MENTALLY speaking, a move to Nottingham Forest could be perfect for Danny Graham.More significantly for us, it could be an outstanding capture for the club.The striker will be in a difficult place right now. I know, because I have been there myself.He is paid to score goals and, for the past year, he has not done it. He will not feel as though he is earning his corn.His confidence will be in short supply. He will be feeling low.His lack of goals will be very much playing on his mind.It can consume you; take over your life. When I went through my famine, at Manchester United, it was hard to get it out of your mind.But none of that makes him a bad player; it certainly wouldnt make him a bad signing.Far from it. He has had a tough year. It did not work out for him at Sunderland and things have not gone well for him at Hull, during his loan spell this season.The one goal he has scored in the past 12 months is testimony to that.But he would still be an outstanding signing for Forest – if they can persuade him to drop to Championship level.Because, while he may feel responsible for his lack of goals, the truth is, it probably isnt all down to him.And, when you analyse the situation, you cant help but feel that a move to Forest would, potentially, work out on many different levels.Let me explain my thinking.At Swansea, where Graham made his name as a player, he did often play as a lone striker. But he had the likes of Scott Sinclair, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer supporting him in wide positions.The way the Welsh side played suited him, because they were willing to commit men to the attack, to give Graham plenty of support. As a result, they created a host of chances – and he put a large number of them away.Even the best striker in the world cannot function, cannot do his job, if he does not find himself with the opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net.He did it at Watford as well, where he plundered 27 goals in his last season in the Championship.He has proved, in the past, that when he is given the ammunition, he puts the ball in the back of the net.At Sunderland, he played as a lone striker again. But, this time, there was a crucial difference.They were a side that was often on the back foot, who were scrapping for points and playing more defensively.I saw some of the games he played in and, rather than being a fluid side who supported him in attack, Graham was too often an isolated figure.It was easy to blame him for not scoring goals but, in truth, was it really his fault?He has to take some responsibility of course. But, overall, I would say it was not just down to him. Few chances will always equal few goals.Graham went from playing in a Swansea side with plenty of attacking ambition, to a Black Cats team that was battling.Being farmed out on loan to Hull will not have helped his confidence and, once he struggled for goals again, it will have been a downward spiral.Now the fact that the Tigers are, it seems, willing to offload him from his loan deal there will hardly help his self belief.But a move to Forest could be perfect for everyone.Because, like Swansea, while Billy Davies side play with only one striker, they have a hugely attacking midfield.Andy Reid, Jamie Paterson, Jamie Mackie, Henri Lansbury, David Vaughan, Djamel Abdoun, Radi Majewski – all are players who are more than happy to get forward and attack; who are most comfortable in the final third.Forest create a host of chances and, without being overly critical of anyone, their failure to put them away has ensured too many games have been draws when they might have been wins.This is why they are in fifth place now, rather than challenging for the top two.Even on Saturday, when Blackburn were hammered 4-1, Simon Cox missed two simple chances.He wasnt the first Forest player guilty of that in recent months and he certainly wont be the last.But my point is that if you have a fit, confident Graham in the Forest side, could it not make a difference?Yes, we are talking about a player who has not scored enough over the past year; who has had a difficult 12 months.But, forget that and remember what a player he was in a side that plays with confidence; that creates chances.When it comes to that, Forest are more like the Swansea and Watford sides that Graham previously flourished in than they are Sunderland or Hull.As I said, he will be in a difficult place right now, mentally speaking.But stick him in that Forest side, give him a game or two to find his sharpness and Ill wager that he will get goals.And, once the goals come back, so will his confidence. It could be a move that has the potential to transform his career.More significantly, in these parts, it could be a move that transforms Forest from top six contenders, to a team with the potential to challenge for automatic promotion.Read more: nottinghampost/Garry-Birtles-Danny-Graham-Nottingham-Forest/story-20483453-detail/story.html#ixzz2rCuGgtwz
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 08:13:15 +0000
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