Nottingham Forest 4 - West Bromwich Albion 0

Date:	Monday 18th April 2022
Competition:	Sky Bet Championship
Forest: 6.3	(3-4-1-2 ) Samba, Worrall, Figueiredo, McKenna (Cook, 75), Spence (Laryea, 79), Yates (Cafu, 79), Garner, Colback, Zinckernagel, Johnson, Surridge Unused subs: Horvath, Mighten, Silva, Lolley
WBA: 3.1	(3-4-3) Button 4.5, Bartley 3.1, O'Shea 5.4, Clarke 5.4, Furlong 1.8, Livermore 4.0, Mowatt 2.5 (Molumby, 54 3.6), Townsend 3.9, Grant 4.0 (Gardner-Hickman, 29 5.1), Carroll 5.3 (Phillips, 74 3.9), Reach 3.6 Unused subs: Palmer, Ajayi, Robinson, Diangana Booked: Furlong (14, Foul) Sent off: Furlong (17, Handball/2nd yellow) Manager: Steve Bruce 2.2
Scorers:	Johnson (19), Yates (23), Colback (45), Surridge (93)
Referee:	David Webb 1.7
Attendance:	28,926   Home Fans 5.7   Away Fans 5.9

Brendan Clegg:

What did Steve Bruce expect?

I was livid when I saw the starting lineup - totally unjustified returns for Bartley and Mowatt and this monstrously stupid idea of playing Reach in centre midfield after it already cost us promotion in the early games of Bruce’s tenure. I’m not a fan of Reach but if you think he did enough to stay in the team last game, leave him where he was.

I felt for all those supporters who made the trip, knowing they’d wasted their money before a ball was kicked. Imagine not playing Ajayi and TGH from the off against this Forest team? Have we even watched them?

There is no defence left for these players and their shambolic efforts this season but if a manager so casually prepares and experiments without taking the game seriously- when our season somehow wasn’t totally over - then players will pick up and inherit that vibe, and perform that way.

All four goals were terrible. The referee was terrible. Our discipline was terrible. Not a single player comes out of it with credit or deserves a rating.

Hopefully Bruce goes tonight. This was unforgivable.

Kev Buckley:

Albion far from ideal in the Battle of the Boilers

Albion could have moved to within three points of the top six by winning this one but Steve Bruce started the game with Reach, the left-sided player brought in to be cover for Townsend, as his Right Centre Midfield player. What was it that Ishmael used to say about not needing stars just players who could do a job in the system? Plus ca change!

Given that both clubs are sponsored by boiler makers, and the arrival of the cricket season and the warm weather that brings, it was perhaps no surprise to see a fairly tepid opening period only memorable for two wasted free kicks - one for either side - with right centre midfielder Reach "delivering" one from the left with his left foot that almost went out for a throw-in by the Forest left corner flag. At least Forest wasted theirs by blasting high and wide: oooh, aaah.

Like a lot of people, not sure I saw a card for the handball. If anything Furlong seemed to be rolling over so as to get up when it hit him, so yes the arm was in an "unnatural position" if you assume that the "natural position" is always one that's out of the way of the ball but, given the penalty was being given, was a 2nd yellow justified?

Not for me.

Clearly, it should have been an Albion throw rather than a Forest one that lead to the corner but that doesn't excuse a combination of Bartley and Mowatt giving the player attacking the ball a free header.

Man down; two-nil down: time for a change then?

Didn't really get TGH for Grant, and on two counts. Firstly, you are effectively leaving Carrol on his own for an hour rather than Grant, who at least runs around to little effect. Similarly, why not put Phillips out wide on the right for Furlong who had started there. But then, if you are Steve Bruce and you think starting Reach ahead of TGH at right centre-mid is good thinking, who knows what the thinking was, although I doubt his thinking took into account the need to score three goals.

The second half was a training exercise in which Molumby and Phillips got a run around, but towards the end of which, indeed with just seconds left, Albion's central defence switched off to allow Forest a completely undeserved fourth.

Bruce out!