When Nottingham Forest were in a rich vein of form, relying heavily on the strong midfield, the form of the strikers could be forgiven. A snap shot from Simon Cox dragged wide, or an over-zealous Darius Henderson in an aerial challenge, could usually be laughed off.

With the goals from midfield drying out, and the shaky defence becoming exposed, the horrible habit the strikers have adopted is now unfunny. The security of a Lewis McGugan late goal has disappeared, seeing Forest drop out of the playoffs, with no win in four.

Dexter Blackstock labelled a donkey by some and made a scapegoat by so many more. Simon Cox praised endlessly for his work ethic and commitment to the cause, but rarely getting in positions to threaten, to make himself an option for the onlooking midfield. The closest Forest have to a striker who has an established place in the starting eleven is January signing Darius Henderson, who now misses three crucial games through suspension.

Arguably the most potent striker in the league, Billy Sharp, is unfortunately not getting a look in. Disillusioned? Whatever the justification for his absence, 23 other clubs in the league are looking on enviously, as we dump a striker on the bench with one of the best reputations in the Championship.

Before Darius Henderson’s strike against Hull City at the KC Stadium, the last meaningful goal from a Forest striker came on December 29th 2012, as Billy Sharp scored a last gasp equaliser in Alex McLeish’s first game in charge of The Reds. The brilliance of the midfield has done enough since to paper over the cracks of the poor showing from the strikers, but it’s now that they must show what they’re made of, before it’s too late.

Simon Cox, despite his commendable efforts, is currently a clone of the heavily criticised Fernando Torres when it comes to his purpose in and around the box. Often finding himself on the wing, it is rare to find Cox in a dangerous position providing a threat, maybe due to his visible lack of confidence.

Supporters look on and argue the possibility that the midfielders are struggling to create, but then, what are they supposed to do when strikers are lacking the required confidence and fearless attitude to get in threatening positions?

Billy Davies has opted for the approach that epitomises his managerial strengths, by blaming the team for not providing, in an attempt to aid the psychological condition of the strikers lacking in belief.

As a fresh Billy Sharp sits on the bench, the off form Dexter Blackstock and the newly recovered Marcus Tudgay are getting minutes before him. In the rare opportunity at Turf Moor that Sharp got to flaunt his quality, the team selected lacked the guile that would’ve been to his strength, as was the case in the early parts of the season, with both Radi Majewski and Adlene Guedioura missing.

Approaching the last four games, Billy Davies could do no worse than to throw Sharp in, as the side looks to make the most of the limited opportunities. A monumental part of the magnificent sequence of results that alarmed the division, was the shrewd management of Billy Davies. The timing and the process of thought behind the substitutions were mostly faultless, seeing him pick up another Manager of the Month award.

Now though, his management of the strikers will be the key behind getting over the line.

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And for the strikers, it’s time for them to prove their worth. Millions of pounds worth of genuine Championship quality, it’s time for them to take responsibility. Get in the positions, and see Forest over the line and into the playoffs.

You don’t win the lottery, if you don’t buy a ticket. But Nottingham Forest won’t stand a chance of ending the season victoriously in the lottery of the playoffs, if the strikers don’t want to buy the ticket by commanding dangerous positions, to be the hero.

@will_forest to get in touch via Twitter.

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After securing a loan deal for West Ham United’s Mauro Zarate on Tuesday, Harry Redknapp’s Queens Park Rangers are lining up a few more deals before the January transfer window slams shut.

Redknapp, who’s normally extremely active this time of year, will be keen to bolster his squad to keep Rangers in the Premier League. The R’s have been heavily linked with the familiar face of Toronto’s Jermain Defoe, Chelsea outcast Mohamed Salah and Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson – among others. The QPR boss has always had an eye for a good deal, and he has had the knack of pulling off some memorable signings in the past.

On the field, it’s been a very indifferent season so far for QPR. Rangers have lost every single Premier League away game they have played in since returning to the top flight – but at home they are a completely different animal.

Redknapp’s side have accumulated all of their 19 points at Loftus Road this term. Just two home defeats all season, four draws and five wins, have kept QPR out of the relegation zone going into the new year – although Redknapp is savvy enough to know that his side can’t just rely on their home form.

