Moving the Yellow Order was definitely a good move and for once the home crowd was louder than those in the away end. In fact Forest were the quietest away support I can remember for ages. But then it must be very hard to get enthuiastic if you can remember winning the European Cup twice, when you've got Steve McLaren in charge of your club and your prospects for the season already look mid-table at best.
Can we now keep the Yellow Order there for the remainder of the season please? Its stupid having them in the top corner of the Rookery furthest from the rest of the support. It makes it look like they aren't wanted. Putting them next to the Rous definitely rubbed off on us a bit today, although expecting us to start chants is going a step too far. I was impressed to see Bas chatting to them before the game started.
Talking of chairmen did anyone else notice Jack Petchey's presence in the ground? Thankfully it was only his name on the side of the RAF band's drum but even so, a chill passed over me as I spotted it.
I know fans were being encouraged to wear green this weekend in support of Plymouth but I'm guessing that really was Forest's away kit and not just a one off worn in support of the Pilgrims. As a kit on its own it was just about okay but whoever came up with idea of having the coaching staff wearing the same design with the black and green reversed deserves the Howard and Hilda award for fashion. I bet it seemed like a good idea on paper but it was laughably stupid when made into fabric.
The referee was laughably stupid all afternoon, but I think his penchant for giving most decisions the way of our visitors, not to mention ignoring their time wasting and even wanting to shake hands with their substitued players, can all be explained by the fact that the officials tops weren't that far from the traditional Forest red.
It was good to see the various Academy players before kick off and at half time, especially with their impressive assortment of trophies. Whilst this season already seems to have a long and rather bleak look about it, the parade of eager and determined young faces in Watford yellow hinted at better things to come. But I'd be more hopeful for our immediate prospects if Sean Dyche gave the youngsters a bit more of a look in. Malky seemed to share the Aidy B philosophy that if you were good enough age wasn't a barrier and whilst sometimes it cost us, it seemed like the right direction for our club with its wonderful academy to be going in.
Dychy seems to prefer experience over youth and so far that experience isn't any better than when we had 8 or 9 youngsters in the team. I can see that some experienced heads are needed but we had them anyway in the likes of Doyley, Mariappa, Taylor and Eustace. On their own I don't especially dislike any of the new signings but collectively they seem to have dragged us back to another era. If the youth aren't going to play then at least fill the bench with them. Because bringing on Deeney and Iwelumo first, when neither have shown the slightest inclining that they might be the answer, instead of a prospect like Sean Murray showed a complete lack of understanding in one of the key areas that makes us different. I feel exactly the same about the loaning of Whichelow, Massey and Thompson. They shouldn't be off playing elsewhere, they should be at the Vic, ready to fight for their place and prove themselves ready to play for the club that developed them. Its gives them hope and gives us hope. Failing to get that, especially on 'Academy Day' and we might as well be a Sheffield United or a Crystal Palace. And that doesn't give me any hope for the future at all.
Dychy seems to prefer experience over youth and so far that experience isn't any better than when we had 8 or 9 youngsters in the team. I can see that some experienced heads are needed but we had them anyway in the likes of Doyley, Mariappa, Taylor and Eustace. On their own I don't especially dislike any of the new signings but collectively they seem to have dragged us back to another era. If the youth aren't going to play then at least fill the bench with them. Because bringing on Deeney and Iwelumo first, when neither have shown the slightest inclining that they might be the answer, instead of a prospect like Sean Murray showed a complete lack of understanding in one of the key areas that makes us different. I feel exactly the same about the loaning of Whichelow, Massey and Thompson. They shouldn't be off playing elsewhere, they should be at the Vic, ready to fight for their place and prove themselves ready to play for the club that developed them. Its gives them hope and gives us hope. Failing to get that, especially on 'Academy Day' and we might as well be a Sheffield United or a Crystal Palace. And that doesn't give me any hope for the future at all.
