Perfect timing for Brennan to open account and save Reds
JOHNSON STRIKES FOR FOREST TO MAKE SURE IT’S HONOURS EVEN AGAINST RAMS
FULL-TIME at Pride Park, the chant rang out. The travelling Nottingham Forest fans hadn’t stopped singing all afternoon.
And with their team having rescued a point against bitter enemies Derby County, they bellowed: “Brennan Johnson, he’s one of our own.”
The Nigel Doughty Academy graduate could hardly have picked a better occasion on which to find the net for the first time in the Garibaldi – a crunch East Midlands showdown, with his side desperately in need of a result and 1-0 down with less than 10 minutes to go.
Johnson’s 82nd-minute equaliser cancelled out Tom Lawrence’s opener to ensure it finished honours even at 1-1.
It ended a run of four straight Championship defeats for the Reds, getting them off the mark at the fifth time of asking this season.
Here are some of the big talking points from the game:
■Under pressure
Reds boss Chris Hughton went into the final match before the international break with his future very firmly in the spotlight.
A dismal start to the campaign on the back of a 17th-placed finish last time out - and plenty of ammunition being fired from the stands had left him feeling the heat.
His position and response to criticism from fans have been key themes in most of his press conferences of late, both before and after games.
He has maintained a dignified stance throughout, insisting once again, when quizzed on Saturday about being under pressure, that it is not something he thinks about.
But, just as in recent fixtures, ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ could be heard coming from the crowd when the visitors were trailing and looking devoid of ideas although it was difficult to make out if that was coming from home or away supporters.
Whether an improved second half and a draw, with the hope of more signings to come before the window closes, is enough to ease the pressure on Hughton remains to be seen.
He’ll be as aware as anyone that if there is some respite during the fortnight’s hiatus, it will only be a temporary one if further results do not then follow when the action resumes.
■Selection decisions
It was something of a surprise to see Gaetan Bong in the starting 11 against the Rams, given the arrival of a left-back barely 24 hours earlier.
Hughton, however, described it as an “easy” choice to make as new arrival Max Lowe managed just a light training session with his new team-mates beforehand, and arrived after a “very fluctuated” preseason.
Bong had a nightmare opening 45 minutes, getting caught out for the opener and struggling to settle into the game. But, in fairness to him, he did improve after the break and weighed in with an assist, floating over the cross for Johnson to finish.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion man had previously been told he was free to move on this summer, only for a defensive crisis to see him brought back into the fold. It cannot have been an easy situation to grasp, with Lowe’s arrival now pushing him back down the pecking order again.
His afternoon was mirrored by Forest as a whole; a poor first half, followed by a better second one. As a team, they had been limp and lacking inspiration early on, but looked better when Hughton mixed things up.
The manager’s substitutions and unwillingness to tweak his system have been questioned before, but he
did make a difference on this occasion.
The introduction of Alex Mighten brought some much-needed pace and caused problems for the Rams.
And rather than a like-for-like, this time Hughton brought on Lewis Grabban for Ryan Yates with 20 minutes to go. That meant the visitors had two strikers on the pitch, with Lyle Taylor staying on, while Philip Zinckernagel moved to a central position.
Forest looked better for it, and got their reward in the end.
■Some positives
In the first half, they were in short supply. Even now, this is not to take anything away from the fact the Reds still have only one point to their name. But...
Having Joe Worrall back was a huge boost. He didn’t look 100 per cent but is a natural leader, and his team needed that. He made sure everyone gathered for a huddle before kick-off and was constantly talking to his teammates.
Indeed, the Worrall-scott Mckenna partnership has the makings of being a really good one - just as the duo showed in glimpses last season.
Both put their bodies on the line at times, when Derby applied the pressure. Mckenna has barely put a foot wrong since his arrival, while Worrall organises and cajoles.
If both can stay fit, and if there’s no late sniffing around the latter from elsewhere, that will be a really solid platform to build from.
Likewise, Johnson. Forest may yet still face a fight to keep him. He would be tough to replace.
The 20-year-old is still learning, but has bags of potential. He demonstrated his knack for chipping in with goals on loan at Lincoln City, and took his first one for his hometown club expertly.
There is attacking talent in this squad. The challenge is getting the best out of it, as well as adding more.
■Transfer talk
And on the above note, the next few days are crucial at the City Ground.
Hughton’s task hasn’t been made easy with the lack of new faces through the door - as well as other factors such as dealing with injuries and illness.
Lowe became the club’s fifth arrival of the summer when he joined on Friday. Early impressions suggest the players brought in all have something to offer and can make a difference.
The jury is still out on whether this has been a good window, though. That will come down to what happens
in the next few days.
Further additions are needed to ensure there is the strength in depth required to cope with a gruelling season.
And then there is the big question mark over whether there will be any key outgoings.
Resolve may yet be tested again over Johnson, following his goal. Blackpool’s interest in Jordan Gabriel hasn’t gone away. And then there is Worrall; while things have gone a bit quiet on that front, the final sprint to the transfer deadline is notoriously unpredictable.
For his part, Hughton maintained he was focused on incomings rather than outgoings. When asked if he was confident of keeping Johnson in particular, he said: “I would have to say yes, because there isn’t anything that I’ve been told any different.”
In many senses, even though the action takes a two-week break, these are big days ahead for the Reds.