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LR ---------------- 112 X 72 yards. (8064 sq yards)
City Ground --- 115 X 78 yards. (8970 sq yards)
So who will tell me that extra 906 sq yards don't make a difference?
Until an Rs manager takes a team to Nottingham fully prepared to deal with all that extra space (which, yet again, Forest used well) we will never win there. What works at LR just damages us on that pitch (and the better it works at LR the more we suffer up there).
On the flip side, Forest have managed only one league win at our place since 1998 (I think?). A few draws (but then the smaller pitch makes defending and playing for point easier).
Next season why bother --- just send the development team out and tell them to chase everything.
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Not rocket science on 10:41 - Nov 5 with 5117 views
I wasn't there but I believe you have a very valid point. We play a pressing game. you could hear Smithies 'pushing' the back four up from F block against the blades!
Doing this obviously leaves room in behind and if don't have at least one superquick defender you will be exposed time and again. Also we push our full or wing backs further up the pitch so leaving room behind them too.
Wolves goal at LR came from their player out running Baptiste. They only managed to do it, successfully, once. They struggled to find the right ball and space to do it more often.
Larger pitch, team used to it with fast forwards and we had problems with our usual game.
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Not rocket science on 10:55 - Nov 5 with 5093 views
OP has a valid argument, the longer and wider the pitch the more slower players will be exposed, Baptiste was hung out to dry yesterday, he didnt particularly do anything badly just up against a bright speedy young player without effective cover. Ditto Lynch and to a degree Robinson
We did start the game quite strongly but the confidence visibly dissolved when we conceded and the back line struggled and were disjointed with a fair amount of finger pointing and shouting and in an accusative rather than encouraging way.
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Not rocket science on 12:07 - Nov 5 with 4959 views
Even though we won against Sheff Utd, at the start of the second half they were attacking us in the channels at the start of the second half, drawing one of the back three out wide, and then working the ball back in field to the space they'd left for Brooks to run into. Wolves' goal came the same way, getting Baptiste out into a wide area and exposing him. ON Tuesday Holloway nipped that straight in the bud by bringing on Furlong, who was excellent, and dropping Scowen deeper onto Brooks. Why didn't he do that yesterday? Should have happened after 20 minutes and then when we did make changes at half time, we made straight swaps that didn't address the problems we were having.
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Not rocket science on 12:36 - Nov 5 with 4871 views
This may be absolute Pish but I thought Elland Rd has the largest pitch in UK.
Probably Leeds supporter's claiming Elland Road is the biggest pitch in England. Remember they also think they were champions of Europe. A brief google seems to suggest Port Vale's Vale Park is the biggest pitch. So poor show we didn't snatch 4 goals back at the death yesterday.
Our league record at Vale Park is P17 W4 D6 L7. A not bad away record which dispels the 'big pitch theory' however we haven't won there on our last 11 league and cup visits. 1962 the last win. The Den apparently is the longest pitch.
As for yesterday, should have kept the same defence as Tuesday. Don't think Lynch should have walked straight back in the first XI. Baptiste should have stayed central of the back 3. Playing any wider exposes his lack of pace.
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Not rocket science on 13:07 - Nov 5 with 4811 views
They used to have a pitch at Harlington that they changed the dimensions of to match the away ground we we're playing at next game. Not sure if they still do it or if it really helped as pitch size is only one of the variables.
It would prob take quite a deep study to say why we're better at home and what factors make a difference but I do feel that we struggle on the road, always have done.
Not rocket science on 12:36 - Nov 5 by DannyPaddox
Probably Leeds supporter's claiming Elland Road is the biggest pitch in England. Remember they also think they were champions of Europe. A brief google seems to suggest Port Vale's Vale Park is the biggest pitch. So poor show we didn't snatch 4 goals back at the death yesterday.
Our league record at Vale Park is P17 W4 D6 L7. A not bad away record which dispels the 'big pitch theory' however we haven't won there on our last 11 league and cup visits. 1962 the last win. The Den apparently is the longest pitch.
As for yesterday, should have kept the same defence as Tuesday. Don't think Lynch should have walked straight back in the first XI. Baptiste should have stayed central of the back 3. Playing any wider exposes his lack of pace.
I don't think it dispels any kind of myth. There were times when we played Port Vale when we had decent teams and very effective wingers which also coincided with times when Forest were very successful and hard to beat anywhere for anybody.
As for the 4 goal come-back, that would probably not have happened had not the ref not allowed a perfectly good 5th goal for them before we had got one.
And I remember watching Warren Barton (on his debut for us?) give a truly embarrassing performance up there on a feezing mid-week night being responsible for both goals we conceded and thankful to lady luck that he hadn't caused us to be six down at HT. Ollie being manager on that night too.
