them 7 points off safety.

Charlton players and supporters celebrate their late victory against Birmingham City at the weekend.

Charlton similarly to both Forest and MK Dons appear to have a very tricky run-in. They first face a London derby on Saturday as they travel to Loftus Road to face QPR, which will be seen as a winnable game. They then face Derby at home who have recently struggled away from home for results and this again could be an opportunity for Charlton to close the gap further. They then face Bolton (H) which if they have won the previous two, will be a must win if they are to avoid the drop. Their last 3 fixtures of the season are very difficult as they face Brighton (H), Leeds (A) and Burnley (H). Brighton and Burnley are both fighting for automatic promotion and Elland Road is never an easy place to go to. Charlton’s run-in makes it unlikely they will be able to catch Forest as they are currently 10 points behind. Even 3 wins and 1 draw wouldn’t be enough as Forest have a far superior goal difference. This means that Charlton would need to get results in those last 3 fixtures even if they win the other 3 in order to catch Forest. That is also including the fact that Forest would again have to lose every single game. This makes it seem unlikely to me that Charlton will be able to catch Forest despite their recent upturn in form.

The Low-Down On Forest's Managerial Targets

It’s been over two weeks since Forest chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi took the decision to sack manager Dougie Freedman. Just as the club appeared to be edging towards stability on and off the pitch, a 3-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday forced Fawaz into making a change. Now as Forest look for the elusive manager to guide them to the Premier League, I have had a look at some of the front-runners for the job.

Nigel Pearson:

Soon after news came in regarding Freedman’s sacking, Pearson quickly became a fan’s favorite to take over at the helm. It is clear to see why given his recent success at Leicester City, guiding them to the Championship title and then survival in the Premier League. It could be argued Pearson built the foundations to the Leicester team which has been remarkably successful this season.

Nigel Pearson was one of the early front-runners for the job. 

However, Pearson’s time at Leicester wasn’t all plain sailing. He had many outbursts with the media during Leicester’s first season back in the Premier League. He will also be remembered for one encounter with a journalist who he went on to call an ‘ostrich’ which was soon followed up by him being challenged by BBC’s Pat Murphy. During the same season, he also had a spat with a fan on the touchline damaging his reputation amongst Leicester supporters in the process.

As much as Pearson would be a popular appointment amongst fans, it is arguably unlikely that he would want to work under Fawaz as it could be seen as a recipe for disaster. Pearson could be seen as a similar character to former Forest manager Billy Davies and we all know how that one ended.

Nigel Clough:

A perhaps more realistic target is former Forest favorite Nigel Clough currently at the helm at Burton Albion in League One. He is a manager whose appointment in my opinion would bring a mixed reaction amongst Forest supporters. He steadied the ship at local rivals Derby County without really ever challenging for the play-offs. He then went on to Sheffield United where he was harshly sacked after losing out in the play-offs and also guided them to a successful campaign in the cups. Clough now finds himself top of League One with Burton Albion having continued the form shown by previous manager Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink.

Clough has a clause in his contract at Burton allowing him to leave for Forest without the club having to pay compensation.

However, there will be a section of the Forest faithful who would be unimpressed by Clough’s arrival. His style of play may not match what the Forest fans expect, which was a key reason behind Freedman’s sacking. Even Burton are now beginning to stumble at the top after looking certain to be automatically promoted. His managerial spell in charge of Derby will also leave him unpopular amongst some supporters.

Out of all the possible candidates, Clough appears to me to be one of the more likely contenders. He has a clause in his contract at Burton which would allow him to join Forest without them having to pay compensation. However, Fawaz has stated he may move towards appointing a foreign manager meaning Clough may have to wait a little while longer yet for his chance to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Martin O’Neill:

Martin O’Neill taking over as manager at Forest would be a dream for many Forest fans. However, it does appear unlikely that he would even consider taking the job. In my opinion, this appointment would be the most popular, possibly more so than Pearson. This is due to the fact that O’Neill is not only a proven manager but also has an affinity towards the club and knows what is expected. He has a great deal of experience with managerial history at the likes of Aston Villa, Sunderland and currently with the Republic of Ireland alongside another Forest favorite in Roy Keane.

O'Neill is currently preparing the Republic of Ireland for the Euros in France this summer.

The fact that I can hardly muster up one negative about the prospect of O’Neill taking the job is shown by how unlikely it is to happen. O’Neill is currently preparing for the Euros with the Republic of Ireland and it is likely he will sign a new deal with them if they are deemed to have been successful. However, John Robertson has hinted he may be interested in the job so you never know!

Ivan Vukomanovic:

Ivan Vukomanovic is certainly the name which Forest fans did not want to hear links about following the departure of Dougie Freedman. The inexperienced Serbian manager only has one managerial role to his name which was with Standard Liege where he lasted only three months. Despite the fact he had a reasonably successful managerial spell; Liege decided to replace him with current Charlton boss Jose Riga.