Striker Charlie Austin has been in outstanding form this season – the 25-year-old has netted 12 Premier League goals in 18 games. The signing of Zarate will no doubt help Austin, and the R’s fans will be hoping they can form a deadly partnership. As for the Defoe deal, that one looks less and less likely as the days pass by – Toronto are looking to recoup most of the £6m they paid for Defoe, making it a difficult deal for QPR to secure.

The 67-year-old has admitted he needs to strengthen, but he’s also gone on record to say that he doesn’t expect any permanent signings – only loan deals. The QPR boss told the Mirror: “We’re not looking to spend. If there’s a loan or two out there we would be interested, that’s where we are at.”

Redknapp added: “We spent some money in the summer, so we’re not that far short. Hopefully we can find another striker to add to the ones we’ve got already, so that’s an area we are looking at. In January it’s always difficult to find players. There will be someone out there that can come and help us.”

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QPR are set for a crucial second half of the campaign. Owner Tony Fernandez has pumped an awful lot of money in at Loftus Road over the years, and he will be expecting his club to stay up. If Harry can get his side to pick up on the road, there is no reason why QPR won’t be in the Premier League next season.

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As Manchester City head into their Champions League clash with Sevilla, the charge brought against them by UEFA will once again become a topic of conversation. As time passes the actions of European football’s governing body make less sense. How fans booing UEFA’s song can open a case against the club is mind boggling.

If each component of the incident is broken down it becomes even more indiscernible. The booing against UEFA is nothing new, however it’s the first time a UEFA official has reported the observation. Before getting into the reasons why the Citizens feel aggrieved, there is a moral issue UEFA seem to be overlooking. This shouldn’t be surprising; they have a rich history of having double standards.

To ban booing against a regime, or anything for that matter, is a simple violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 10, Freedom of Expression. It relates to an individual having the right to hold an opinion and impart it without public authorities interfering.

It seems UEFA don’t think the convention applies to them. They make so many laws for their own world they think they are above the ones that we all live by.

The very act of booing is synonymous with a football crowd. It’s always been the way to express disappointment or disagreement. If UEFA finds it so offensive surely it would have been more noble to punish teams whose fans routinely boo national anthems.

This is where football’s overlords have a real problem. They see themselves as a sovereign state. The Champions League anthem is not something that should be saluted or given extra privileges. It’s just a reworking of an old Handel song by an Englishman to help give a soundtrack to UEFA’s marketing machine.

No organisation should ever be above criticism but UEFA don’t seem open to the idea they have made mistakes. You’d think UEFA would be keeping a low profile at the moment to avoid any sort of negative publicity. Their president is currently disgraced and suspended from duty but instead of using common sense they create more drama with this ridiculous charge.

There are two main reasons the City fans dislike UEFA. The first is the one that divides opinion. They feel aggrieved with the club’s treatment surrounding Financial Fair Play (FFP). There’s a sense that UEFA targeted the Manchester club and had an agenda. The punishment was disproportionate and during the examination period City feel the goalposts were moved. They were convinced FFP had been met but UEFA tweaked the interpretation.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with heavy investment, which is commonplace in all other areas of business and only ever driven by market forces, the ethos of FFP was to keep the big clubs at the top and prevent anyone joining them.

In this sense City were, and are, safe. They managed to join the party before UEFA pulled up the drawbridge to keep the paupers outside their holy castle. The loosening of FFP rules has come about because the clubs chasing the bigger teams have realised they’re falling further behind.

The next area of discontent is universal in its agreement. When CSKA Moscow were found guilty of racist behaviour and violence, UEFA closed the stadium to fans during Manchester City’s Champions League visit.

Why City’s fans were punished and refused entry made no sense. It was also frowned upon that UEFA offered no financial compensation for those that had taken out visas and paid for flights and hotel rooms. On the night around 300 CSKA fans made it into the stadium, no action was taken against the club for this violation.

UEFA have a poor record of dealing with racism and continually send mixed messages. They can make as many video promos featuring footballers as they like but racist chants are still commonplace in Champions League fixtures.

Their ignorance of the matter runs all the way to the top. Before Euro 2012 Michel Platini said players had no right to leave the pitch if they were racially abused, that it was a matter for the referee. It’s another example that shows UEFA don’t know how to treat humans fairly.

