Comments on: The state of the game.. http://nffcblog.com/2008/02/22/the-state-of-the-game/ The mindless ramblings of a Forest fan half imbued with a probably misguided sense of optimism.. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:44:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: nffc http://nffcblog.com/2008/02/22/the-state-of-the-game/#comment-36405 nffc Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:34:37 +0000 http://nffc.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-36405 Probably not, I guess they signed up to something different to me, though! That said, a trip to Orient has cheered me up no end anyway! Probably not, I guess they signed up to something different to me, though! That said, a trip to Orient has cheered me up no end anyway!

]]> By: Radgie http://nffcblog.com/2008/02/22/the-state-of-the-game/#comment-36403 Radgie Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:29:37 +0000 http://nffc.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-36403 Bet the Havant and Waterlooville supporters didn't think it was all a waste of time a couple of weeks back. Keep the faith. Bet the Havant and Waterlooville supporters didn’t think it was all a waste of time a couple of weeks back.

Keep the faith.

]]> By: vassilis, athens, greece http://nffcblog.com/2008/02/22/the-state-of-the-game/#comment-36354 vassilis, athens, greece Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:56:37 +0000 http://nffc.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-36354 Last Tuesday my Greek team Olympiacos played Chelski at home. They drew 0-0. That's not the point. On the next day the "Guardian" wrote: "There's no way we will see that kind of atmosphere in our Premier League grounds ever again". We discussed it with a couple of Chelsea fans that evening, and they agreed: The Premier League has become a little too posh for their standards too. Well NFFC, although I agree that the Premier League today is nothing like the old Division One I used to love as a kid when we used to watch only parts of games here in Greece, I must say that even back then there were the big names i.e. Liverpool, Arsenal or Man U, and they were also monopolising the titles with rare breakthroughs by "lesser" clubs such as Everton, Aston Villa or our own and beloved Forest. It's a worldwide phenomenon that titles almost always go to teams with a big (I should say HUGE) fan base (and according financial strength). I wouldn't even dream of Real Valladolid as Spanish Champions, Udinese picking up the title in Serie A or Karlsruhe winning the Bundesliga. The fact that Forest won the title right after promotion was a wonder which I think has happened only once more (I may be wrong, but I think that our national manager Otto Rehhagel led Kaiserslautern to the Bundesliga title after promotion as well). But this is football. A bunch of guys with a good chemistry between them works wonders. It's not only money that counts (and really nffc, are you sure we would have won that title without making two ultra-expensive signings in Shilton and Francis?) The D***y example is an illustrating one, but not the rule. Why don't you take Reading, who broke into the Premiership two years ago and are still alive and kicking? What about Wigan and Sunderland, hanging in there by the skin of their teeth, what about Bolton that has been there since 2001 with a fan base much lower than our own? Watford may not win the title next season, but what about bigger clubs such as West Brom or Ipswich if they follow Cloughie's example about a good chemistry of players? The Premier League had a goal, in its beginnings in the early 90s: To provide football fans with a highly competitive top league, deprived of the plague of hooliganism, offering better standards for spectators (such as all-seater grounds) and with stars shining all over. In the beginning, foreigners were reluctant to try the hardships of the english game. After Bosman, they flooded in. But there again, the Premiership used the rule of national team appearances in order to decrease the number of work permits issued - it's a very good rule that I wish we had in Greece as well. As a result, the foreign players are now the creme de la creme, which is a good thing but also can create problems. And I will explain myself. I am worried too about the English game; it's a hard-fought, never-say-die, full of pace kind of football, which I came to love as a kid and still respect. I am sure that English fans deep down are not so sure that they want to go to the ground and cheer for clubs without a single homegrown player in their squad. And I believe the problem lies there - and this gives also a lot of answers about the England national team's recent shortcomings. So I am not that pessimistic about Forest being spanked like D***y should we break into the Premiership. Maybe the sheep sh*****s were a little overconfident (how uncharacterising of them - he he) and were caught offguard, which did not exactly happen to Roy Keane's Sunderland (also a team with a big fan base), so why should it happen to Forest? I wonder. But again -and I will repeat it every time- as I am too far away my vision of things could be a little different than yours, who live the game every single day in its cradle. Maybe it's my optimistic nature, but yeah, I wanna see my Forest up there again. Good luck today in London U REDS! PS I also think that the Premier League project to play games abroad is ridiculous. If not for anything else, travelling would add more to an already heavy schedule of tired players......... And would it be still called the English Championship? As Ancient Greeks used to say, there should be a measure in everything - even greediness!!! Sorry about the long post, but the topic is huge as well I reckon. Last Tuesday my Greek team Olympiacos played Chelski at home. They drew 0-0. That’s not the point. On the next day the “Guardian” wrote: “There’s no way we will see that kind of atmosphere in our Premier League grounds ever again”. We discussed it with a couple of Chelsea fans that evening, and they agreed: The Premier League has become a little too posh for their standards too.
Well NFFC, although I agree that the Premier League today is nothing like the old Division One I used to love as a kid when we used to watch only parts of games here in Greece, I must say that even back then there were the big names i.e. Liverpool, Arsenal or Man U, and they were also monopolising the titles with rare breakthroughs by “lesser” clubs such as Everton, Aston Villa or our own and beloved Forest.
It’s a worldwide phenomenon that titles almost always go to teams with a big (I should say HUGE) fan base (and according financial strength). I wouldn’t even dream of Real Valladolid as Spanish Champions, Udinese picking up the title in Serie A or Karlsruhe winning the Bundesliga. The fact that Forest won the title right after promotion was a wonder which I think has happened only once more (I may be wrong, but I think that our national manager Otto Rehhagel led Kaiserslautern to the Bundesliga title after promotion as well).
But this is football. A bunch of guys with a good chemistry between them works wonders. It’s not only money that counts (and really nffc, are you sure we would have won that title without making two ultra-expensive signings in Shilton and Francis?)
The D***y example is an illustrating one, but not the rule. Why don’t you take Reading, who broke into the Premiership two years ago and are still alive and kicking? What about Wigan and Sunderland, hanging in there by the skin of their teeth, what about Bolton that has been there since 2001 with a fan base much lower than our own? Watford may not win the title next season, but what about bigger clubs such as West Brom or Ipswich if they follow Cloughie’s example about a good chemistry of players?
The Premier League had a goal, in its beginnings in the early 90s: To provide football fans with a highly competitive top league, deprived of the plague of hooliganism, offering better standards for spectators (such as all-seater grounds) and with stars shining all over. In the beginning, foreigners were reluctant to try the hardships of the english game. After Bosman, they flooded in. But there again, the Premiership used the rule of national team appearances in order to decrease the number of work permits issued - it’s a very good rule that I wish we had in Greece as well. As a result, the foreign players are now the creme de la creme, which is a good thing but also can create problems. And I will explain myself.
I am worried too about the English game; it’s a hard-fought, never-say-die, full of pace kind of football, which I came to love as a kid and still respect. I am sure that English fans deep down are not so sure that they want to go to the ground and cheer for clubs without a single homegrown player in their squad. And I believe the problem lies there - and this gives also a lot of answers about the England national team’s recent shortcomings. So I am not that pessimistic about Forest being spanked like D***y should we break into the Premiership. Maybe the sheep sh*****s were a little overconfident (how uncharacterising of them - he he) and were caught offguard, which did not exactly happen to Roy Keane’s Sunderland (also a team with a big fan base), so why should it happen to Forest? I wonder.
But again -and I will repeat it every time- as I am too far away my vision of things could be a little different than yours, who live the game every single day in its cradle. Maybe it’s my optimistic nature, but yeah, I wanna see my Forest up there again.
Good luck today in London U REDS!

