Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest | England)

Is his time in the EPL almost at an end? He hasn’t been scoring goals in any abundance and his media ratings have been very ordinary/poor. 

Napier Phoenix

Is his time in the EPL almost at an end? He hasn’t been scoring goals in any abundance and his media ratings have been very ordinary/poor. 

One would think, difficult for him to break back into form after 30, especially with English media acting the way they do. He could bounce around newly promoted clubs depending on wages for the next few years - or look for something more permanent (maybe SPL, MLS or back to championship). Maybe he could link up with Sean Dyche again, probably the only life-line I could realistically see.

He may not score a huge amount of goals - but his value to a team does go beyond that.

HIs workrate on D and his ability to defend set pieces is a valuable commodity as well.

It sounds like he came off injured in the spurs game. On at 68mins, off at 73mins.

Hopefully that's not him out of the NZ v China games, will effect the crowds if so. 

Apparently got a knock to his thigh and it started swelling up, really hoping it's not too serious.

MetalLegNZ

He may not score a huge amount of goals - but his value to a team does go beyond that.

HIs workrate on D and his ability to defend set pieces is a valuable commodity as well.

What is all this shark about strikers being good at this or that? It's the same with Weghorst. They are there to score goals! If they can do the other things as well, then that means they are of more value to the team, but we shouldn't put the secondary job before the primary.

Rusty Dunks

MetalLegNZ

He may not score a huge amount of goals - but his value to a team does go beyond that.

HIs workrate on D and his ability to defend set pieces is a valuable commodity as well.

What is all this shark about strikers being good at this or that? It's the same with Weghorst. They are there to score goals! If they can do the other things as well, then that means they are of more value to the team, but we shouldn't put the secondary job before the primary.

Except that's not true, in a system with a false 9 the job of the 9 is to hold up the ball and for the 10s to score the goals.

He laid on Forest’s first goal with a nice one two just last round. Didn’t come up in the stats as an assist, because the rebound was tucked away, not the shot. 

When the team pass to him in a goal scoring situation he puts it in the net. Both here and Newcastle he hasn’t had the service he had from McNeil at Burnley. 
He also rarely panics or dies with the ball. 

As with most players it’s up to the manager to use him in a way that suits his skills and the other players to buy in. Forest have a variety of formations. His most recent goal came when he came on as a sub against Manchester City so I don’t think a bench role in the Prem is a sign of the end.

As well I don’t think either of the other forwards consider it their job to feed him. They’re fairly keen on a lash. 

He’s still got plenty to offer, it’s just how the manager wants to play and use his skills. 

If he’s consistently getting good chances he’ll tuck them away. 

Ryan

Rusty Dunks

MetalLegNZ

He may not score a huge amount of goals - but his value to a team does go beyond that.

HIs workrate on D and his ability to defend set pieces is a valuable commodity as well.

What is all this shark about strikers being good at this or that? It's the same with Weghorst. They are there to score goals! If they can do the other things as well, then that means they are of more value to the team, but we shouldn't put the secondary job before the primary.

Except that's not true, in a system with a false 9 the job of the 9 is to hold up the ball and for the 10s to score the goals.

Except he's not a false 9, is he? A false 9 is a midfielder pushed forward. Chris Wood is a target man, the very definition of a traditional British #9. 

Seems he misses the Newcastle game this weekend after all. From Flying Kiwis.

Steve Cooper: “Woody was just so unfortunate. He goes on, and in his first moment in the game he gets a really bad knock to his thigh which really swells up instantly like you wouldn't believe. He tried to carry on with it but it was just impossible. When he came to the halfway line and I saw it, I knew he wouldn't be able to carry on, even though he tried. That was really unfortunate.”

If there’s no lasting damage, that swelling should come down and he should be okay. Fingers crossed. Their next game, the last before the international break, is against Newcastle United so Wood is ineligible for that one anyway due to the terms of his loan deal. Not the worst time for that fixture to swing around.

Forest (14th) host Wood's ex club Newcastle (5th). Sounds like the Woodsman is both injured & ineligible for this one??  On the plane early to NZ with luck.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/03/17/england/premier-league/nottingham-forest-fc/newcastle-united-football-club/3800255/

No Woodsman. Soccerway has him down as injured

Forest lose 1-2 having been up 1-0. Isak with a 93rd min pen with the winner for NU

So, is Woodsy on his way or not? Someone must know.

Steve Cooper has confirmed that Chris Wood will miss the remainder of the season through injury.

