by Bring Back Forest Sat May 28, 2011 1:05 am
Our team has got so much better in such a short space of time. Only 3 years ago, we had just gotten out of League 1. 3 years ago, I wouldn't have dreamt about us being able to sign players such as Chris Gunter, Rob Earnshaw, Dexter Blackstock etc.
I'll post our starting line ups from the Play Off games against Yeovil 5 years ago, and Swansea this year. (Both line ups are from the home game)
2005-2006
Finished 4th in League 1. We led by 7 points at the top of the table by Christmas, but in usual Forest fashion, we bottled it. Finished 4th and were to play Yeovil. We went on the win 2-0 in the away leg; yet we collapsed in the home leg and lost 5-2 (5-4 to Yeovil on aggregate)
Line Up
GK: Paul Smith
RB: John Curtis
CB: Luke Chambers
CB: Ian Breckin
LB: Alan Wright
RM: Lewis McGugan
CM: James Perch
CM: Gary Holt
LM: Kris Commons
ST: Scott Dobie
ST: Jack Lester
Subs:
GK: Rune Pedersen
DF: Wes Morgan
DF: Julian Bennett
MF: David Prutton
ST: Grant Holt
The players in bold still play for us. Wes Morgan has become one of the best Centre Backs outside the Premier League, aswell as being included in the PFA Team of the Year. Luke Chambers has also become one of the best Centre Backs outside the Premier League, and was Forest's Player of the Season this year. Lewis McGugan is being constantly linked with Premier League clubs and has improved so much in 5 years (He is still only 22). Julian Bennett has improved since then, went on to be our Player of the Year the season after, but being out injured for 18 months hampered his progress and looks set to be released this summer when his contract runs out. Paul Smith also looks likely to be on his way out as his contract ends, probably to Boro where he enjoyed a 3 month loan spell this year.
The players in Italic are the ones that would be good enough to play in our team 5 years on (Kris Commons and Grant Holt). Both proved to be top Championship players with Derby and Norwich respectively, and would still do a good job for us.
5 years on...
2010-2011
A disappointing season by our standards. A 6th placed finish in the Championship; a position that would have been beyond Forest fans' wildest dreams 5 years ago. But after a 3 place finish the year before, expectations are now a lot higher. We expect to get back to the Premier League where we belong. The work Billy Davies has done for the team is remarkable, turning us around from Championship strugglers when he joined, to one of the best teams in the League in the space of 2 and a half years.
Line Up
GK: Lee Camp
RB: Brendon Moloney
CB: Wes Morgan
CB: Luke Chambers
LB: Chris Gunter
RM: Paul Anderson
CM: Paul McKenna
CM: Lewis McGugan
LM: Chris Cohen
ST: Rob Earnshaw
ST: Kris Boyd
Subs:
GK: Paul Smith
DF: Joel Lynch
MF: Radoslaw Majewski
MF: Garath McCleary
ST: Nathan Tyson
ST: David McGoldrick
ST: Marcus Tudgay