PS I also think that the Premier League project to play games abroad is ridiculous. If not for anything else, travelling would add more to an already heavy schedule of tired players……… And would it be still called the English Championship? As Ancient Greeks used to say, there should be a measure in everything - even greediness!!!
Sorry about the long post, but the topic is huge as well I reckon.

]]> By: Ryan http://nffcblog.com/2008/02/22/the-state-of-the-game/#comment-36353 Ryan Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:10:40 +0000 http://nffc.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-36353 I nearly agree 100% with you, but it is possible for teams to achieve what we did again, we were lucky in that we had bought the most exciting strike partnership in the land, Collymore who banged in silly goals, coupled with Roy who we acquired before his stock rose in the WC. Pure class behind them with cheap but great imports like, Bohinen, with technically sound home-grown players and a great leader like Pearce. It is possible if you get this excellent mix, with a decent tactically aware manager and the right club to attract the players ie. Nottm Forest - 2times EC Winners! Not like it used to be though granted, its tragic! I nearly agree 100% with you, but it is possible for teams to achieve what we did again, we were lucky in that we had bought the most exciting strike partnership in the land, Collymore who banged in silly goals, coupled with Roy who we acquired before his stock rose in the WC. Pure class behind them with cheap but great imports like, Bohinen, with technically sound home-grown players and a great leader like Pearce. It is possible if you get this excellent mix, with a decent tactically aware manager and the right club to attract the players ie. Nottm Forest - 2times EC Winners!
Not like it used to be though granted, its tragic!

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