Football News: Nottingham Forest v Middlesbrough 22 April 2019 Match Review

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Another shuffling of the pack by the manager and yet more expeimentation as Mr O'neill had promised but with the implication of playing 3 across the back and both Ansarifard and Carvalho included in the Nottingham Forest starting line up againt Middlesbrough, this time it felt like something different style wise was actually being tried.

How much of this was due to the absence of suspended players is another question but I am sure that not one fan was expecting the feast of football that was to follow.

Quite simply for me this was by far and away our best performance of the season eclipsing that of West Brom at home way back when in our first home fixture.

Within the first 10 or so minutes it became clear that Middlesbrough were , for whatever reason , miles off the pace and we made no mistake in slowly but surely taking complete and utter control of the game from one end of the pitch to the other with their midfield virtually disintegrating and nothing , and I do mean nothing, being offered as an attacking option by them.

We attacked on the flanks and through the middle and the only surprising thing was that the inevitable opening goal took as long as it did courtesy of a clumsy challenge ( which could well have seen a red card ) allowing Lolley to convincingly put it away.

Even for the remaining few minutes of the half we continued to pour forward with no thought of going in just one goal to the good and Middlebrough were wilting in both the sun and under the pressure of it all

The second half was in truth just a procession of chances for us and the second and third goals were both stunning in their own way with Milosovic's strike and Lolleys second as the result of some outstanding football and quite honestly a score of 6-0 would have been a true reflection of the afternoon wuth the Boro keeper playing his part in that.

As you may be able to tell every outfield player ( Pantilimon had nothing to do ) truly performed today albeit against a woeful Middlesbrough team but you can only play against what is in front of you and to do it with such clinical precision is in itself an achievement and the team reaped the rewards thry deserved.

I have nailed my colours to the mast in the past regrding the thorny issue of Carvalho but did call some weeks ago for his inclusion in the team for our remaining fixtures but today he was quite simply magnificent from start to finish and clearly terrorised the opposition.

He found time, space and his passing and movement were a joy to watch and he really deserved to get his name on the score sheet and his involvement in the third goal was outstanding

There was no doubt at all of his being named man of the match ( although it would have been courteous to have spelt his name right) and he received rapturous applause on being substituted .

The cliche of one swallow not making a summer is a very apt one today and Carvalho for the first time looked what he is ie our record signing and surely in himself he must have learnt a little more of what he is capable of at this level and hopefully the manager gives him that opportunity over the next two games in an attempt to show this was not a flash in the pan because he has undoubted talent to come to the fore.

The back line also performed admirably snuffing out any meagre opportunities that fell Boro's way with Assambalonga being a virtual spectator with Milosovic in particular having an outstanding game.

All in all a pretty perfect red letter day that I really did not see coming and it is to be hoped that things continue in the same vein next Saturday although in fairness days like today are few and far between.

The Easter weekend with performances poles apart has however even today provided a slight twinge of what might have been( and not just for us) insofar as both Sheffield United and most certainly Boro on face value look far from promotion/play off candidates but I suspect that I may be being a little churlish on that point.

However onwards we go and as always. .

COYR

Written by creepy1 April 22 2019 21:35:51