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The day Billy Davies walked in to Nottingham Forest to start his second spell at the club, he commented on the “underachieving players” playing at “80-85% of their potential”.

Nine months down the line with Champions League and Premier League players bought by Fawaz’s cash, what has changed?

Three wins in ten and Billy Davies has now resulted to spending 11 minutes digressing his press-conferences into how the referee should be applying the laws of the game.

A first genuine doubt about whether Billy is the right man to take Forest forward, is entering the mind of a lot of supporters. After millions being spent in the summer, it was hoped The Reds would ‘do a Cardiff’, but once again, they seem to be settling down among the chasing pack.

Following a questionable performance against strugglers Middlesbrough, the previously impressive youngster Nathaniel Chalobah was added to the ranks, as fellow clubs looked on with envious eyes. Now though, he’s suddenly not the answer.

A reported £30,000 a week, Chalobah looks anything but interested. To add to the unsettled nature of the Forest squad, with endless rotation, David Vaughan was loaned in as a subsequence of the humiliating display at Yeovil, attempting to solve the problem of the ‘Guedioura role’.

Two very good players, but on the outside it looks as if they’re nothing but ‘panic loans’. Billy Davies in his first press conference also touched on his need to instill added confidence and belief into the players he has. Panic loans are hardly the action of a man who has faith in the current batch.

Leeds United, with loanee Dexter Blackstock, were giving Yeovil the seeing to that Forest couldn’t manage. At the same time, Billy Davies was using defender Greg Halford as his 2nd striker option, rather than Derbyshire, Cox, Tudgay and Miller. Not a huge boost for the strikers he opted to keep on, is it?

As Forest were reduced to 10 men against Blackpool, Billy spoke of his frustration that his tactics were thrown out of the window. Even with 10 men, the atmosphere around the ground was one of disappointment towards the latter stages.

With fifteen minutes to go, it was time to put the foot on the gas and create some problems for Blackpool, asking some questions. Slow on the ball, and walking at a snails pace at set-pieces, even when on the attack, and the tempo to a Forest attack was zapped.

In Billy’s first spell, it was understandable to see his side settle for a point. A midfield usually consisting of Paul Anderson, Paul McKenna and Guy Moussi and expectations could hardly be sky-high.

However, with Jamie Mackie, Gonzalo Jara, David Vaughan and Henri Lansbury now occupying the midfield, more is expected from Nottingham Forest supporters; and who can blame them?

Premier League and International experience, and you get the sense Billy Davies is holding them back a little. It’s down to Billy to adapt his tactics to mould this side into what it is on paper – one that should be ahead in the leading pack.

The January transfer window is approaching and the next two months are crucial to the future of Billy Davies and Forest. Approach the games in a similar manner, leaving yourself susceptible because of players being held back, and it may just be those players knocking on the door of their agents, wanting to be elsewhere.

Ten months ago Fawaz Al-Hasawi pulled the trigger on Sean O’Driscoll for being in a similar positon to the one Billy Davies is now. Millions spent since, hardly much progress made and seeds of doubt may be in the mind of the owner.

A new four-year contract for Billy Davies recently leaves the majority believing their relationship is perfect.

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To Fawaz, that may just be a Public Display of Affection not too different to witnessing Katie Price on the front of The Sun hand in hand with yet another husband, insisting that this one is ‘the one’.

Whether the four years means much to Fawaz will probably show in the testing couple of months ahead.

Nottingham Forest fans don’t want Billy Davies sacked. They don’t want vast change. They just want to see a lot better than what they’re currently seeing, and there’s no harm in that.

@will_forest to get in touch via Twitter.

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When a club has a great history, it is important that they continue to achieve and improve as there is only so long that they can live off past success as a measure of being a big club.

Now I have a lot of respect for Liverpool FC, their fans, and what they have achieved in the game however I feel they are no longer fulfilling their ambition and their transfer dealings in recent seasons are a huge factor why.

