Transfer to a club where the manager knows how to get the best out of wood?
At Forest it was manager plus players plus time. Not sure if that would all exist at West Ham. In a way coming into Forest on a bit of a career slump was good as he was allowed time to work with and get to know the players with a little less pressure. Off 14 and 20 goal seasons they’ll expect something from the get go.
For Nuno! Help from Anderson and Gibbs-White? Definitely a good combo with Anderson…maybe the first from a corner?
Also disappointed you’ve posted there with no word play or puns to be seen Oi Oi! You’ve had a very decent run of late…
Sorry, I Would have if I'd thought of one.
you WOOD have if you had thought of one. As things stand there have been nuno puns in this thread. It can be difficukt sometimes mind, not seeing the forest fir the trees. But martin certainly has the wood on oi oi when it comes to clever word play.
Odds on Jesus (current Brazil international) starts against Midtjylland? Niche Cache's thoughts.
Igor Jesus’ mobility and energy may be great for the Europas but back in the Premier League the physicality and experience of Chris Wood remain as valuable as ever. That’s how it turned out as Nottm Forest hosted Sunderland three days later with Chris Wood named to start as one of five changes from the Real Betis game. There’s nothing he can do about people making assumptions about his fit for his new manager. There’s nothing he can do about the goals his deputy scored in games he didn’t play. But there was plenty he could do about his own performance in response to those things.
Which is why it’s devastating to say that Chris Wood clunked it against Sunderland. Given a chance in his familiar role as the target man up top, Wood had six shots and only put one on target as Sunderland won 1-0. That’s more shots in this game than he had in any match last season (including when he scored his hat-trick against Brighton). One of the astonishing parts of his 2024-25 goal haul was how incredibly efficient he was, massively exceeding his Expected Goals and getting a high percentage of his efforts on target (despite not actually taking very many shots). This was the opposite of that just like how Ange Postecoglous is the opposite of Nuno Espirito Santo.
A couple of those shots were nothing chances that nobody’s going to blame him for. But he had one glittering back-post header in particular with ten minutes to go that he spurned, with his team trailing 1-0 against a promoted team, which he simply had to do better with. Especially when his position is already under pressure. It was painful. Here’s a summary of those six shots...
23’ – Neco Williams whips in an early chipped cross recovering the second phase from a corner which lands right on Chris Wood’s head eight yards out in the middle of the goal but he powered it wide
27’ – Opportunistic glancing header leaning backwards for a Dan Ndoye cross that bounced comfortably wide though wasn’t far from meeting a Forest foot running in at the back post
45+3’ – Back post header from a Bakwa corner kick with the last act of the half, put into a pretty good area but Wood was leaning back on it under pressure and headed way too high
80’ – Omari Hutchison went past his man on the right wing and whipped a shin-height cross into the middle where some super movement from Wood got himself in front of the defender at the near post, his side-footed shot fizzing towards goal but parried away by the keeper
80’ – Follow up to the previous effort, barely made contact with it
81’ – The golden one... another cross from Hutchison, this one struck hard with beautiful shape towards Wood at the far post where he intercepted it perfectly yet pushed his header wide from six yards out
There are other factors at play here because part of Woodsy’s success last season was his combination with his fellow forwards, especially the wingers. But Anthony Elanga has been sold to Newcastle United, Callum Hudson-Odoi is in and out of the side, and even Morgan Gibbs-White has seen his role fluctuate under Postecoglou... those four were the main men under Nuno but Wood was the lone soldier of the quartet picked to start the Sunderland game. You could see the intent from all of those new guys to feed crosses towards Wood but the connections weren’t the same. The understanding and the timing aren’t there yet.
Im getting less and less worried about how Woodsy will fit into Ange's tactics - Ange will be a lucky man to make it to November, let along Christmas at this rate.
Good to see him back on the scoresheet. The offside goal and pen boosts of confidence hopefully.
*two offside goals ! But apparently they were both very crisp finishes. Hopefully just warning shots to the league to stand back because Woodsy is about to fire.
