Couldn't see the wood from the trees in the Forest

By Dave P
February 21 2005

Was the (non) selection of Mido to start a factor we wondered as we saw the team whilst discussing the possible merits of a quarter final against Leicester or Brentford at home in the pre match Pub discussions?
Has Kanoute done enough recently to warrant retaining his place. Is Atouba our best option as a left back?
Is there a God? Ok, we didn't discuss that one but had I known what was to transpire today I may have enjoyed that discussion more.

Up against struggling Forest who had (supposedly) just sold their best two players to us, Forest, that bogey team of old! Lets face it this was never gonna be easy. We reverted to 4-4-2 after the 4-3-3 experiment last week while Forest lined up with a very in fashion 5-4-1. We started well enough with carrick firing over from 20 yards in the second minute and Forest went for it as you would expect at this stage of the competition. Commons firing (well) wide and a free kick being deflected. Then came a sustained period of pressure. Perch was off the pitch having a nosebleed stemmed and we had a period of superiority. A free kick or two trying fancy rehearsed set pieces, non of which worked, chances for Ziegler and Defoe and then a curling Brown shot that curled away.

Up at the other end and the ever increasingly impressive (Sign him Frankie) Commons forced the only real save of the half from Robinson before more tricky free kicks and a possible Penalty shout. Was it? I missed it as I was in the bog (on a cold day the beer in the Arms make you pee a lot) and I have not seen a replay but Brown hit the post and Defoe missed. Then another free kick, Doyles Howler, Goal, Have heart attack while making sure Ref saw it, Yes Goal, 1-0, get another, game over.

Half time, Coffee, two or three more goals, go home happy. But lifes not like that is it - or at least if you support Tottenham it isn't. Forest swap to 4-4-2 with Commons supporting Taylor. Some Cup tie stuff including a Commons shot that was never going to trouble anyone, a halfhearted Kanoute effort, Robbo spilling another Commons effort and a Brown effort rifled over and just wide.

Then disaster. A lobbed ball fell into the edge of the area, Robbo came and missed, King had already missed and as it bounced over them Taylor only had to tap into an empty net. 1-1 and not undeserved.

It all became bitty from then on in. Mido and Keane came on for Kanoute and Ziegler but to no real effect, the most exciting move for me after that being Kings run and shot. Half chances for Mido and Defoe, Zieger(before he went off) and Forest could have nicked it with more chances from Commons especially one two minutes from the end, but in the end Forest were happy to settle for a very deserved draw.

Overall we tried to be too clever by walking the ball into the net when perhaps a few speculative efforts may have served better. Later in the game Forests' change to 4-4-2 caught us playing too deep too often and unable to support our front men when they needed it. A poor performance all round but one that will be corrected at the City Ground I suspect.