If we look at it in the sense that they are currently a top four challenger rather than a title contender, are they even signing players on a par with Tottenham who currently sit fourth?

The big difference for me is the lack of value for money in Liverpool’s transfers. It is understandable that not being involved in the Champions League in recent years has made it difficult for the club to attract the leading names in the game, however splashing out ludicrous amounts of money on the likes of Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, and Stewart Downing isn’t acceptable, and the fans have a right to moan. The money spent would suggest Liverpool’s ambitions remain high and that they should really be making an assault on the title, but the harsh reality is that they are a long way off.

If you look at Spurs’ transfer dealings over the course of this season, they come across as quite schrewd bits of business. The acquisitions of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, and Hugo Lloris for a collective amount in the region of £45million. This to me is wise spending and still fits into Liverpool’s action plan of signing players for the future with the latter 3 listed already looking like they will have big parts to play in the clubs future, while it could be argued Sigurdsson still has the potential to as well.

Since finishing second in the league in the 2008/09 season, four points behind Manchester United, Liverpool  have collectively spent over £50million more than the Red Devils have on players, so it has to be questioned as to why they are languishing 22 points behind them in the current table.

Last season Dalglish brought in Henderson, Adam, Downing, and Enrique for a combined total of around £50million. Enrique is the only one out of those who can be regarded as a success so far and if you add on the £35million wasted on Carroll in the January window the season before, this is money that if spent wisely, I believe could have seen Liverpool making a serious assault on breaking the top 3 at least.

Dalglish is a Kop legend and rightly so for what he did in his playing days, as well as his first stint managing the team. However, he along with former director of football Damien Comolli need to shoulder a fair share of the blame for the clubs current situation. Admittedly former managers, Hodgson, Benitez , and even current boss Rodgers have wasted money themselves but not to the extent of spending over £100million where only one or two out of that money invested can be regarded as a success.

Comolli was recently quoted by the Daily Mail as defending the deals which he made with Dalglish, saying “We did 26 deals and to think we wouldn’t make any mistakes in such a huge number of deals in and out would be totally unrealistic.”

It can be argued that the likes of Henderson who has improved in recent weeks, is one for the future, but will he ever be good enough to take Liverpool and their fans to what they want to achieve? I think it’s questionable and will probably prove a gamble that doesn’t pay off.

It has left Rodgers in a position where he is having to cover for the mistakes that have been made, and has turned to the clubs youth products, with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Andre Wisdom being blooded into the first team this season. Luckily for Liverpool, Rodgers is renowned for his work with bringing through young prospects so they are in safe hands as far as this goes. He has also spent though, bringing in the likes of Fabio Borini, Joe Allen, and Daniel Sturridge in for 10, 15, and £12million respectively. These all still need to prove themselves, although Sturridge has started well.

One which has worked for the Reds from the Dalglish reign is the capture of Luis Suarez, and this is the bit of business that may make his failed signings slightly easier to forgive. The Uruguayan has built up his reputation as one of the most lethal strikers in the game, albeit a controversial one. Unlike Balotelli at Manchester City though, who often finds himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons himself, Suarez is producing on the pitch, which makes the negatives easier to look past.

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It is vital that they hold onto him and build the team around him now, something which Champions League qualification will only help. The best players want to be performing on Europe’s biggest stage, and there is only so long Suarez is likely to accept playing for an under achieving side.

While the philosophy of signing young players for the future has to be commended, Liverpool need to wise up with their transfer dealings in terms of how much they deem a player is worth if they are to get back to the status they want and avoid making a loss on players who are signed for too much, but fail to produce the goods.

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Darren Fletcher has told MUTV that Manchester United are ready to seal qualification into the knock-out stages of the Champions League with another win against Braga next month.

The Red Devils currently have a 100 per cent win record in Europe this season, defeating the Portuguese side last night with a 3-2 comeback at Old Trafford.

United sit at the top of Group H with nine points, meaning that another win will guarantee their place in the last 16 of Europe’s top club competition. Fletcher, 28, believes the away fixture against Braga is the perfect game to secure qualification and rectify the embarrassment of being knocked out in the group stage last season.