I think he has a lot of love at the City Ground, and while he will cop a bit for the poor run, the fact he’s smashed it for two seasons and married a local lass hopefully give him some credit.
Im getting less and less worried about how Woodsy will fit into Ange's tactics - Ange will be a lucky man to make it to November, let along Christmas at this rate.
The owner is Greek, Ange has Greek heritage (he coached lower tier Greece early in his career). Unless Forest become so bad they slip into the bottom 3, he won't be sacked.
He will Marinakis sell on the 'I always win something in my 2nd season' narrative.
14 - Biggest gaps between first two major European goals:
14 years, 347 days - Eugenio Corini (1990 - 2005) 14 years, 221 days - Mark Wright (1982 - 1997) 13 years, 347 days - Chris Wood (2011 - 2025)
You're overestimating the sanity of Marinakis Coochie. If Nuno wasn't doing well enough Ange can't be long for this world no matter what his nationality.
I believe Ange is actually Greek born too, not just heritage.
You're overestimating the sanity of Marinakis Coochie. If Nuno wasn't doing well enough Ange can't be long for this world no matter what his nationality.
I believe Ange is actually Greek born too, not just heritage.
Nuno wasn’t sacked because of his results, he criticised Marinakis (rightfully so imo) around signing players
You're overestimating the sanity of Marinakis Coochie. If Nuno wasn't doing well enough Ange can't be long for this world no matter what his nationality.
I believe Ange is actually Greek born too, not just heritage.
Nuno wasn’t sacked because of his results, he criticised Marinakis (rightfully so imo) around signing players
Don’t think that’s right either. Marinakis hired Edu. It became one or the other as Nuno didn’t want his players, and you suspect Marinakis wanted a more attacking style of football. The potential clash was always there and Ange was honored by Marinakis last season.
While we can be critical of Marinakis, it has worked. Forest has stayed up and prospered, after going, swiftly, through a bunch of other clubs cast offs to see if they had any value for Forest, and now signing players with Edu’s contacts. In an era when most promoted teams went straight back down it’s nothing to be sneezed at.
Watching the best keeper from last season being forced to play out from the back, with plenty of defenders of similar capabilities while the sharks of Guimaraes, Joelinton and Tonali patrol the midfield is not great viewing. Hope things get better, but phhhhh.
As Buffy says above, apparently no Forest manager has started this poorly before Ange.
Still the clean sheet at halftime. Feels a bit like halfway football from Ange, to copy the old joke about cricket coach Bob Cunis, neither one thing or the other.
They’re sort of playing out from the back. New boys Cunha and Savona have been a little wobbly, but not conceded yet.
There’s no evidence of streaming forward in attack from the WBs or anyone yet really though.
With the quality on the field, they’re up against Brazil and Italy in the midfield, with perhaps Anderson and Gibbs-White a potential English permutation among many.
Long story short, very little sight of the goal for Wood and a lot of defensive work. Still in it in the scoreboard and a bit of luck couldn’t hurt.
Ange Postecoglou remains without a win in seven matches in charge of Nottingham Forest after its 2-0 loss at Newcastle.
Forest has lost five of those games under the Australian, who was serenaded with chants of “You're getting sacked in the morning” by his own fans during a midweek defeat in the Europa League. “It is a struggle, it is a fight, there is nothing wrong with that," said Postecoglou, who was fired by Tottenham during the offseason after winning the Europa League. "I could have been sat on the couch watching you guys but I prefer to be here right in the middle of it, where I can have an effect. I believe I will.”
Bruno Guimaraes curled in a beautiful shot in the 58th and Nick Woltemade added a second from the penalty spot for Newcastle, which won in the league for just the second time this season.
For what's it's worth Soccerway gave the Woodsman a match low 5.8 rating. Forest 17th.
Two seasons ago he scored a fantastic hat trick in this same fixture at St James Park.
It’s tough for him to get rating points if the ball is nowhere near him most of the time tbf. No one was watching to see if he was making runs and trying to find them today the way Anderson did in their opening game.
