LEICESTER CITY 1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3
Post Match Analysis by Paul Weston
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation.
I had missed the last two home games so was looking forward to the home game against Forest and especially with renewed optimism after the last-gasp win against Southampton. I confess that I had rather pessimistically written off the season already but perhaps there was a glimmer of hope after all? The game started after the wonderful sounding of the Last Post to commemorate Remembrance Day and also the sixth anniversary of the tragic helicopter crash. How we still miss our Chairman Kun Vichai.
Cooper must have been taking note of a lot of supporter comments because his team selection was, for him, quite radical. Fatawu started (after his match winning performance against Southampton), Ricardo was brought in at inverted right back and in from the cold for the first time, Justin played left back and Winks was back. It was a Maresca team again. How would we play though?
City started confidently but so did Forest who looked especially dangerous on the wings. Fatawu was being closely tracked often by two players. It was Forest who scored first. A series of poor mistakes by Ricardo, Buonanotte and Justin led to a long range goal by Yates which perhaps Hermansen saw late but could not quite reach. Thankfully this did not seem to deter City and after a great move along the left Winks crossed for Vardy to pounce and score between two defenders. It was a slick move at pace and a great goal to equalise.
It was a fast moving game and it was not long before Hermansen made an incredible point blank save from Yates to prevent what looked like a certain goal. City pressed too but with no further shots on target. The half ended 1-1 in a fast flowing game of football and it difficult to call who might come on top. At half-time, however, we said to each other “Chris Wood has not done anything so far”. He had hardly had a touch and was anonymous…..
I do not know what was said in the dressing rooms for either team at half-time but it soon became clear that Forest had worked out quickly how to break up City’s passing in midfield. As soon as that happened Forest went for the jugular. City meanwhile had forgotten all the good things that they were doing and it took only a few minutes before more sloppy defensive errors took place and Wood easily turned Okoli to score a neat goal. Forest then got stronger as City wilted visibly. Forest’s right back Aina looked a classy player throughout. Forest hit the post and City were conceding possession too often when overpowered in midfield – usually with Buonanotte being outmuscled by stronger players. Still we were only one goal down and surely there was plenty of time to come back?
However, we had not allowed for a complete brain fade between Faes and Hermansen which allowed Wood to nod over our goalie for the softest of goals – all from a punt out from the Forest goalie. It was schoolboy stuff. This completely seemed to knock the stuffing out of City. They forgot their team shape and Forest could have scored at least two more. Substitutions were brought on but Ayew, Soumare and El Khannouss had no material effect on the game.
It was, in the end, a resounding defeat to our rivals and it was so disappointing after such an encouraging first half. Losing is always hard but it is worse when you gift wrap the goals to the opposition. The next league game is away at Ipswich which, despite their position in the table, will be a challenge. If we play like we did in the first half then we can take three points. If we play like we did in the second half then there is no hope!
City Ratings: Hermansen (6) Ricardo (5) Faes (5) Okoli (5) Justin (5) Ndidi (6) Winks (7) Fatawu (6) Buonanotte (6) Mavididi (5) Vardy (6) Soumare (5) El Kannouss (5) Ayew (5)