“After last year the aim was to get ourselves through the group as quickly as possible. One more victory should see us through and hopefully we can do it in the next game in Braga with two games to spare.

“If you take away the first 20 minutes when we went 2-0 down it was a good performance [against Braga].

“People will talk about slow starts and giving away early goals but the fact we came back to win showed great character. Nevertheless, we know we can’t keep doing it,” he said.

The Scotland international spent most of last season battling Ulcerative Colitis, taking extended leave from his club. He is yet to appear for United in the Premier League this season, but played for a full 90 minutes against Braga which suggests he is back to full fitness.

“I feel fine. It was good to get another 90 mintues under my belt and the more of them I get the better I’ll feel.

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“I’m fully aware there is huge competition for places in midfield. I’ve just got to get as many minutes under my belt as I can and keep taking my opportunities when they come,” the United midfielder added.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. Usually such a line-up is indicative of a contemporary boy band but this fabulous quintet is more likely to make grown men swoon rather than teenage girls scream.

A wave of relief must have swept across every Arsenal supporter when the club announced they had collectively tied down their most promising batch of young players. The news provides a timely boost for a team that continues to sail through troubled waters, especially as this sign of commitment would have felt worryingly alien for a side that has been repeatedly betrayed by former fan favourites.

The key message emanating from North London is that plans for the future have a distinct British core, which will undoubtedly help dispel the recurring criticism that the club favours a foreign presence. After watching the likes of Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas instigate painful exits, Arsene Wenger has perhaps decided to focus on those who share his close affinity with the Gunners.

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If there is one man that can rival the Frenchman’s devotion to Arsenal, it’s Jack Wilshere. The resurgent talisman embodies the philosophy of his club, in the same inspiring manner as fellow England internationals Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. He passes the ball rather than the blame and speaks with a startling understanding of what is expected of both him and his fellow team-mates.

There is certainly an aura surrounding the 20-year-old that evokes a flurry of compliments from everyone associated with the club. If Wenger can mould his aggressive passion into controlled desire then he may have just found his most influential leader since Tony Adams, a man who incidentally acquired the club captaincy at the tender age of 21.

However, Wilshere’s new contract still stimulates a growing sense of risk in amongst the obvious reward. A question mark still hangs over his long-term fitness as he gradually claws his way back to the sensational standards he set almost two years ago. Likewise, stories of late night antics – regardless of their accuracy – threaten the illustrious career waiting patiently before him.

It’s worth deliberating whether his blind loyalty to the club will come back to haunt him further down the line. He was incredibly eager to sacrifice a greater chance of silverware elsewhere, when few fans could have protested if he had postponed negotiations until the end of the season. Only time will tell whether he was right to place his trust in Wenger, when so many around him appear to have lost faith altogether.

Arsenal have effectively assigned £70million to secure the futures of five young players, a bold move considering the club has recently been criticised for harbouring a rapidly inflating wage bill. However, I can’t imagine any of these individuals attempted to hold the club to ransom with their demands, unlike a certain other young English talent.

It will be interesting to monitor how these deals impinge on Theo Walcott’s current ‘limbo’ status. Is this the evidence of ambition he was looking for? Will the commitment of The Ox deter his willingness to sign or will he feel compelled to join this patriotic nucleus at the heart of the team? Negotiations have apparently resumed, but he has little excuse not to push a deal through before the uncertainty of January sends the tabloids into meltdown.

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Speaking of January, Wilshere’s decision to reaffirm his position at the club can only improve the magnetism for potential transfer targets. The gifted array of English starlets will surely be inspired by Wenger’s display of affection towards his young stars, which may just prove vital in the pursuit of Wilfried Zaha.

Perhaps this announcement highlights Wenger’s acknowledgment that his stubborn nature has cost Arsenal dear in recent years and more importantly, that he is keen to reverse their ailing fortunes while his reputation remains intact. Chief executive, Ivan Gazidis has insisted there is money to spend in the New Year and in many ways; the club is as appealing as it’s ever been.