I think there is more to any "jinx" than JUST a pitch size but if you take out any travel and psychological reasons it probably plays a part.
If it's any consolation, we'd never won at Grimsby and when denied a nailed-on penalty in the last minute it looked as though our best chance in history had gone --- then up popped the legend that is/was, erm, Eric Sabin to score the winner.
And Middlesbro had never won at LR in 18 attempts --- but when they did break the jinx they did it in style with a 5-1 win.
So really it's a case being patient, always travelling to games at Forest (and trying to stay alive long enough) so that one day the lucky ones will enjoy the feeling we got at Grimsby. Obviously :-)
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Not rocket science on 23:08 - Nov 5 with 4514 views
Not rocket science on 12:36 - Nov 5 by DannyPaddox
Probably Leeds supporter's claiming Elland Road is the biggest pitch in England. Remember they also think they were champions of Europe. A brief google seems to suggest Port Vale's Vale Park is the biggest pitch. So poor show we didn't snatch 4 goals back at the death yesterday.
Our league record at Vale Park is P17 W4 D6 L7. A not bad away record which dispels the 'big pitch theory' however we haven't won there on our last 11 league and cup visits. 1962 the last win. The Den apparently is the longest pitch.
As for yesterday, should have kept the same defence as Tuesday. Don't think Lynch should have walked straight back in the first XI. Baptiste should have stayed central of the back 3. Playing any wider exposes his lack of pace.
Another freezing day springs to mind when Gareth Ainsworth gave us a first minute lead at Elland Road only for us to watch our lot torn apart down both wings as Leeds won 6-1.
On wide pitches with four at the back (or 3 !!!) there will be exploitable gaps between defenders. A three might be OK if it's three centre-backs and they are flanked by two proper full backs? But then you need a midfield and strikers with real pace so that after absorbing pressure counter-attacks might work. Pretty well everything at Forest was wrong --- how much was down to squad deficiencies and how much down to naivety and over-confidence in the system that had won the last two games (but without consideration of the pitch size at Forest) is probably a matter of individual perception and opinion.
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Not rocket science on 01:58 - Nov 6 with 4444 views
I'm not prone to panic like most of you, but that was frigging embarrassing. I'd have hoped my team over here would have put up a better attempt than that.
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Not rocket science on 07:06 - Nov 6 with 4386 views
Another freezing day springs to mind when Gareth Ainsworth gave us a first minute lead at Elland Road only for us to watch our lot torn apart down both wings as Leeds won 6-1.
On wide pitches with four at the back (or 3 !!!) there will be exploitable gaps between defenders. A three might be OK if it's three centre-backs and they are flanked by two proper full backs? But then you need a midfield and strikers with real pace so that after absorbing pressure counter-attacks might work. Pretty well everything at Forest was wrong --- how much was down to squad deficiencies and how much down to naivety and over-confidence in the system that had won the last two games (but without consideration of the pitch size at Forest) is probably a matter of individual perception and opinion.
Odd game. Ainsworth scores an amazing goal which turns a 57 year old Brian Deane into the Hulk (footballer version not green doctor on steroids) who proceeds to score 4 goals and with David Healy puts on an impression of Raul & fat Ronaldos partnership at Real Madrid.
Having just watched that (I also enjoy pouring wax on my eyeballs) I’ve decided that pitch size means nowt when you head the ball like Santos and Shittu did that day.
[Post edited 6 Nov 2017 7:15]
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Not rocket science on 07:10 - Nov 6 with 4377 views
One of the first away games I can remember was a 2-0 loss at Port Vale a week or two before the Palace 6-0 game. We heard on the tannoy that Bury had lost and it went mental. Think it kicked off outside too.
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Not rocket science on 08:37 - Nov 6 with 4301 views
One of the first away games I can remember was a 2-0 loss at Port Vale a week or two before the Palace 6-0 game. We heard on the tannoy that Bury had lost and it went mental. Think it kicked off outside too.
Fabian de Freitas of West Brom it's what kept us up that season!
In regards to Forest I think we should just go there and kick the ball in the goal more times than them.
87 years is not acceptable, every other team has won there at some point.
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Not rocket science on 09:51 - Nov 6 with 4222 views
Wide pitches - might be something in this over the years, and the difficulty in adjusting in 'non-tight grounds' like Loftus Road. . lets hope we never play West Ham away....
Then again, Wembley?
[Post edited 6 Nov 2017 9:54]
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Not rocket science on 09:16 - Dec 31 with 3667 views
I think that there might be more satisfying and worthwhile hobbies than pitch measuring to be honest.
Easy to say but "proper" hobbies (like water-skiiing in warm Caribbean waters) cost money while others (like Golf or Basketball ) require dressing like a moron. Most of the other things I like doing carry a level of illegality that prevents them being called hobbies.
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