The latest team news ahead of #NFOWOL. ℹ️

— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) March 30, 2023

Oh dear, Woodsy set for a stint on the sidelines, and will miss the rest of the season!
Wonder what this new injury was that he picked up while over here?

Head Coach Steve Cooper has confirmed that Chris Wood will miss the rest of the season through injury.

The striker, who joined from Newcastle United in the January transfer window, picked up a thigh injury in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

The New Zealander went away for international duty with his country during the break and participated in some training sessions, but was unable to feature in their two friendlies against China.

Speaking in this morning's press conference, Cooper revealed that Wood will miss the remainder of the campaign having picked up another injury during the international break. 

“Chris Wood is out for the season,” he said. “He’s picked up an injury during the international break.

So he picked up an injury during training with NZ? Bizzare because the NZ/Bazeley press conferences made it seem like he wasn't playing because his existing thigh injury hadn't healed. Did NZ football try and keep an injury in camp hidden from Forest? Something seems weird about this. 

siac

So he picked up an injury during training with NZ? Bizzare because the NZ/Bazeley press conferences made it seem like he wasn't playing because his existing thigh injury hadn't healed. Did NZ football try and keep an injury in camp hidden from Forest? Something seems weird about this. 

Yeah it's definitely an odd one. One with serious implications for the AW's come the next International window too, as it doesn't leave much time for him to come right between the end of Forests' season (21/5) and our match with Sweden (17/6). 

A big race against the clock on that one. Surely he's in doubt even at this stage based on this news?

Whatever the case, wishing the big man a speedy recovery.

Weird. Not bridge building to say the least. 

Very strange. I think Forests manager is playing blame games.

Seems to me that maybe the injury he had when he arrivred in NZ was a little more serious than advertised. Didn't play any games when here and left early because of the sxisting thigh injury - it may not have healed as expexted with all the travel etc, but I'm guessing said thigh injury was more of a serious tear than bruising as first indicated by Forest.

Sounds like he may have aggravated the injury in NZ. If true Forest will not be happy.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/131657291/thigh-injury-sidelines-chris-wood-for-rest-of-nottingham-forests-season

The 31-year-old went away for international duty with New Zealand during the break and participated in some training sessions, but was unable to feature in their two friendlies against China.

Cooper revealed Wood will miss the remainder of the campaign having picked up another injury during the international break.

Forest (16th) host Wolves (13th) is big game. Forest 2 pts & 2 spots above the drop zone. Though West Ham (18th) have a game in hand on Forest.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/01/england/premier-league/nottingham-forest-fc/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/3800266/

Wonder if Wood has an out clause if Forest are relegated? Or would he be okay dropping to the Championship, knowing that's struggled for goals the last few years in the EPL.

1-1 draw. Forest 14th, 2 points above Leicester (18th) in the drop zone.

The consumate Relegation 6 pointer.
Forest (16th, 27 pts) travel to Leeds United (18th in the drop zone, 26 pts).

I'd say a 50% chance Wood will be playing in The Championship next season. Unless he has an out clause, if Forest go down.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/04/england/premier-league/leeds-united-afc/nottingham-forest-fc/3800042/

Forest lose 2-1. Their GD (-28) is slightly better than Bournemouth (-30) so one spot out of the drop zone for the moment 

Away to Villa this weekend

From Flying Kiwis. Sounds like he will definitely miss the Sweden game. And oddly the bad injury that needed an operation, is on the opposite leg/thigh he was first injured on.

 

Steve Cooper: “Chris Wood is out for the season. He’s picked up an injury during the international break.”

Sixteen words that we didn’t want to have to read. No more Woodsy this season, he’s been shut down having made just seven appearances for Forest since joining on loan in January. That transfer will become permanent in the offseason as the triggers have already been met so it’s not as though we’ve seen the last of him in a Forest jersey but it will be several months before that happens again.

There was some confusion about this as Cooper claims he suffered the injury whilst on international duty. Wood had gotten a kick on the thigh prior to the break which left him in doubt. He travelled anyway and participated in a couple training sessions but wasn’t fit to play the first game and flew back home before the second one. But this injury isn’t the same one that he copped against Spurs. It’s a separate injury, also a thigh complaint but on the other leg. After several scans both in Aotearoa and England he’s undergone surgery and now that’s that for the season.  

More from Steve Cooper: “[Wood]'s actually had an operation on his thigh. It was something that was a really unfortunate situation, at the training ground. We got the scans from New Zealand and then made second and third checks, as you do with these things, once he got back. The player was obviously involved in the process, as always, but we had no alternative other than to operate. So we're looking at a long period out. It will be middle of pre-season, if we're lucky, not the start. If it all goes well then we're looking at mid-July.”