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QPR’s search for a league win entered record territory as they drew with Wigan at the DW Stadium to leave Harry Redknapp still searching for his first victory as manager.

Swindon Town previously registered the longest winless start to a Premier League season in 1993-94 but that was surpassed by the R’s as they made it 16 games without success.

But a point earned on Latics soil is no easy feat and Redknapp will be glad to avoid defeat against Roberto Martinez’s side, who responded to Monday’s defeat at Newcastle with a much improved performance.

And they couldn’t have asked for a better start as they took the lead in the 19th minute courtesy of a stunning volley from James McCarthy. It came from a corner won by David Jones with a novel free kick routine that produced a fingertip save from Rob Green, and when Jamie Mackie failed to clear the resulting aerial delivery, McCarthy arrived to rifle the ball first time in to the far corner.

QPR are firmly under the Redknapp spell and they responded in style when Ryan Nelsen darted past Adriano Lopez in the penalty area to meet Adel Taarabt’s corner and thunder his header past Ali Al-Habsi at the near post.

Franco Di Santo could have put the hosts back in front but couldn’t take advantage of Clint Hill’s mistake just before half time. Green then made three important saves to deny McCarthy and Jordi Gomez twice in a matter of minutes after the break as the visitors found penned into their own half.

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So it was all the more surprising when Rangers snatched the lead with 20 minutes to go. Shaun Wright-Phillips took advantage of a sloppy pass from Lopez to tee up half time substitute Djibril Cisse, who expertly guided the ball past Al-Habsi from 12 yards.

But it lasted just three minutes as Jean Beausejour was allowed to find McCarthy in the area and the Scotland midfielder exploited the time and space afforded to control and fire the ball past Green.

Louis van Gaal’s management qualities have never been in doubt; a CV including spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and a Champions League-winning Ajax side speaks for itself.

If David Moyes’ fatal flaw was struggling to shoulder Manchester United’s monolithic weight as one of the largest clubs in world football, in sharp contrast, his successor has forged a career out of handling big egos and even bigger expectations.

But having never plied his trade in the Premier League before, you would be excused for holding reservations over a manager whose reputation as a borderline psychopath tends to precede him – and often takes precedent over his trophy-laden managerial record.

Hence, the World Cup in Brazil is seen by many as the ideal opportunity for LVG to showcase his abilities with the Netherlands, before taking over official duties at Old Trafford. Thus far, the account van Gaal has given suggests he possesses all the right qualities to bring success back to Manchester United.

During Oranje’s opening World Cup fixture for example, a surprise 5-1 victory over Spain that will likely be remembered as the match of the tournament, LVG demonstrated a  mixture of tactical astuteness and ambition that Moyes decisively lacked last season.

La Roja enthusiasts will argue a subsequent 2-0 defeat to Chile suggested Vincente del Bosque’s men entered Brazil 2014 intrinsically flawed, caught between the tica-taca philosophy of the old guard and the directness of inexperienced internationals breaking through, such as misfiring striker Diego Costa.

But in my opinion, Spain were ripped apart by simple yet precise and intentional direct passes. From the first minute to the last, the Netherlands knew that Spain’s arrogance in possession, pushing their defence up to the halfway line, would eventually cost them dearly. In other words, van Gaal had them sussed before a ball was struck and his game-plan proved true with tremendous effect.

Likewise, rather miraculously, making the right substitutions has become a major factor in Holland’s World Cup campaign. Interestingly, 29 of 154 goals scored in Brazil have come from the bench – an unusually high trend for an international tournament.

But in that regard, van Gaal’s Netherlands have been particularly proficient; the Dutch have recovered from 1-0 down to win on three occasions, with four of seven goals from their last three games coming via the bench. A unique phenomena of an incredibly unique World Cup, perhaps. Yet LVG’s ability to positively change a match in his favour should not be overlooked.