Wouldn’t mind seeing him in a new team at West Ham.
With Summerville, Paquetta, Diof and Bowen feeding him, I think he would do well.
Has 18 mths on his contract so if he is offered a 6 month deal with the option of another year subject to staying up at the same wages, think he should take it.
I think he’d do ok too, but how often do managers actually take players from former clubs with them? I know it can happen, but it seems to be rumoured far more often than it actually occurs, which makes me think it’s occasionally just lazy journalism. Time will tell.
I think he’d do ok too, but how often do managers actually take players from former clubs with them? I know it can happen, but it seems to be rumoured far more often than it actually occurs, which makes me think it’s occasionally just lazy journalism. Time will tell.
Fans really aren't happy. 0 wins in 6 with a tough trip to St James on Monday our time.
If they cop a hiding there it's probably curtains already. Serves Marinakis right for sacking their best manager since Clough.
FRANK CLARK, FOREST'S BEST MANAGER SINCE CLOUGH - AND FOREST'S KIWI CONNECTIONS BEFORE WOOD: Forest's best manager (most successful) since Clough is not Nuno. It was Frank Clark, Forest's manager 1993-96. Frank Clark (footballer) - Wikipedia Clark was a regular in Clough's legendary team that won the English title and the European Cup in the late seventies and succeeded Clough as manager in 1993 after relegation. He took them straight back up and then finished third in the Premier League in the 94-95 season and took them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup the following season where they lost over two legs to an awesome Bayern Munich side with Klinsmann etc. "During the 1994–95 English football season, Nottingham Forest F.C. competed in the FA Premier League. Surprisingly for a newly promoted side, Forest finished in third place, behind Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United: no newly promoted club has achieved as high a finish in the Premier League since..." Captained by Stuart Pearce with Stan Collymore banging in goals galore along with Dutch international Brian Roy, Erling' s dad Alfie in defence, England international Neil Webb...
NZ connections:Scot Gemmill, a key player in that side, finished his playing career at the ill-fated NZ Knights in the A-League. 26 Scotland caps, one of Scotland's best players of that era, went on to play for Everton and Leicester. Gemmil has been Scotland's u-21 coach for some years (still in charge for the current Euro u-21 qualifiers) and applied for the All Whites job last time round - in my opinon, one of the better candidates. NZ connections with Clough's Forest sides: - Brian Clough's sister immigrated to NZ and spent most of her life in Nelson. Mysteriously, most of Nelson United's imports in the national league in the 1980's were from the Nottingham area, and Clough sent two Forest 19 year-olds on loan to NZ in 1978. That may well have been due to his sister living here. - Two players from Clough's great Forest sides played in our national league on loan as teenagers: defender Bryn Gunn played for Eastern Suburbs in 1978 - and went on to win the European Cup in 1980, coming on as a sub !!!! 131 appearances for Forest under Clough. The other Forest player on loan at Eastern Suburbs was striker Steve Elliott. "Eastern Suburbs greatly improved on their 1977 league performance to finish in the top four. In the case of Suburbs this was largely through the importation of English players Bryn Gunn and Steve Elliot from Nottingham Forest. Elliot made the most of his stint with Suburbs, scoring 17 times in just 12 matches." Elliot never played many first team matches at Forest but played a season in the top tier for Luton and scored 125 goals in the lower leagues over 436 matches in the Football League through to 1990.
A mess. Absolutely set Ange up to fail. But maybe he would have anyway.
As for those hailing Saint Nuno, I believe there was a first break in the way Nuno treats Taito Awoniyi. He is injured, but has to stay on and ends up in absolute agony, with the suggestion Nuno had told him to push through. Marinakis was livid with Nuno about this incident.
Dyche probably a mistake, but might at least get a few draws and wins compared to Ange’s determination to hit the post and concede late on. But might not. And I’m not sure if it is good for Woodsy. He’s not who he was at Burnley.
But don’t think they can hold on to Ange for too long if he’s going to bring this failure and feeling to the squad and club.