This is extra frustrating because it feels like he’s ducked out at a low point. Nottm Forest are stuck in a relegation scrap that he could have contributed to but instead the abiding memories from his Forest stuff this season is of Wood throwing himself about with little service and minimal connection with his teammates. There was a clear plan from the manager to adapt their style of playing towards a target man but it hasn’t yet clicked and it’s not a good sign that he may miss a chunk of preseason too. That prep time will be crucial for him. Not that we have any idea yet whether it’ll be Premier League preseason or Championship preseason.

Steve Cooper once again: “As a team, we hadn't created loads of chances for him - not that he had any complaints or anything like that. But when you have somebody who has scored goals in the Premier League before, you want to create chances so they can recreate that. It's a pity we've not been able to do that this season. But we'll support him as best we can. He's a very positive guy. It's just an unfortunate situation that does happen in elite sport. We'll give him the best recovery. For sure, he'll commit to that 100 percent; having worked with him now for a few months, I can see how professional he is. Hopefully he gets back at the right time.”

Up Next: The recuperation zone 

Can Forrest afford his wages if they do end up relegated? Tbh I think potentially going down to the championship could actually be beneficial to him nowdays, my get the goals flowing again.

Wonder if the Woodsman has any regrets, Notts heading towards relegation whilst Newcastle are sitting 3rd.

With no Wood in Nottingham Forest, can they stay up or will they go crashing down 🌲

The Kiwi Football Fix team discuss this and more TONIGHT at 7pm on #SkySportNZ ⚽ pic.twitter.com/dFEXr6R8fP

— Sky Sport NZ (@skysportnz) April 5, 2023

Can Forest (17th) stay up? Tough away trip to Villa (7th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/08/england/premier-league/aston-villa-football-club/nottingham-forest-fc/3800268/

Forest (18th, 27 pts) lose 2-0. They fall into the drop zone on GD from Everton (17th, 27 pts)

Forest (18th) host Man United (4th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/16/england/premier-league/nottingham-forest-fc/manchester-united-fc/3800283/

Forest lose 0-2 to remain in the drop zone, on GD from Everton.
Next for Forest a trip to Anfield. So in a rarity for Toffees fans, cheering for the red half of Liverpool.

If Forest get relegated and Wood can't get another premier league gig, it would be interesting to see him in the A-League at the Nix. 

Obviously Wellington can't compete on $ but surely he has enough of those already! I'm kind of joking but some Australian guys who played in the Premier league returned at similar age if my memory is correct, so it's not that farcical idea if he wants to decrease his work load as he gets older, might help his body get to the next WC.

I don't know enough about football to know if having 2 similar big guys like Wood and Zawada is a good tactic though!

I think you're dreaming unfortunately. Only way we get a Chris Wood or Ryan Thomas to return is if Tim Brown sponsors the nix and pay marquee wages comparable to what they can earn over there.

Anyone have any idea about chances of Chris playing for us in June? He is out for the season but the Sweden game is 3 weeks after the last PL game.

Think him being an original Auckland franchise signing is far more likely.

And his Forest gaffer has predicted a mid July return to pre season training. We can scrub him out of the June AW friendly(ies).

imanixsupporter

I think you're dreaming unfortunately. Only way we get a Chris Wood or Ryan Thomas to return is if Tim Brown sponsors the nix and pay marquee wages comparable to what they can earn over there.

Anyone have any idea about chances of Chris playing for us in June? He is out for the season but the Sweden game is 3 weeks after the last PL game.

all birds share price is down something like 300% on its peak so I doubt that will happen.

Forest (18th) travel to Liverpool (8th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/22/england/premier-league/liverpool-fc/nottingham-forest-fc/3800295/

Ryan

imanixsupporter

I think you're dreaming unfortunately. Only way we get a Chris Wood or Ryan Thomas to return is if Tim Brown sponsors the nix and pay marquee wages comparable to what they can earn over there.

Anyone have any idea about chances of Chris playing for us in June? He is out for the season but the Sweden game is 3 weeks after the last PL game.

all birds share price is down something like 300% on its peak so I doubt that will happen.

oh dear. Hadn't been following the all birds share price. Apparently the shares are now $1 when the IPO price was $15 and it soared to $30 shortly after that. Tim my man you should have cashed out and bought the nix - they're losing much less money than that