BIRCH WIELDS AXE TO FELL FOREST

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. For anyone that was at the City Ground on 5^th May 1996 this day has been a long time coming. That was the day Rangers stay in the top flight ended and that was the day the Forest fans streamed onto the pitch to goad the R’s fans in their moment of sadness. Unlucky chaps.

Holloway had the luxury of an almost full strength squad to choose from and decided that experience was the way to go. All of the kids that had served him well during the injury crisis were out and a host of seasoned pros returned. Rossi remained in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Shittu, Santos and Padula. Rowlands, Bircham, Gallen and Cook were in midfield behind strike force of Thorpe and Furlong, the ink on his new two year deal still moist.

It was clear to see from the off that the Forest players were resigned to their fate. They were second, sometimes third, best to every ball and Rangers were playing some slick stuff from the get go. The first real chance came to Cook when he sent a rasping twenty yard drive just inches wide of Paul Gerrard’s left hand upright. Thorpe then found himself denied by Gerrard when the keeper was quick off his line to claim a long ball from back to front.

Megson had deployed a back three in the hope of soaking up some pressure, unfortunately they were three of the least mobile centre backs in the pro game. Indeed one of them was Forest’s top scorer Gareth Taylor; it seemed odd to me that he should play there in a game they desperately needed to win.

Rent-a-forty-yarder Kris Commons tried his luck from distance soon after but Rossi was untroubled as the ball flew miles wide. Referee Wright was be picky in the extreme, time and again he insisted on people moving throws and freekicks back mere inches before he would allow them to be taken. He had little choice but to show Darryl Powell the yellow card for a pull on Furlong, a booking that would cost the former Derby County man dear later in the half.

Thorpe was proving a real livewire up top and his movement was creating all sorts of space for the four midfielders to move into. Indeed Rowlands had a shot charged down by Taylor after finding acres of space on the edge of the area. With half an hour played the midfield were granted even more space when Powell picked up his second booking. He flew into a challenge with Rowlands in midfield and sent the R’s man flying. He went down to try and prevent the inevitable but referee Wright didn’t hesitate and Powell had first use of the bath water.

It was effectively game over, even with the scores still level. Sensibly Rangers were making the ball do the work with the back four having all the time in the world to move the ball around and pick out their midfield colleagues. Chances were not coming thick and fast but it didn’t matter because you knew that they would, it was just a matter of biding their time and waiting for Forest to implode.

The implosion happened on the stroke of half time just as Forest were thinking how well they had done to get to the break without being breached. Rangers won a freekick on the right and Cook sent in a devilish delivery. The cross had pace and was dipping toward goal as three Forest player converged on it. Curtis it seems got the final touch, although it looked like Taylor at the time, and the ball sped past Gerrard into the net.

Megson must have been disgusted with his players at the break; they had offered precious little resistance to anything that Rangers had thrown at them. Wes Morgan had a “shot” shortly after the start of the second half, the ball looped harmlessly into the crowd, Rossi didn’t even have to put his ice cream down!

Only minutes later and it was 2-0 when Marc Bircham popped up with his standard beauty for the season. Rangers worked the opening brilliantly with Thorpe feeding Gallen who in turned laid it off for the other Chuckle Brother. Bircham took aim and curled the ball past Gerrard into the top corner.

The game might as well have ended at that point as it took on an almost pre-season friendly feel. Rangers were strolling about and passing the ball without a care, Forest were dying on their arses in the sweltering heat thanks to Powell’s first half stupidity. It took almost seventy minutes for Forest to test Rossi and even then it needed a sympathy freekick award from referee Wright.

Kris Commons, who else, they don’t seem to have another player, took it and curled the ball gently into the hands of Rossi. Rossi had had precious little to do but what he had shown is that his distribution is first class. He rolls it out quickly and kicks accurately. Three or four times he kicked out of hands and put the ball on peoples feet, far better than the scattergun approach employed by Day and Royce at times.

Furlong came agonisingly close to crowning his new contract with a goal when he burst clear of the Forest defence. He spotted Gerrard a few feet of his line and lobbed him only to see the ball flick off the top of the bar and go behind. Shortly afterwards Rangers gifted Forest a shambles of a goal. It seemed to be a case of tired legs and tired minds as Commons attacked down the left. Bignot failed to challenge him and he pulled the ball back into the path of the Eugen Bopp and the young German fired it home leaving Rossi no chance.

The game ticked away with Forest seemingly buoyed by the goal but never really looking like they thought they could get an equaliser. At the final whistle their fate was sealed and they were plunged into the third tier of English football. The Rangers fans applauded the Forest players from the pitch, showing class that was sadly lacking from their fans on that May afternoon nine years ago.

It is always a sad day when a club of Forest’s stature falls so low in the league structure. They will come back from this, it will make them stronger, and they will jettison some of the chaff from the squad, including some, if not all, of the players that heaped shame on the club last week. And for most of their fans they have my sympathy as we know what it is like. But as for those of them that ran to taunt the heartbroken Rangers fans that day, you have your comeuppance.

As for Rangers, it will doubtless be the last time some of those players pull on the blue and white hoops at Loftus Road. Maybe some of them have played their way into Olly’s plans for next season but I would never like to second guess someone as headstrong as he.

simon@qprnet.com