[Albion] Do Forest have a better squad than us?

[Nobby Cybergoat]

All prem teams have good squads

Ours is average

I'd also have a look at the list of experienced players we currently have injured, or have had injured for significant chunks before concluding that definitely.

 

[Napper]

I'd also have a look at the list of experienced players we currently have injured, or have had injured for significant chunks before concluding that definitely.

Like ?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

We had wood at a similar age to Ferguson now and he looked a good prospect then as Did Ferguson before the lull. Let's hope he can find a way to get back on track.

In League 1

Wood was looking decent, but not more, in league 1 at the age we're asking Evan to fire us goals in the PL

 

[Machiavelli]

Simple question.

It is, but not sure it's the one that explains too much. I'd say they've had hardly any injuries and have a very settled first team, whereas we're at the other end of that scale.

 

[Hometownglory]

They basically have a more experienced manager who is getting the best out of a fairly decent squad. They certainly have better defensive options.

 

[chaileyjem]

Is squad only measured by points earned then ?

 

[Jeremiah]

What's their injury list and recovery time like ? Ours has been appalling for a couple of seasons now and needs to be addressed.

 

[Swegulls]

Perhaps we have too many people of similar quality competing for the same places each getting more game time than they deserve.

This!

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Like ?

So

Losing Veltman last month was a huge blow.
Welbeck we have no real replacement for and is also a huge miss
March has missed the season till now
Dunk was out for a few weeks
Milner has missed the whole season
Lamptey has been unavailable more than he's been available
Pedro was out for a month
Kadioglu has barely been able to get on the pitch
O'Riley was out for I think 2 months
Pervis couldn't start the season and took time to get to speed
Webby has hardly been able to get on the pitch
Wieffer took 2 months before we could give him significant minutes

As well as this, Hinsh, who although not experienced, I think is a massive player for us

It wouldn't amaze me if i've missed a couple

 

[dazzer6666]

Like ?

Welbeck
March
O'Riley
Dunk
Webster
Kadioglu
Webster
Joao Pedro
Ferguson
Veltman
Estupinan
Wieffer

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

His goal scoring record screams ordinary. He's done OK, ish at Championship level, but before he joined Forest he was far from a top level striker

Chris Wood Nottingham Forest Forward, Profile & Stats | Premier League

View the player profile of Nottingham Forest Forward Chris Wood, including statistics and photos, on the official website of the Premier League.

www.premierleague.com

I've got nothing against the bloke, and I liked him when he was on loan, but the recency bias in your post has just exploded out of my laptop screen

No recency bias here, I’ve always rated Wood - not just for his goals but his all round play. Like Welbeck actually, his all round game has always been under appreciated.

Not that I expect anyone to, but if you had a look at my post history since he first came to us, I’ve always praised him and been a fan. I think he got a lot of unfair stick from our fans over the years and I always hate playing against him as expext him to score.

It’s not long ago Newcastle paid £25m for him either. Quality PL striker.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Welbeck
March
O'Riley
Dunk
Webster
Kadioglu
Webster
Joao Pedro
Ferguson
Veltman
Estupinan
Wieffer

@Napper I'd be interested to see if you've considered this and still feel our squad is average

 

[Justice]

Defensively they are far superior. A manger who plays everyone in their BEST positions. SAME 11 most games not a project manager. We do like a project manager.
We spend £40m on a player who is now on the bench and isn’t sure where to be when he does play we have many problems with this rookie coach.

 

[Weststander]

So

Losing Veltman last month was a huge blow.
Welbeck we have no real replacement for and is also a huge miss
March has missed the season till now
Dunk was out for a few weeks
Milner has missed the whole season
Lamptey has been unavailable more than he's been available
Pedro was out for a month
Kadioglu has barely been able to get on the pitch
O'Riley was out for I think 2 months
Pervis couldn't start the season and took time to get to speed
Webby has hardly been able to get on the pitch
Wieffer took 2 months before we could give him significant minutes

As well as this, Hinsh, who although not experienced, I think is a massive player for us

It wouldn't amaze me if i've missed a couple

It’s more complicated than injuries.

Lamptey is a bloody awful defender. Estupinan had a crazy good season 2022/23, his defensive competence has fallen off a cliff starting against West Ham August 2023. No contingency for Welbeck (injury plagued career) getting injured as our 9, bearing in mind that Ferguson’s game completely went to pot last season. Webster has always had long absences.

 

[Gabbiano]

The Forest squad and ours are fairly comparable. We have a significantly stronger set of attackers, they a significantly stronger set of defenders.

They are just much more organised and playing confidently to their strengths.

They will get European football next year, though (famous last words) I still suspect Champions League might be one step too far.

None of this "we should be ahead of teams like Forest, Bournemouth and Fulham!" from me. We ARE a team like them, small clubs over performing in the Premier League. And long may it continue.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Yes much better. They’ve picked up a mix of players who are still young but have EPL experience and a point to prove and combined them with shrewd signings like Morato who is only 23 but better than any of our centre backs.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It’s more complicated than injuries.

Lamptey is a bloody awful defender. Estupinan had a crazy good season 2022/23, his defensive competence has fallen off a cliff since starting against West Ham August 2023. No contingency for Welbeck (injury plagued career) getting injured as our 9, bearing in mind that Ferguson’s game completely went to pot last season. Webster has always had long absences.

I wasn't blaming injuries for our recent results (though they must have contributed), I was just suggesting one must consider the players unavailable before reaching the conclusion we have an average squad.

The other way I'd look at it is the matchday squads. So lots of clubs in the league have been putting 3, 4 or 5 u23 players on the bench any given week. I'm not sure we've even had to put 2 on a bench and certainly not often. And that is despite having lost, by a long way, the most days to injury out of any side in the league

 

[Guinness Boy]

Related, a question I meant to ask a few weeks back...

Who would you rather have in our squad:

33-year-old Chris Wood
20-year-old Evan Ferguson

Of today’s starting XI I’d instantly have Sels, both centre backs, Williams, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White and Wood over our starters in the same position v Brentford.

 

[Deadly Danson]

We must defer to them due to their league position, but I don't think there's much in it.

This isn't an uncommon thing. A usually middling club having an exceptional season, due to a combination of clever manager, a couple of speculative signings working out, a journeyman striker having an incredible late career surge, a bit of luck with injuries and just sheer momentum.

I don't expect their results to suddenly tail off. But I don't expect them to become habitual challengers for European spots.

Spot on. No one on here if asked at the start of the season would have said Forest have a better squad. With the benefit of them suddenly having a phenomenal season with everything going right, suddenly all the experts on here are stroking their chins and proclaiming our squad and manager are awful and everyone else is great. Football is chaos and no one really has any clue what's going to happen - otherwise let's see all your pre-season predictions showing the table as it is now.

 

[TottonSeagull]

On paper, player for player i think we have the better players BUT they all know what the game plan is and they are organised!
If you swapped managers over i think we could be where forest are and vice versa! They have an experienced, competent coach, something we lack at the moment!