I've been to Tranmere's ground and the stadia is absolutely shocking! I'm going to the Colchester match, hoping to bag some tickets in the lower bridgeford end behind the goal. You can get some right noise in that stand with upper bridgeford to your right, A block to your left and the Trent End in front of you.
Firstly, can I point out Megson is not useless. He did a job for Forest, he did all the dirty work. He sorted out a club that found itself in League 1, still running like a Premiership club. Spending silly money and wasting resources left right and centre. He worked closely with the board to sort this out as well as trying to sort out his very bulky, unfit players.
Megsons only downfall was his personality. He is very passionate and has a strong character. Unfortunately there are also strong characters in the playing staff at Forest too like David Johnson, Alan Rogers, Paul Evans and Gary Holt to name a few. These people were the 'jokers' in the team, and Megson wanted it run like an army, I think we needed this as a wake up call to the staff and fans alike but it ended up backfiring.
Sadly, this 'army' were not allowed to express themselves. They were told how to play, and what to do. They couldn't apply themselves in to the game like they wanted, it was all too regimented.
Due to player power Megson had to leave (costing him a reported £500k as he walked out), and now we've got Barlow and McParland (who happens to be my old coach).
McParland knows the squad and the club as he was youth team coach whilst Paul Hart was in charge of the reserves and youth team, then when Paul Hart became first team gaffer, McParland took over the reserves. When Paul Hart left, he became first team coach. McParland knows these players, he knows how they play. Who better to have as your manager than someone who knows your game?
I think the partnership of Barlow and McParland is a stroke of genius, I applaud the chairman for risking it, especially after an already dissapointing season and now we have a shot at the play-offs.
5 points behind 6th spot, with 6 games to go and only playing one team above us (this Saturday) for the remaining games. Personally I can see this being a good climax to the season and hopefully we can make it with the teams above us feeling the pressure. I can see the last game of the season being a thriller, with ears to the radio stuff to see if we can scrape it.
We do have one historical theory on our side, there is always one team who makes a late surge in to the play-offs. Are we the team this year?? We're already 6 games unbeaten since Megson left, can we make it 12 to the end of the campaign?
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