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Rather than taking City’s boos on the chin UEFA have now placed the spotlight firmly back on themselves. They have never looked more removed from reality and it’s pathetic. People have had enough of the corruption that has rotted FIFA to its core and the Big Brother attitude of UEFA.

On Tuesday night in Spain every last Manchester City fan will boo louder than ever. Fans of all clubs should join in until it’s a deafening chorus.

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Loads of Everton fans have been running the rule over Sunday’s setback at Old Trafford, and they’re starting to worry about the form of Seamus Coleman.

Everton almost completely transformed their defence this season, signing two new centre backs and passing the left back reigns from Leighton Baines to Lucas Digne.

While Yerry Mina has yet to make his mark, the new and improved Michael Keane is a far cry from his nervous displays last season, so the defence looks completely different under Marco Silva.

Coleman has retained his place though, and plenty of fans are starting to wonder if the Irish international is next in line to be replaced.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

The 30 year-old is hugely popular at Goodison as he has racked up over 200 league appearances for the Toffees, despite signing for the club for a mere £60,000.

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He has looked a step off the pace since returning from injury though, and both he and Theo Walcott struggled massively down that right flank at Old Trafford.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where more than a few fans suspect time is running out on Coleman’s Everton career…

Haryana were in a position of considerable strength at stumps on thesecond day of their North Zone Cooch Behar Trophy match against Jammu& Kashmir at the MA stadium in Jammu on Monday. After being in arrearsby 218 runs on the first innings, J&K were 31 for two in their secondinnings at close.Resuming at 61 for no loss, Haryana declared at 346 for seven.Manvinder Bisla (45) left early but the other opener Bhuvnesh Sharmaand captain Ishan Ganda added 114 runs for the second wicket off 31overs. Sharma was then out for 78. He faced 137 balls and hit 12fours. Sumeet Sharma (13) did not last very long but Ganda and DeepakJoon compounded J&K’s agony by some fine strokeplay. Ganda reached hiscentury but retired hurt when his score was 101. He faced 186 ballsand hit 12 of them to the ropes. Joon’s 40 was compiled off 70 ballsand Amit Mishra contributed a valuable 28 inclusive of two fours and asix.In J&K’s second innings, opening bowler Nitin Aggarwal dismissedMudassar Ashraf and Vimarash Kaw in the space of three deliveries forducks, leaving the home team an uphill task to stave off defeat on thefinal day.

Pakistan’s trip to Zimbabwe is a short one, and in just over two weeks they will face an England side buoyed by their recent success in the Ashes. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, has said that the games against Zimbabwe will be good preparation for his team, as well as helping the side to build towards the World T20 next year.”We’ve got a very big tour coming up straight after this against England, so this is kind of a preparation,” Waqar said. “We had a couple of months layoff before this which we needed after a long tour to Sri Lanka, but I think the boys are fresh and we want to make the most of it. We’re going to make sure that we get the experience out of it and also have a look at the younger boys. We are in a situation as well where every team is looking to that [T20] World Cup, and that’s what we’re trying to do as well. That’s why we’re bringing youngsters in to have a look at them and see what our best team can be for the World Cup.”One of those youngsters is left-arm seamer Imran Khan, whose stellar performances in domestic T20 cricket earned him a national call-up and, potentially, a debut in the first T20. “We’re very excited about what he’s going to come out with because he has been very good on the domestic circuit,” Waqar said. “He’s not very quick, he has got that X-factor, he bowls a good slower one, he’s very young and inexperienced but he knows what he’s doing. If he plays, you’ll see something different.”Waqar credited the hosts whose tour of Pakistan in May broke a six-year cricketing drought in the country, and repeated the mantra that Zimbabwe are not a side to be taken lightly. “I’ve been here a few times, it has been wonderful. The hospitality here is superb and we’re also thankful to them because they’ve been to us. After six years we were in serious trouble so it’s a payback kind of a tour and it’s going to be a tough one.”Zimbabwe have always been a fine side, especially when they are playing on their home soil. They know the pitches and the conditions very well, so the idea is not to take them easy. It doesn’t matter how much experience you’ve got, especially with Twenty20 cricket it’s on the day. You have to really be on your toes to play against any side. So we’re going to make sure that we put up our best team and deliver the goods and hopefully win both of the games.”Waqar suggested that Pakistan weren’t quite sure of what to expect from the Harare Sports Club pitch, but good preparation meant they were ready for whatever was presented. “We’ve been keeping a close eye over the last few series and this pitch at Harare hasn’t really given much to us. On the odd day we have seen the ball spin a lot and on the odd day the ball going through. It gives a lot of flavour to cricket so we have to be really ready for it and make sure that whatever we come across we’re ready for.”Waqar added that Pakistan are looking to shed their reputation as an inconsistent side. “It has been the case from the past and we’re trying to cut it short and make sure that it doesn’t happen so often. Any side can falter on a given day – you’ve seen Australia go down badly in the Ashes when they were the favourites. We’re going to try and minimise that and make sure that if we put our right foot out then we’ll be able to win these games.”Pakistan’s preparations will also have been helped by the presence of Grant Flower on their coaching staff, who has worked extensively with Zimbabwe in the past.”That’s why we hired him – especially for this tour,” Waqar joked. “Grant has been superb, his work ethic has been superb. He has become very friendly, he understands the culture, he understands the boys and the work ethic is superb. So of course we are going to dig something out of him. That’s the advantage I guess.”

