Nottingham Forest 1-2 Blackburn Rovers (EFL Championship) 18.08.21

On Saturday Nottingham Forest played in front of their own supporters for the first time at the City Ground in the Championship in over 18 long months. By late Wednesday night those fans had already had enough.

Calls of “sacked in the morning” and “don’t know what you’re doing” aimed at their Manager Chris Hughton, emphatically echoed from the Peter Taylor Stand A Block and beyond, telling that three defeats from three is simply not good enough for this once great football club.

Optimistic at the start of the season, those buoyant fans have now sat through three painful 2-1 losses, painful that in each of those games the Reds have had their moments, but more painful so because in each of those games, against ordinary opposition, they have been largely second best.

Against Blackburn, both sides came out the traps to a frantic pace, the early stages were far from pretty, but competitive, blood and guts Championship football, how it should be on a Wednesday night under the lights in front of 23,000 plus, tackles flying in, former Red Ben Brereton (Diaz), these days of Chilean descent, throwing his body around like the no9 we always wanted him to be, too much for young Arsenal loanee Jordi Osei-Tutu, who hobbled off injured after just 15 minutes.

Enter 18 year old Finn Back for an early league debut, where have all the experienced full backs gone? Another question that can only be answered by the Manager who cleared out last season’s regulars, Ribeiro, Christie, Blackett, in the summer.

Forest went close to opening the scoring when another loanee Philip Zinckernagel, one of few hopes in red, struck right footed from range, dipping low to the left of the goalkeeper Kaminski who palmed away for a corner.

Blackburn however had the better of the chances of a tightly contested first half, Buckley should have done better than to force a smart save off Samba after Rothwell danced through, the Forest goalkeeper then saving well from Dolan who tried his luck from range, the half time whistle met with a chorus of boos… Not good enough for many in attendance.

Those unhappy fans were left livid after just two minutes of the second half played, a free kick from the left met by another ex-Red in Daniel Ayala who headed home at knee height to put the visitors one up.

Calls for ‘Carvalho’ from the fans were soon met by ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ when Manager Chris Hughton finally made his first attacking substitute of the night, in taking off young Alex Mighten who in fairness didn’t have his best evening, but at least tried to attack his opponent, a resounding anger amongst supporters that the swap should perhaps have been for someone else.

But indirectly the change worked, Lewis Grabban wrestling the ball to supply Zinckernagel on the right, the Danish winger cutting in and shooting low left footed, in off the post to send the City Ground into raptures.

That should have been enough to at least give Forest a point, never really looking like going for the jugular, but another set play, this time from the right, four minutes from time was played into the box and missed by Samba, as the ball bounced back into the box again Brereton headed, cleared off the line by Gabriel, falling to Lenihan who nodded home despite a desperate dive from the goalkeeper. The goal was deserved for a team who on the night were better.

In the dying seconds Jordan Gabriel was harshly sent off for a second booking, by then rows of empty seats as the supporters of Forest headed out the exit door, not many staying for the final whistle, which once heard was met with more boos, Manager Hughton is suddenly walking on very thin ice.

After the match, the man himself stated “At the moment we’re conceding too many goals and that being the case we’re finding it difficult to win matches.

“It’s a younger group than we’ve had for some time and it’s good for their development but we need that knowhow in this division because it’s a tough division.

“There’s no doubt the squad needs strengthening, and with two or three players out it leaves us light.”

Whether Hughton has the time to strengthen is another question indeed, Saturday see’s a trip to Stoke before a freebie against Wolves in the cup, then comes the visit of Derby, which could be a significant moment in the reign of the former Irish international, should he even make it that far.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Gabriel, Figueiredo, McKenna, Osei-Tutu (Back 15), Yates, Colback (Fornah 85), Mighten (Carvalho 64), Johnson, Zinckernagel, Grabban.

Blackburn Rovers: Kaminski, Carter, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell (Chapman 74), Gallagher, Buckley, Brereton Diaz, Dolan (Davenport 74).

Venue: City Ground (23,964)

*Main image @NFFC Zinckernagel scores but not enough to stop another Forest loss.