Hartless Forest look for new manager

Last updated : 08 February 2004 By Tony Scholes

Forest reached the play offs last season as they benefited from the goalscoring of both former Burnley loan player David Johnson and Marlon Harewood and it looked as though, despite losing some players during the summer, it would be another promotion chase this season.

That was certainly the case when they arrived at the Turf in mid-September and won 3-0 to go second in the league but despite their performance that night part of the damage had already been done. Just a few days before Johnno suffered a broken leg.

His replacement at Burnley was another former Claret Gareth Taylor who scored their third goal on his full debut but he has scored only one goal since.

Marlon Harewood was still scoring but was then transferred to West Ham whilst Hart signed Marlon King from Gillingham and he has scored just once and that from the penalty spot.

The new striker partnership hasn’t worked and Taylor was left out this weekend with loanee Michael Chopra from Newcastle making a debut but they still failed to score.

Forest have failed to score a single goal in their last seven league games and have recorded just two in their last ten outings. From second in the league they now find themselves alongside BRBC and Franchise in the bottom three, the only two sides they have beaten since that Turf Moor night.

Pressure has been mounting on Hart from the fans who are unhappy with the signings of Taylor and Hart and also the loan capture of Michael Stewart who cannot win a place. The manager who seems to have the knack of bringing youngsters through has it seems got it horribly wrong in the transfer market and that has cost him his job.

Rumours are that Glenn Hoddle will be installed with a back up team of John Gorman and Eileen Drewery whilst Hart, recently being tipped for Premiership jobs now finds himself out of work.