[Albion] Could the Forest debacle turn out to be a positive for our season?

[Bozza]

Listening to what players like Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke have said since, it does sound like that horrible experience has served for the players to raise their standards (and, intensity, obvs) and really kick on.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Except for tbr three points lost and the goal difference ruined.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Footballers find these positives to say don't they.

I don't really buy it. The implication is that our intensity was lower before. I mean, we had some average performances and results. But isn't that to do with the ultra competitive nature of the league we are in? Everton are good enough to beat us on their day. Palace are good enough to beat us on their day (ooh, typing that one hurt). We're good enough to beat Chelsea, Man City, Man U etc on our day.

It's just the Premier League. It's insanely competitive

 

[A1X]

Except for tbr three points lost and the goal difference ruined.

It’s 3 points in a whole season, if we’d lost 2-1 I doubt anyone would still be talking about it, only one team in history has gone a whole season without losing a game, and we’re nowhere near good enough to repeat that

EDIT - Two teams, point stands

 

[Guinness Boy]

Listening to what players like Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke have said since, it does sound like that horrible experience has served for the players to raise their standards (and, intensity, obvs) and really kick on.

Asked my boy the exact same question walking to the train last night. On balance yes, yes it could. It was a real shit or bust moment and we’ve come back stronger rather than disintegrating.

 

[ROSM]

Listening to what players like Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke have said since, it does sound like that horrible experience has served for the players to raise their standards (and, intensity, obvs) and really kick on.

It's how you react to adversity. In effect there had been a bit of a malaise with poor games against Everton, West ham, palace, Brentford Fulham, southampton punctuated with strong performances against arsenal, Ipswich and utd. Forest forced a reckoning and tbf to FH and the players they've reacted positively; changed the formation, plan and attitude

 

[Hugo Rune]

If you can’t beat them:

Join them:

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Prob best wait til after the Southampton match before judging tho eh. Just to be on the safe side...

 

[martin tyler]

A lot of factors came together for that Forest result and we deserved what we got on the day.
From then on the season would either drift into a mid table obscurity and limp out the cup or realise despite the result a strong final third to the season could see us still qualify for Europe and have a good cup run.
Fabian did a great job last night got the team shape stop on, gave up the ball for a compact shape. 5-4-1 defensive shape and a 4-2-4 attacking shape at the right time. Teams stepped up past 2 games. That needs to extend over these final 13 league games and the cup. We adapted last night and won comfortably but the tough games where teams give up the ball like Everton are still to come.

 

[Krafty]

The response to the defeat at Forest has been great to see. We need to get a run going if we want to compete for Europe/FA Cup and that starts at Southampton. I think the four games afterwards (Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham and Villa) will be season-defining for us.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Some people are saying that came could be season-defining.

I'm inclined to agree

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The reaction has been great, so far, and Hurzeler deserves a lot of credit. Worth noting that games against Chelsea have become charged occasions and generates a special intensity at the Amex, something we don't have for every home game - not lost on Fabian Hurzerler. Let's see if we can go on a run now. Southampton, on paper, is a game we should win but it would be typical of the Albion to slip up there. And then Bournemouth, which will be a very tough match.
But the last week has been brilliant and very much kept the season alive.

 

[Chicken Run]

Listening to what players like Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke have said since, it does sound like that horrible experience has served for the players to raise their standards (and, intensity, obvs) and really kick on.

I’ll let you know in May

 

[albionalba]

Apologies for re-posting this, but relevant to this question!

The Forest result was actually just a FM glitch......

Sports Interactive cancelled Football Manager v25 just days after our 7-0 defeat citing (amongst other things) poor results in 'testing' (clearly tested for the Forest match)........and their Press Release asks that we trust the process.....

......the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.

Full release at:

https://www.footballmanager.com/news/development-update-football-manager-25-1

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

It’s 3 points in a whole season, if we’d lost 2-1 I doubt anyone would still be talking about it, only one team in history has gone a whole season without losing a game, and we’re nowhere near good enough to repeat that

I assume you mean Preston North End

But your point is spot on.

In 2025, so far we have played 8, won 5, drawn 1 lost 2.

Included in that are wins again Manchester United, Chelsea, Chelsea and Manchester United and a draw against Arsenal.
But some people are fixating on the outlier, rather than the norm.

 

[huzzah]

The response to the defeat at Forest has been great to see. We need to get a run going if we want to compete for Europe/FA Cup and that starts at Southampton. I think the four games afterwards (Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham and Villa) will be season-defining for us.

you missed City as of writing, they are only 4 points ahead of us

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Quite possibly. Go back in time to the Chelsea Cup game where Bart spills that cross into his own net. After the 7-0, that was the moment the team could've folded, they had the perfect excuse. The fact they didn't, the work rate was phenomenal and we've scored 5 unanswered goals against Chelsea speaks volumes for the spirit that looked totally absent against Forest. Be honest. Who predicted 5 unanswered goals when that one went in? I'm certainly not making my way to the payout counter.

For a long time under RDZ we had the longest run for a team that didn't lose 2 in a row until the wheels came off at the back end of last season. We continued that by and large under FH (excluding Liverpool twice in a week which was more than forgivable) until Everton and Forest where something looked seriously up in both games. The turnaround in work rate, tactical shape, big managerial decisions (no João Pedro) and team ethic is a credit to the players and management. Burning those Forest tactics seems to have worked.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's easier to get over a thrashing if you learn the lessons, it s part of a clear 'process' and you have strong, positive characters who can move on from it. So far, the reaction has been excellent.

 

[BBassic]

Apologies for re-posting this, but relevant to this question!

The Forest result was actually just a FM glitch......

Sports Interactive cancelled Football Manager v25 just days after our 7-0 defeat citing (amongst other things) poor results in 'testing' (clearly tested for the Forest match)........and their Press Release asks that we trust the process.....

......the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.

Full release at:

https://www.footballmanager.com/news/development-update-football-manager-25-1

That cancellation felt shady as shit.

Opening pre orders in November only to delay it weeks later and then cancel it. Icky behaviour.

 

[Eeyore]

I assume you mean Preston North End

But your point is spot on.

In 2025, so far we have played 8, won 5, drawn 1 lost 2.

Included in that are wins again Manchester United, Chelsea, Chelsea and Manchester United and a draw against Arsenal.
But some people are fixating on the outlier, rather than the norm.

Pretty sure Arsenal did it in 2003/04