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Writer: guinless 
Date:Friday February 17 2012
Time: 11:46AM
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Fan Pressure Mounts On Under Fire Cotterill
The 2011/12 football season has seen Nottingham Forest lurch from one embarrassing crisis to another. A series of gaffes by the hierarchy at the club began with the sacking of Billy Davies in the summer and was helped in no small part by the disastrous appointment and resignation of former England manager Steve McClaren. Chairman and club owner Nigel Doughty stood down amidst a fan protest on the same day as McClaren's departure and handed the baton over to current chairman Frank Clark.
Supporter discontent has never been far away from the headlines on Trentside this season and things got no better following the appointment of Steve Cotterill, an influx of new loan signings, nor especially in light of the the recent death of club owner Nigel Doughty. After 30 games of this sorry excuse for a promotion push (yes, that was the stated aim and ambition of the club at the start of the campaign), the club languish 2nd from bottom in the Championship table, just 1 point above Doncaster Rovers. We are 6 points from safety and only have 16 games remaining in which to avoid relegation to League 1.
Steve Cotterill is understandably coming in for much of the blame and although his record of 5 wins, 3 draws and 14 defeats in 22 games is difficult to defend, the blame can not lie solely at his door. The blame for the clubs' demise this season will ultimately lie just a little further up the food chain and as usual the one constant in the clubs' failings in recent times is Chief Executive Officer Mark Arthur.
Whilst fans should be demanding Mark Arthur's immediate sacking/resignation, it looks as though our Teflon coated CEO will once again escape the flak. There's already an on-line petition calling for change, but for me the real problems at the club fall at the feet of the CEO. He along with former owner Nigel Doughty are the real reasons the club repeatedly make the same mistakes and are the real reasons why we're facing another spell in the graveyard of League 1.
Another defeat for Steve Cotterill at home to fellow relegation strugglers Coventry tomorrow, will make it very difficult for the manager to hold onto his job. But, with a three and a half year contract tucked safely under his belt, it's hard to imagine he will walk. However, the growing number of signatures on the on-line petition is rising fast and will only increase further if we fail to beat Coventry tomorrow. Time may well be running out for Steve Cotterill, but it ran out for Mark Arthur long ago.
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Your Comments
Same old ***** from Vital Forest,
You wanted Davies out and got it,
You wanted McClaren out and got it,
Now you want Cotterill out.
You'll want the next one out too, no matter how goood or bad his performances are.
Pathetic!
daddyreddog
I never wanted Davies out DRD. I didn't want McClaren out at the time, although I soon would have. I have always fought to see both Doughty and Arthur remove themselves from NFFC. That's my stance DRD, not the stance of this site. That's my opinion. I don't think Cotterill will save us, but we will never be safe from danger so long as Mr. M. Arthur is working at this club. Now go and get your facts straight.
Kev Finnegan
Not true, Reddog.
A minority of vocal posters wanted Davies out. Heh, they got their wish, eh? But most appreciated the job he did. (Billy's achievements look even better in light of this season.)
I don't recall Kev' being one of them. He always stood up for the real reaons behind Billy's vocal undressing of the club's hierarchy.
In fact, while managers have come and gone, Kev's (I feel) 'restrained' editorial line has done it's best to be balanced regardless of his personal opinion. He's pretty fair. In my opinion 'too fair.' I'd prefer harder hitting and more personal editorials from him. His economic posts don't allow his true journalistic talent to shine.
Bring back Davies!!!!
strawberry avenger
Restrained?
Kev's only 'restrained' when you agree with him.
The truth is Vital forest has been run as an anti Nigel Doughty site for some time now. Any posters disagreeing with the site's opinions are driven out by the hoards, ridiculed by the mods or threatened with bans.
daddyreddog
ie he's been pretty consistent where Forest's true problems are. ie Mark Arthur.
13 managers later... I won't be happy until Mark Arthur leaves the club.
As for Cotterill. You wouldn't treat a dog like that. He's only had all his loan players for 2 matches. At least the displays have stopped being gutless. No pre-season. No back room staff.
The record is terrible. But it started the moment they sacked Davies, pulled the rug from Macca (still no wingers...), still no permanent LB... It's a mess and Cotterill's been asked to clean up this toilet of a season.
But we're not winning. Cotterill's record isn't good. I can see what he's trying to do...but he needed those loan players as soon as he came in. They may have come to late for him if we lose badly to Coventry.
I'd still like Frank to put Steve on Gardening Leave and appoint Davies to the end of the season.
strawberry avenger
Anti-Doughty. I don't think that's true either. Editorially, it's been pretty consistent that Doughty, while a 'well meaning fan' has backed the club and the wrong horse in Mark Arthur to distribute that generosity. Hard to knock someone for their generosity. But you can't have it all ways and say everything they did is 'right' because they put the money in.
Doughty himself fell on his sword after McClaren quit. It summed up his poor (but well meaning) patronage which didn't equate to being knowledgeable in matters football as our 13 years of train wreck managereable appointments and inconstistent philosophy.
Really, Megson? Kinnear? Plat? A manager with zilch experience in the Championship only to repeat the lapse in judgement with Macca...a manager with zilch experience in the Championship.
The 'hoards' as you put it are a minority. And the ones that are driven out are generally(!) the ones that swear too much or abuse other posters. Vital have begun to take a harder line over abusive posters.
Forest have been poorly run. You don't sit 2nd bottom otherwise.
strawberry avenger
Au contraire, Strawbs.
The site has been guilty of calling for more spending in the transfer market whilst simultaneously criticising the size of Forest's debt to Doughty.
