The little magician that is Radoslaw Majewski.
by Daniel Widdowson
With the torments and heartache that comes with being a football fan it only comes natural that supporters regularly think ‘I could do his job’, in reference to the manager. With torrents of abuse regularly flying from the terraces towards Steve Cotterill at Nottingham Forest for his many ‘failings’, what would I do differently at my beloved club?
Let’s consider bringing players back in, who perhaps have been neglected during recent games. For me, this is a simple option and one name instantly springs to mind, however being 5”7 he doesn’t spring very high. This is the only reason I can see why Cotterill is apparently leaving him out of the squad at present. The player I am praying to see return to the Forest line up is of course midfielder, Radoslaw Majewski aka ‘Radi’. For whatever reason, this young talented Polish international seems to be consistently left out of the Nottingham Forest squad. When the team lacks any attacking drive and seems to play with two speeds, walking and stopped, Majewski would slot straight into the midfield and provide the team with some raw talent, pace and a player who’s not afraid to shoot on sight of goal.
As for players I would happily watch walk out of the club’s doors, preferably with a reasonable price tag, it seems rather difficult to pick just a couple of players. There are players that I believe have done us very little good since they were signed and these would be the first on my hit list. Matt Derbyshire tops the list, being brought in by the failure that was Steve McClaren. Accepted it was a free transfer, so I see the thoughts behind the deal. However 2 goals in 16 matches, from a player with his supposed potential, is simply not good enough. Another from McClaren’s hopeless signings I would turf out rapidly is Greening. This apparently magnificent player with the touch of an angel and the cross of a god seems incapable of realistically even beating the first man with a corner. Needless to say, both of these should be on their way in my opinion.
How one player can change so much in a season is rather shocking.
Okay, onto players that should perhaps spend a little time on loan, possibly at a lower league club until they have realised their sins and fully repented to allow them to return to the holy land of the City Ground. One of these players would have to be last seasons’ wonder boy, Lewis McGugan. Last season he was sharp, determined and if you wanted a free kick taking towards goal, he’d stick it anywhere you wanted. However this season, he’s slow, dull and forget the proverbial barn door, this guy would miss the entire barn. How one player can change so much in a season is rather shocking, but I firmly believe a month out on loan to a club needing emergency loans would do him the world of good. It would also free up another chance for Majewski to get into the team.
Finally, players I wouldn’t even consider touching or moving. Besides the new loan signings that have just come in, mainly, Guedioura and the beast that is George Elokobi, there are many players I wouldn’t consider removing from the first team. Chris Gunter has consistently held his position at the club under Billy Davies, Steve McClaren and Steve Cotterill. He does it with pace, determination and decision making that is second-to-none. Added to this would be Lee Camp, a determined goal keeper who also possesses the confidence to boss his penalty area and back four.
And in one final note, I would pray for the return of Chris Cohen to the Nottingham Forest side. Although he is out with knee ligament damage his recovery seems to be going smoothly and there is hope he may return near the end of this season. It has been apparent all season that the team has missed his talent in the midfield, and his determination to get back and defend when he’s required to.
Ultimately, I wouldn’t bother tinkering with tactics too much at the present time; there are far too many personnel issues to resolve before that time. Majewski needs to come back in, deadwood needs shifting and the entire squad needs a damn good kick up the proverbial back passage.