Furthermore, a major concern for Red Devils fans last season was their side’s lack of goals. 64 from 38 league fixtures is by no means disappointing, but compared to Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom finished up with over 100 goals each, it’s understandable how David Moyes quickly became viewed as a dangerously pessimistic manager.

Thus, Louis van Gaal will bring a return to more free-scoring traditions at Old Trafford. Not only were his Oranje outfit the top scorers in World Cup qualifiers, netting an outrageous 34 times in just ten matches, but they’ve also transitioned that proficiency into the World Cup. Their twelve goals from four matches is only rivalled by Colombia with eleven, whilst the rest of the pack, including hosts Brazil (9) lay some way behind.

A major factor in that goal-getting philosophy has been the form of Robin van Persie. In my opinion, another manager taking the Carrington helm could have soon resulted in the Dutchman’s departure – fitting him, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata into the same starting line-up is a disturbing conundrum yet to be solved; now 30 years of age, the former Arsenal star is by far the most expendable.

But if LVG can motivate the Oranje captain to maintain his World Cup form into next term, then issues of age or wage packages are relatively moot. The two have a unique bond, and the last time van Persie reached an equilibrium of fitness and form, he fired the Red Devils to their 13th Premier League title.

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But perhaps most importantly of all in regards to Manchester United – a club whose ethos was once immortalised by Alan Hansen’s ill-fated quip, ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ – van Gaal has constructed an impressive Netherlands side, despite lacking the quality of its many predecessors, centred around the ambition, fearlessness and energy of youth.

Just one player in the entire squad, Dirk Kuyt, is over the age of 30, whilst over half of the 23-man roster are 26 or under. Joel Veltman, Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Stefan de Vrij to name a few have all been given the opportunities to impress, and thus far have completely thrived.

Of course, international football is incredibly different to club football and the expectations of the Netherlands national team can’t be justifiably compared to that of the most dominant club in the Premier League era.

But thus far, van Gaal’s efforts at the World Cup, through his impetus on youth, ambitious philosophy and astuteness to tactical detail, suggest he is everything the Red Devils want and need in a manager. Should those three integral pillars of management style be transitioned into his Manchester United tenure, a club which has consistently championed the promotion of young players and an attacking mentality, it won’t be long before the Premier League title returns to Old Trafford.

Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes it was “pointless” to rest Tim Howard for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup clash with Leeds.

Southall, who holds the record number of consecutive league appearances, revealed he used to have arguments with his management if they ever attempted to leave him out of the side.

The Welshman’s record of 212 consecutive league appearances is being chased down by Everton’s current shot stopper Howard, who finds himself on 189, a run that stretches back to September 2007.

Southall told the Liverpool Echo: “I hated missing games. I used to have a row with Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall if they ever wanted to leave me out, because you’d lose a bit of momentum. I liked to stay in the zone.

“When I looked at the game against Leeds on TV I was looking to see if it was Tim playing, then thinking: ‘Why have they left him out?’ It’s pointless. Outfield players I can understand, but once a goalkeeper gets in that groove you want to leave him in there.

“If you’re No. 1, you’re No. 1 and it’s up to you to play yourself out of that position. I hated missing any game, even a Simod Cup tie against Millwall with 3,000 inside Goodison because I was looking forward to playing in a young team. I think Howard Kendall left me out because he didn’t want to be in the competition anyway!”

Southall was also full of praise for the man who could end up surpassing his record, claiming Howard has become a better goalkeeper since arriving at Goodison Park from Old Trafford.

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“Tim’s a good goalkeeper,” he continued. “His distribution could be better. Sometimes he kicks it too high and too far, which is okay when you’ve got Fellaini on the end of it but not always, but other than that he’s a very good keeper.

“I think he’s done well and he’s improved since he’s been at the club.”

West Brom continued their excellent start to the season after inflicting a fifth defeat in seven games on rock bottom QPR at the Hawthorns.

