Report
by Bridport Red:
( For information 'Tank' is Alan Rogers.)
There we have been, all of us, for several months: "We need
a striker, we need a striker!" I am sure I have not been alone
at times in wondering whether the long wait for this mysterious
man from Trinidad via Columbus Ohio was going to be worth
it. Weren't we rather in danger of putting all our eggs in
one basket? What if he isn't as good as he is cracked up to
be? What if he takes ages to adjust to the pace of English
football? How long before the boos start if he isn't up to
it? So I have no doubt whatsoever that those of you who could
not see Stern John's debut for Forest tonight will all be
wanting to know one thing: can he play? CAN HE EVER!
By any standards this was an impressive debut. When you consider
that he only arrived in Nottingham at 2 o'clock on Monday
morning, has trained one-and-a-half times with the team, has
had the usual merry-go-round of new signing media stuff to
do, and was playing in a new league, at a new standard and
in a new country.... it was nothing short of sensational.
Stern scored with his third touch of the ball, in the sixth
minute. The ball came out of defence, was laid off by Johnno
into Tank's path, and he in turn played it to Jim Brennan,
who was overlapping at speed down the left. Brennan took one
touch and fired a curling low cross to the edge of the six
yard box. John ghosted in front of his marker and hammered
the ball into the corner. And a star was born. 6 minutes later
a similar attack developed down the left. This time Tank cut
inside and tried to chip a short cross into Stern's path.
It was slightly overhit and I thought the chance was gone.
However David Prutton refused to give up a lost cause, recovered
the ball on the right wing and played a low ball into the
box. Stern John controlled it and used his formidable upper
body strength to hold off Darren Moore (not the smallest of
defenders) before laying it off to the advancing Beck. Beck
swept it into the net, Forest were 2-0 up inside a quarter
of an hour, and I began to wonder whether the Webmaster and
I had perhaps overdone it in the TBI beforehand. I am not
quite sure what I was expecting of Stern John, actually.
I had seen no film of him and only the odd still photo - but
the picture on my mind's eye was at the Emile Heskey end of
the scale; a big strong bustling Kevin Campbell replacement.
That's not right. He actually appears quite slight in build
(an impression that Darren Moore might now dispute!) and is
around 6 foot. It took a while for me to work out who it is
that he reminds me of, but I shouldn't have been surprised,
I suppose: he is very like Dwight Yorke. Similar pace, similar
springy run, similar control (and, on tonight's evidence,
similar finishing ability!). As you will have gathered by
now, he left me with a very favourable impression in general,
but in particular: - he took his goal beautifully - he made
the second with power and excellent ability to hold the ball
under pressure - he reads the game well and is very quick;
at one stage he anticipated a backpass enough to get there
ahead of the keeper and take it round him, only to find the
angle too narrow (he laid it off to Tank who scuffed the shot!)
- he is committed; at one point in the second half Beck got
free at pace down the left and curled a high cross to the
near post. Stern was coming in like a train and hurled himself
full length into a diving header. Unfortunately he failed
to connect by a few inches (it would have bust the net if
he'd got his head to it). - he is not bothered by the physical
stuff; the holding off of Moore was not an isolated incident,
and every time he held it up he used it well - he is very
skilful with either foot; the best moment of the match for
me was after about an hour, when he got the ball with his
back to goal, flicked it over his own and the defender's head
with his right foot, spun and volleyed it with his left, producing
a good save from Flanahan. In short,
I think we have got ourselves a bargain! I believe he was
recommended to Platty by Dwight Yorke. If so, we all owe Yorke
a beer! What of the rest of the side? For the first 25 minutes
we were excellent, playing the ball around well, attacking
with pace down the flanks and looking constantly dangerous.
It didn't last, especially after half time - not that we fell
apart or anything like that, but some of the fluency went
and we started to play a bit deep in defence (until Platty
did his nut on the touchline in front of me and pushed them
up again). Basically we looked like a side recovering its
confidence and content to play the ball around rather than
go for the jugular. But even in that phase we were vastly
better than for the past two games. Norm had a fairly quiet
night. A couple of bits of dubious cross handling (not for
the first time in his career against Pompey, if memory serves...)
[sorry, Norm], but no serious saves to make. Mannini played
pretty well at Tranmere, dealing with the exclusively aerial
threat nicely.
Tonight, however, he had a pacy winger running at him and
we saw what we already knew - he ain't no right back, especially
when it comes to pace. There is only so much that nous and
experience can cover for, and I hope we don't experiment with
this one for long. We looked a good deal more secure at the
back when Chris Doig came on and we moved to 3-5-2. Hjelde
and Riccy played well. Bart and especially Johnno were much
better tonight - more secure in their passing, a bigger range
of passes, and much better pressing of the ball high up the
pitch. Prutton worked hard, almost scored his first goal for
the club when he got on the end of a low Tank cross (well
saved) and continued his great start. I am not convinced he
is a wide player, though. Rather see him in the middle. Down
the left Tank and Brennan frightened Pompey to death. I'd
have to see a race between them to be sure who is the quicker,
but rest assured they are both phenomenally fast and tonight
both were prepared to run at people at full power. Brennan
also delivered a selection of fine high crosses, and Tank
some good low ones. Now that they are learning to work together,
I look forward to seeing much more of the same - and a few
ponderous right backs are going to get some sleepless nights!
That only leaves one player.
There seems to be a section of the crowd that are so obsessed
with hating Derby that they booed Mikkel Beck from the moment
he first played for us 10 days ago. Well they are entitled
to their opinion, I guess, but Beck had a stormer tonight.
He worked his socks off, scored his first goal for us, constantly
made himself available (thus giving the defence an outlet
when under pressure, which we totally lacked at Tranmere),
was prepared to shoot and generally looked the part. Good
on yer, Mikkel. Some competition for Mr Freedman. So. Not
perfect by any means. But a decent performance (and better
than that for 25 minutes) with some real promise for the way
we are developing. How nice (and unusual) it was to see Forest
counter-attacking with real pace. How nice to get the impression
that we might actually score every time we attacked. On another
day either Beck or Brennan would have been Man of the Match.
But not tonight.
All together now: "Stern John, there's only one Stern John..."