You can't have it both ways.
daddyreddog
No you can't. The City Ground rots. Revenue is poor. The money (the fans money too :) has been poorly managed. Mark Arthur was Doughty's 'best' signings. Erm. Uhm. Ok. ;)
...and any pretence to fiscal prudence was smashed by an unusual about turn on wages over the Summer, wages smashing turnover.
Fans can call for what they like. What of it? They always do. The sky is blue. The grass is green. 'Some' people. I'm sure they do 'call' for wishing wells. It's a democracy. We were fortunate to have a 'well meaning' owner... But the fans you are talking about may have echoed Billy's 'November Call' for a well timed Jan' investment to push for the Premiership. I don't recall anyone calling for blowing £5 million on Darren Pratley. But what if they did? It was unlikely Doughty sanction it nor did he.
However, when you look at the 'waste' of the wages on 5 players exceeding that of the 9 to leave you have to ask why it was 'good to go' in the Summer but not in the Jan' window when Billy's squad needed it most. Again. Erratic judgement. The same football judgement that thought that Macca would do better than Billy without wingers or a permanent LB. (and STILL no permanent LB.)
Forest have still been poorly run with inconsistent policies in managerial appointments, the type of football we play and the City Ground reflects a lack of imagination and creativity regarding how that '100 million' was spent.
A new ground? Now that's wishing. Mark Arthur to exit? That's wishing.
But wishing don't make it so. Neither does 100 million either, apparently.
But hey, check out the myriad also ran teams that over took Forest in the fast lane over the last 13 years. Luck or judgement?
100 million? A legacy squandered.
strawberry avenger
It's been a season from hell from start to finish. And the quality of leadership has no bearing on it?
I think it does.
Football fans are a volatile lot. But Forest fans appear to be more placid, patient (or resigned to their fate) than most.
Are we really surprised that Forest fans are angry? Finger pointing? Lashing out? Or wanting to protest? Or calling for Cotterill's head? Or Mark Arthur's head? Or how the club is being run? Or how we got here?
If we sack Cotterill. That's another manager...and yet the hierarchy don't take any responsibility for that? Clark may get the blame for that one...but the fingerprints of MA is all over that appointment. (No proof, mind.. ;)
It's poor leadership. That's why sit 2nd bottom. Billy alluded to that poor leadership before he left.
Well, at least Nottingham hasn't been burned to the ground yet...and no angry mob with pitch forks or flaming torches outside the City Ground.
Yet.
strawberry avenger
DRD why on earth are you having a pop, what is the point to this
On top of anything else to run a site with thousands of members you are going to have those who want more players and those that want less debt and within that those who move from one camp to another over time. Is this some sort of crime?
Vital Forum is a platform to air your views your site attracts people to read and if they like the style and content they join, I am presuming by your comments that your site is not a 'anti Doughty' site if that is the case good luck to you but be mindful that your contributors stick to that or otherwise your side will be anti and pro Doughty and I guess you can't have that
Anyway sorry Vital wasn't for you good luck with your site, I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labour both Kevin yourself and all the other moderators of fan sites that you run should be applauded for your efforts
mark2310
As I've said to you on many occasions DRD. If you feel so strongly about the editorial content on the front page of this site, then feel free to write an article for it to redress the balance. I'm more than willing and happy to publish anything you have to say that contrasts with anything I've written. I and I'm sure a great many others, eagerly await your response.
Kev Finnegan
Sorry Kev, but the last time I wrote anything on this site, the post was altered and I was threatened with a ban by PM. The person you were so resolutly defending at the time I see, has since been banned yet again, enough said there I think.
Am I having a pop? I didn't set out to do that, i was just pointing out that whoever ends up managing this club, no matter how well or badly they do, the fans will be calling for his head sooner or later.
The club can't afford to sack Cotterill, and he can only use the players he has, so what's the point in having a go at him?
In the mean time I'll leave to your diliberations guys.
daddyreddog
I'd like to see proof of that statement DRD. I would never and have never altered a front page article written by someone else. Any article written for the front page is easily accessed via the Vital Forest Article archive list at the bottom of this very page. Check it out for yourself.
Anyways....there's no pleasing you. Please also have another read of this article, because if you read it properly, I am not actually calling for the sacking of Steve Cotterill (although I do think he deserves it). I am actually saying that Mark Arthur should be the real target. If you had infact read the article, you would know that. However, as usual, you just take the opportunity to have a pop instead. You should be venting your angst at the club DRD, not me duck.
Kev Finnegan
I said my post was altered, not a front page article.
daddyreddog
If you had a forum post altered/edited and you were issued with a warning of a ban, it would have been due to you making comments that were deemed likely to offend or be abusive to other members of the site. That seems fair enough to me and I can live with that decision. Totally justifiable IMO DRD. Have you signed the petition?
Kev Finnegan
Ah, you wpuld say that wouldn't you. Except people have memories and people will remember that I was never abusive in my posts. No Kev, I was threatened with a ban for disagreeing with YOU! That's all duck.
daddyreddog
At last-for the first time since the night BD was sacked this site is alive again.My own view is that BD was great and I would welcome his return but
gedling52
At last-for the first time since BD was sacked the site has come alive.My own view is that BD was terrific and I would welcome his return-but equally SC is being judged unfairly by most.It has only been in reality his team for 2 games and it is not looking too bad-after a long rainy day the sun is creeping out.As the travel agent in charge of the itinary MA just has to go.Lets leave it to SC for now-no one else will avoid the drop and if it happens lets see how things are then and have an informed debate.ND was plainly a fan-what happens next will show whether he was a benefactor too.Kev-this site (as was I )was hysterically anti ND and it was either justified or something to be ashamed of depending on these "ominous" future meetings with the estate representatives.Finally if you get banned from this site is it forever or just a few games-and can you get back on again on an I told you so basis?!!
gedling52
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