After receiving backing of owner Tony Fernandes in the wake of Monday’s home loss to West Ham United there was a feeling the luck of Mark Hughes and his players would change for the better in the Midlands.

Any hope of that happening was quickly snuffed out by a ruthless Albion side that capitalised on a customary defensive lapse to snatch a fifth minute lead. A swift counter attack caught the visitors off guard and James Morrison profited to head Shane Long’s cross past Julio Cesar.

Having taken just three points from a possible 48 since returning to the Premier League it was no surprise that the R’s fell further behind in the 22nd minute. Zoltan Gera was the man on hand to double the Baggies’ lead, taking advantage of Anton Ferdinand’s inability to clear a right-wing cross and steering the ball home from 12-yards.

That appeared to wake QPR up from their slumber enough to fashion a stunning riposte 10 minutes before half time. It was another one for the scrapbook for Adel Taraabt as he rifled a stunning volley past Ben Foster after controlling Esteban Granero’s lofted pass on his chest.

Taarabt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Granero all went close to an equaliser after the break but their hopes of salvaging a point were ended with Youssouf Mulumbu latching on to Gonzalo Jara’s pass and beat Cesar to wrap up another impressive win for Albion.

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The away side continued to press and still had time to peg the hosts back further courtesy of a sublime strike from Granero but remain rooted to the bottom as Steve Clarke’s men moved up to the heady heights of fourth.

There was a period after Everton’s opener, as the chaos that tends to follow goals descended, when one couldn’t help but wonder whether this would end in another Arsenal collapse. Yet this game will be remembered for it’s contrast with Arsenal’s 3-0 loss in the corresponding fixture last season. This time Arsenal came back. This time Arsenal had character. Here are the THREE things we learned from Everton v Arsenal:

Stones will have to wait his turn

Stones excelled when deputising for the injured Jagielka last term, so much so that many speculated as to whether he would keep his place in central defence. Martinez included Stones at right-back for their opening fixture but Coleman’s performance against Arsenal would suggest that Stones is going to have to be patient for his next run in the team.

Ozil can’t be trusted out wide

Mesut Ozil is no orthodox winger but can be effective out wide once he’s not expected to do too much defending. Why Wenger then chose to pick the German here when facing a marauding full-back in Coleman is unknown. It’s beginning to feel like the Arsenal is going to have to play the German in his favoured No. 10 role or not at all.

Giroud needs to start

Arsene Wenger cited ‘World Cup fatigue’ in his explanation of why he’d left Giroud on the bench again but this is a hard reason to accept when those, such as Mesut Ozil, who went further into the competition and are back in the starting line-up. Giroud may not be the striker that many Arsenal feel they need but he’s certainly the best one they’ve got.

Manchester United have insisted reports that Wayne Rooney has signed a record-breaking new contract with the club are premature, reports Sky Sports.

The Sun on Sunday newspaper reported that the England forward had signed a new four-and-a-half year deal worth a staggering £300,000 a week.

However, the club have stressed Rooney is yet to sign a new deal, reportedly worth £70million until the summer of 2018.

“There is no deal, which is why we haven’t announced it,” a United spokesman said.

Negotiations over a deal to keep Rooney at Old Trafford have been taking place for some time, and are believed to be ongoing.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from United since the end of last season, when former manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed he had handed in a transfer request.

He was heavily linked with a switch to Chelsea during the summer, and United’s struggles in the Premier League this season have seen his future questioned once again.

Journalist Charlie Wyatt – who wrote the Sun’s Rooney story – explained it further during an appearance on Sky Sports Sunday Supplement. 

“We are saying that he has not just agreed, but he has actually signed,” Wyett told the programme. “Obviously that has yet to be announced for Manchester United.

“I think he realises it is the best place for him still. I know others thought he might go to Chelsea or elsewhere, but I think (David) Moyes has had a series of meetings with him and convinced him to stay.

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“I think Rooney will be the next captain of Manchester United and I think that it is a boost for Moyes. He is obviously going through a difficult spell.”

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