Vukomanovic is a Serbian manager who has recently met Fawaz Al-Hasawi for interview.

The fact he was even invited for interview with Al-Hasawi will cause concerns amongst supporters. However, this just goes to show the harsh reality of the calibre of managers in which Forest can now attract. One box Vukomanovic would tick would be Fawaz’s wish for a foreign manager. The fact he lacks managerial experience in general let alone in the Championship should ensure he is ruled out.

Csaba Laszlo:

A slightly more respectable foreign manager recently linked with the post is Csaba Laszlo. One of the most notable managerial spells Laszlo has had was with Hearts in 2008. He had a very successful spell there by achieving 3^rd place in the SPL but was surprisingly sacked in 2010. He has since had managerial spells at R. Charleroi S.C. and the Lithuanian national football team, neither ending particularly well.

Laszlo's most successful managerial spell came at Hearts where he guided them to 3rd in the SPL.

Laszlo is a name who is likely to be unknown to majority of Forest fans and way down their list on who they want to become the new Forest boss. However, Fawaz is looking for a foreign manager and Laszlo does have a better CV than other foreign managers such as Vukomanovic who have been linked with the job. However, his lack of experience of English football should be of huge concern and this is something Fawaz has stated he is looking for.

Who would you like to be the next Forest manager?

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Twitter: @ForeverForest1

Reason for Optimism at Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest and Dougie Freedman have managed to drastically turn their fortunes around in recent weeks. If you go back just two months, to that gloomy day in the capital where Forest lost 2-1 to 10 man Brentford at Griffin Park, it is a reminder of just how far Forest have come. Now, nearing the end of January, there is reason for optimism as Forest sit comfortably in mid-table and just eight points off the play-off places.

After the defeat to Brentford, which left Forest just two points above the relegation zone, Freedman realised that he had been forced into a change of strategy. Freedman was becoming increasingly frustrated as after the match he stated ‘We had four or five chances but didn't take them and I'm fed up of saying that after games’. Fans were quickly becoming impatient with Freedman as results took a turn for the worse.

Forest's 2-1 defeat away at Brentford left them just 2 points off the relegation places. 

However, Fawaz Al-Hasawi showed evidence of learning from his past mistakes and allowed Freedman time to get Forest out of the poor run of form they found themselves in. The start of the current run of 12 games unbeaten began on 28^th November, as Forest came out comfortable 3-1 winners at home to Reading. Forest’s changed approach looked to be paying dividends as Nelson Oliveira and Chris O’Grady combined to great effect. Forest followed it up with another convincing 3-0 win against Fulham at the City Ground just a week later.

However, it was when Forest hit the road and travelled to Wolverhampton at the beginning of December where they really started to show their ability to grind out results. As Forest faced the difficulty of an abnormal fixture list due to Sky TV they managed to pick up two hard fought away draws at Wolves and Blackburn in the space of four days and perhaps deserved more. Forest then backed those two points up with a 2-1 victory over lowly MK Dons at the City Ground in the last match before Christmas in what turned out to be a tough encounter.

A flurry of draws over the Christmas period halted Forest’s rapid progress up the league table. Leeds, Cardiff and Charlton all held Forest to a 1-1 draw as some fans became frustrated with Freedman’s tactics and how he appeared to set the team up to ‘hang on’ to a 1-0 lead. The FA Cup gave Forest a well-timed break from league action and they found that winning feeling once again as they came out 1-0 winners against Queens Park Rangers following a turgid affair. Forest returned to the City Ground just three days later and came back from behind to secure a point in a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City.

Forest were again at home on the 16^th January as they faced Freedman’s former club Bolton Wanderers who found themselves in shocking difficulty. They found themselves in even more trouble as Amos sent Jamie Ward tumbling in the penalty area which led the way for a comfortable 3-0 victory. However, it will be the most recent result which will really cause Forest fans to be optimistic for what the remainder of the season will bring. Forest went to league leaders Middlesbrough who had not conceded a goal in nine home games or lost since September 15^th on home turf, and managed to gain a 1-0 victory. This was a remarkable result, which will be achieved by very few in the Championship this season.

Forest's 1-0 victory away at Middlesbrough on Saturday is seen as their best result of the season to date. 

Now as they sit just eight points off the play-off places, there are plenty of reasons for Nottingham Forest fans to be optimistic. Freedman has already made one fantastic signing in the form of Bojan Jokic on loan for the remainder of the season and is also expecting a striker to sign before the end of the window. Britt Assombalonga can still also prove to be a huge boost if and when he returns before the end of the season (hopefully before Derby). All of the above would prove extra ammunition to a squad which is rapidly improving and showing a strong togetherness for the first time in a while.

Come on you Reds!