Harbhajan hopeful of quick Ashwin return

R Ashwin, who had suffered a side strain in the first ODI in Kanpur and has not played in the series since, was seen bowling in the nets in Chennai. Harbhajan Singh was hopeful of a quick return to fitness for him, saying he was even looking forward to Ashwin playing in his hometown on Thursday, when technically Ashwin is not even part of the squad.
“Actually, I don’t know what his fitness is like. But having him fit will be a great thing for India and hopefully he’ll be fit tomorrow. I don’t know how he is feeling and what Patrick our physio is feeling about his body and how much load he can take at this point of time. We don’t want to definitely make him play so early that he does something else with his body. We need him for a longer period of time.
“But he’s obviously India’s match-winner and hopefully if he is fit tomorrow, we’ll definitely be playing him. And if he’s not, then we guys will do the job.”

India’s problems with their batting order have impacted their output at the back end of an innings. Boundaries are in short supply and so are the players who are capable of clearing them. The precision shown by South Africa’s bowlers have complicated those problems further. With India 1-2 down, a loss in Chennai would mean they lose the five-match ODI series. So, offspinner Harbhajan Singh has said, the team has discussed a workaround: sustained, steady run-scoring.”The odd boundary will come. No bowler is so perfect that they can keep on bowling six balls at one length and at one line,” Harbhajan said. “But if we are looking to just hit boundaries, then we are actually missing out on a lot of singles, and that’s what has been discussed. We will look to take a lot of singles, rotate strike from the first over to the last over. So we just need to be a little smarter. Obviously, as I said, we have got so much quality in our team that we can score runs on any sort of track. They are all performers, they have won games for India. It’s just a matter of time. It could be tomorrow.”The need for such adjustments have stemmed from the change in ODI rules. In October 2012, the ICC reduced the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle from five to four. As a result 50-over scores ballooned past 350, with the balance skewed heavily in favour of the batsmen. That forced the ICC to revert to having five fielders outside the 30-yard circle this June. When asked about this specific change, Harbhajan said India had to shift their focus from going for big hits to putting in the hard yards.”Obviously when we play with certain rules for three-four years, we get used to them and you look to hit a lot of boundaries. Instead of looking to hit boundaries, we need to look to rotate strike in between those overs.”Conversely, Harbhajan said the Indian bowlers, especially spinners, will have keep the lid on South Africa. “We are looking to put pressure on them and not give easy singles. If they are looking to go over the top, that is fine by us,” he explained. “We want to take wickets as a spinning unit and whoever is bowling at any point of time, we want to attack. We want to have a lot of catching fielders in place. In that process, you will go for boundaries here and there. But at the same time, if you pick up a wicket, you control the game. That is our agenda.”Falling behind in the series and failing to put in consistent performances puts the spotlight on the captain. But Harbhajan indicated it is up to the entire team to lighten the responsibility on MS Dhoni. “It’s each and every one’s responsibility to look into their game and come up with a plan for what needs to be done and what they are doing in the middle and what they can do better to make the team win,” Harbhajan said. “I just want to say one thing that the team will be going all out to win the game tomorrow and from there onwards, hopefully we will put up another good performance. Things can be different in one week’s time.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has requested that Galle curator Jayananda Warnaweera step back from preparations for next week’s Test, after he missed a meeting with the ICC’s anti-corruption security unit (ACSU) in Colombo on Wednesday. Warnaweera would ordinarily oversee preparations of the surface and the ground for the first Test against West Indies, which begins on October 14, but SLC has instead asked national curator Janaka Sampath to take over at Galle.The board had been prompted to make other arrangements for this Test when ASCU staff alerted them about Warnaweera’s failure to turn up to the meeting. SLC is expected to have a clearer view of the implications of Warnaweera’s absence following a meeting between ACSU staff and SLC chairman Sidath Wettimuny this afternoon. The board is expected to make a statement some time in the next 48 hours. No official suspension of any nature has been handed down.Last Friday, Warnaweera had resigned from SLC’s interim committee, citing personal reasons. His appointment to the interim committee in March had raised minor criticism, because Warnaweera had also been an executive committee member in controversial previous administrations. At the time, then-sports minister Navin Dissanayake had postured the new board as a clean break from the past.Warnaweera could not be reached for comment. SLC officials said they had also had trouble getting through to him over the past 24 hours.

