So Forest's unbeaten run came to an end against the Cottageboys DID IT REALLY yes it did, but it wasn't really as bad as some people make out WASN'T IT REALLY no it wasn't. Here are a few consoling thoughts...
Okay, so Nuno probably picked the wrong starting line up. I mean, which numpty plays two big strikers and leaves a complete supply line of wingers on the bench? Dearie me. The only consolation is that you and your friends would have done things differently, because you're not as stupid as you look. This should provide some comfort in your desolation.
"We would have done better with MGW". You might use this as an excuse for Forest's midfield ineptitude, but all you're really doing is stating the obvious. I'm not sure what comfort you can derive from saying that the team weren't as good without their best and most inspirational player, unless you're trying to lever yourself into a conversation which threatens to pass you by. I suppose you could spend lonely evenings singing a suitable lament, to the tune of "My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean"....
If Morgan had played we'd've walked it,
With Morgan we might even win.
We'll get bugger all without Morgan
'Cause Morgan Gibbs-White is our king.
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my Morgan to me, to me,
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my Morgan to me.
At least Taiwo was back and looking sharp, until he wasn't. If that early overhead kick had found the net, things would have gone biblical. "And the Lord shall sweep mine enemies from the face of the earth" is what would have happened, and everybody would have gone home and had jam for T.
You should console yourself with the thought that, although Forest's performance was a bit of a negative mess, Fulham only won because of incompetent officiating. If Forest can play that poorly and face down some fancy pants north-bankers whose manager rattles on like a toy machine gun and wouldn't know the truth if it crawled up his drainpipe and bit him in the lobby, they probably haven't got too much to worry about.
To make yourself feel better, imagine for a moment that you were referee Josh Smith and any of the VAR people. Imagine trying to live with yourself after failing to award Forest a penalty when Elanga was kicked in the box, nor even considering it worthy of a check. "I was only following the script" you might say, but that wouldn't help at all, while your conscience gnawed away at the rotten tissue of your soul. Just thank heaven you're not, like them, encased in the silence of the damned.
If you're still feeling down, you might consider trying to solve the riddle of James Ward-Prowse. The answer, by the way, is "Nobody knows", which, come to think of it, probably makes things worse.
Cheer yourself up. After the FA Cup 1-1 draw between Worksop Tigers and Kings Lynn, Kings Lynn officials accused Worksop fans of drunken and abusive behaviour. A Worksop spokesman denied the charge, saying Worksop fans were only "half as drunk as they used to be."
At least our owner isn't a mean spirited petro-chemical polluter whose attempts at sportswashing lead to bitterness and decline.
And we're still above them in the table, whoever they are.
We hope these thoughts, many of which are based on truth, provide you with some degree of consolation for Forest's defeat DID WE LOSE REALLY yes we did THANKS FOR REMINDING US that's all right. Perhaps also they might generate some confidence as we go on to meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the stadium in London not the pretty little village in Yorkshire where I once dropped my glasses in a mill pond DID YOU REALLY yes I did.
Fear not - this is not the beginning of the end, nor is it the end of the beginning. It may be somewhere in the middle. You can never be sure about these things, can you?
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