Promising start as Murray is razor-sharp
BACK-TO-BACK WINS BUT ACID TEST AHEAD FOR HUGHTON’S REDS
NOTTINGHAM Forest secured a second successive win in the Championship as they brushed aside rockbottom Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.
The Reds secured a 3-0 win as striker Glenn Murray took centre stage with two goals on his full debut following his permanent move from Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion.
He opened the scoring early in the first half with a tremendous chip before adding a second from the penalty spot after the break when he was fouled by Jack Grimmer.
Anthony Knockaert then made it 3-0 when he struck a crisp strike into the top corner after being picked out by the impressive Joe Lolley.
Here we look at the major talking points from an excellent afternoon for Chris Hughton’s side as they look to stay clear of the Championship’s relegation zone.
■■Age is nothing but a number
Glenn Murray has clocked up some considerable mileage in what has been a fine career but his instincts still remain razor-sharp.
The former Brighton striker was never blessed with searing pace but his speed of thought is what separates him from so many other centre forwards.
That was underlined by the majestic early lob he scored against Wycombe and was also a reminder of why he is now closing in on a remarkable 200 League goals.
First it was the awareness to spot Ryan Allsop slightly off his line, then it was all about the execution of a chip which carried the necessary height, dip and speed.
In his post-match interview, Murray could not remember if he had scored a better debut goal but it will surely take some beating.
His next contribution owed a lot to his experience and movement which teased Jack Grimmer into a clumsy challenge to win a penalty which he subsequently dispatched.
His performance drew plenty of admiration from Chris Hughton afterwards as Forest’s manager paid tribute to the way he has looked after himself over the years.
He is still performing at an incredibly high level at 37 and the striker admitted he will only consider retirement once the goals begin to dry up.
On this evidence, it’s not going to be any time soon.
For the critics who questioned just what value a player in the twilight of his career could add to their attack, Murray quickly gave them their answer.
■■No time to relax
Back-to-back victories. Five goals in two games. One defeat in their last 10 League games.
The numbers are stacking up impressively at the City Ground but there is still much to do before the Championship relegation zone starts to fade in the rear-view mirror.
Forest have proven they have the ammunition to beat the sides struggling around them having secured victories over Millwall, Coventry City and now Wycombe.
But the acid test will be the way they deal with the next three games which will see them face Bournemouth, Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers.
Crucially, players do appear to be returning to form at the right time, while James Garner has added real quality to the centre of midfield since his arrival from Manchester United on loan.
But despite those encouraging signs, Hughton conceded that there is still some way to go before they start to truly reflect his philosophy.
There are periods in games when Forest look the real deal but others when they lack authority in possession leading to some spells in games that do not make for comfortable viewing.
And even though Forest’s record in the Championship looks impressive on paper, they are still only four points off the bottom three.
You suspect that, barring a miracle, Wycombe are certain to be heading for an instant return to League One, leaving two relegation places to be decided.
With Rotherham United hitting form, Derby County picking up under Wayne Rooney and Sheffield Wednesday also improving, there is still a lot of hard work to do before Forest can begin to plan for life in the Championship next season.
■■Figueiredo returning to form
Tobias Figueiredo will probably be the first to admit that his performances this season have not matched the quality he demonstrated last term.
He had been linked with a return to Portugal in the summer amid rumours that he was feeling homesick, which is understandable given the world is in the grip of a pandemic.
Too often we treat footballers as robots rather than accept that, like the rest of us, they suffer the same peaks and troughs of life.
Maybe that explains why he is yet to reach the standards he set last season but ever since the 5-1 mauling at the hands of Swansea in the FA Cup, he looks to be playing his way back to form.
After impressing in the midweek victory over Coventry, he backed that up with a clean sheet at Wycombe in what was a typically old-fashioned centre-back’s performance.
He deserved the credit which came his way after the game and, had it not been for Murray’s decisive contribution, he would have been a contender for man of the match.
With Scott Mckenna still some
way from a return to fitness after suffering an ankle injury, Figueiredo is going to be a crucial figure as Forest prepare for a tough schedule of fixtures.
Thankfully he is showing the signs of getting back to his best at long last.
■■Lolley impresses
Like so many other players in the Forest squad this season, Joe Lolley’s form has nosedived when compared to the sparkling performances he produced under Sabri Lamouchi.
Alex Mighten, Sammy Ameobi and Anthony Knockaert have all started ahead of him in recent weeks, leaving the winger to contend with a place on the substitutes’ bench.
That was his fate again at the weekend as Hughton deployed Luke Freeman on the left, which must have stung given the on-loan Sheffield United playmaker looks short of fitness.
But when Lolley came on in the final 20 minutes, he produced an electric performance which carried all the hallmarks of a player with a point to prove.
It eventually culminated in him creating the third goal, which came as result of a sweeping move from one flank to the other.
He was involved in several neat intricate moves on the edge of the box with a sharp mind accompanied by extremely quick feet.
With Sammy Ameobi missing through a knee injury and the Freeman experiment not paying off, you sense that the left-wing spot is now up for grabs against Bournemouth on Saturday.
He has now given Hughton a decision to make because a fit and firing Lolley is impossible to ignore.
And if he can finally reproduce the form of last season, and do so consistently, then he will be a tremendous asset as Forest look to swim from the depths of the Championship table.