Amir back after a five-year hiatus
Mohammad Amir finished with a match haul of five wickets in his first domestic first-class match after serving out a five-year ban for spot-fixing. He played in Sui Southern Gas Corporation’s opening match against Lahore Blues at the Gaddafi Stadium. The match ended in a tame draw after SSGC were set a target of 267 on the final day.Amir last played a domestic first-class match in 2009. On his return to the format, he bowled 21 overs in the first innings, conceded 55 runs and took three wickets. He picked up 2 wickets in 13 overs in the second innings and also scored an important 66 runs off 187 balls to help SSGC overcome a collapse in the first innings.Zafar misses a Test chance, but takes four
Zafar Gohar the 20-year-old left-arm spinner, was also among the wickets for SSGC with a match haul of 4 for 124. The bowler could have been a part of the Tests against England had he not missed his flight to the UAE Dubai. Gohar, who played against England in their tour game before the Tests, was expected to replace an injured Yasir Shah and was expected to fly in overnight to join the Pakistan squad for the first Test in Abu Dhabi. Instead, Gohar – who had a visa and other logistical arrangements ready – missed his flight after sleeping through departure announcements, and Pakistan went into the Test with three seamers.FATA begin with draw
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) who recently qualified for first-class cricket began their stint in the tournament with a draw against Habib Bank Limited at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot. They debuted with five new players. Rehan Afridi, who has played most of his cricket from Abbottabad, joined FATA to score his first hundred of the season. The highlight of the match was a double-hundred and a half-century by Mardan-born Fakhar Zaman. Zaman’s knocks helped HBL set FATA a target of 304, but the latter managed to hold on for a draw.WAPDA wait on Butt, Asif
Water and Power Development Authority have recruited Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif but both players were left out of their playing XI against Karachi Whites. The players have been given a non-executive 17th grade employee contract but the department has directions from the PCB to not play them until they complete their education and rehabilitation programme in February.

Paul Weekes – Middlesex mainstay Photo © Paul McGregor

Now for tomorrowMiddlesex appeared to have got a strong grip on their NatWest trophyfourth-round match against Somerset at Southgate by scoring 223-4 at the end of a day shortened by rain. Yet they did not score as quickly as they had hoped to do and the weather could still tilt the balance.Umpires Merv Kitchen and Ken Palmer saw more action than the players on a morning of dark cloud and flooded outfield. The skies were still overcastwhen the cricket did start in the afternoon. Conditions, perhaps, made for the bowlers: it seemed to be so when Paul Jarvis sent back Andrew Strauss (30) and Justin Langer. Then just for bad measure opening batsman Mike Roseberry (21) had to retire.At this point the county batsmen were having something of the experience theWest Indians had faced in their second innings at Lord’s as Andrew Caddick, opening the attack with Jarvis, kept them under pressure. Paul Weekes and Mark Ramprakash steadied the innings and it was the latter who went on to end the day on 71 n.o. and came in for the evening with partner Keith Dutch (12 n.o.) Poor light caused play to be stopped. Somerset need to score 224 runs tomorrow – leaving in still anybody’s match.