Chris Wood reacts after a missed chance against Australia last month. Photo / Photosport
All Whites striker Chris Wood is staying positive about his club situation, believing that a turnaround is imminent at Nottingham Forest.
Given the upheaval at the City Ground over the past five weeks, that’s an admirable but understandable show of faith.
Forest were the talk of England last season, taking on the heavyweights and spending much of the campaign inside the top four, eventually finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe.
Things have changed markedly since, prompted by the surprise dismissal of manager Nuno Espirito Santo last month, replaced by Australian Ange Postecoglou.
It’s been a tough period for the former Socceroos and Spurs boss Postecoglou, who has a completely different footballing philosophy to the Portuguese. He has yet to win a match – with five defeats and two draws– while Forest are 17th, just a point above the relegation zone. But Wood remains confident they can turn a corner.
“It’s never a straight line in the footballing world,” Wood said on Monday.
“You always have your little dips in games and situations in football in the season. Unfortunately we’re just in one at the moment but we’ve got to stick together, believe and grind it out. The most important thing is believing in what the manager has in front of us and wants us to do. That’s what we need to take on board, which we are.”
Postecoglou has tried to move Forest away from the low block, counter-attacking style under Nuno to more possession and a higher defensive line. That must have had implications for Wood – who was in career-best form under the Portuguese – but he is typically pragmatic.
“Nothing’s really changed for me personally in the team,” said Wood. “[A] new manager brings new ideas. He’s a different manager to Nuno, has a different belief and he’s trying to get that through to the boys. We’ve done well in some games, done not so well in other parts of the games but I’m sure when we put it all together we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
Postecoglou is expected to be given more time but names have already been linked with the position should the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, decide to change, including former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche. It’s a difficult time, which means the current international window – with the All Whites to face Norway on Wednesday (5am NZT) might have come at an opportune time, away from the constant headlines and speculation.
“Potentially, who knows, really,” Wood said. “You always want to, after a defeat, get back out there and play another game. But yeah, it might have been good just for a change of environment and then come back ready to fire against Chelsea on the weekend [Sunday 12.30am NZT].”
It’s also nothing new for Wood, after 15 years in England. He has faced plenty of internal and external pressure before – particularly at Burnley and Leeds – and knows it is part of the sport. Wood is expected to start against Norway, after being restricted to 10 minutes off the bench in Friday’s 1-0 loss in Poland. It will be a special match, as the 33-year-old will draw level will Ivan Vicelich’s record mark of 88 “A” internationals.
“It’s a great occasion to say that I’ve been able to join Ivan on that number,” Wood said. “And all going well, it will happen. So I can’t wait for that, but also I can’t wait to put in a good performance to continue to build towards the World Cup.”
Incremental improvements have been the buzzword for this team, since they qualified for the North America showpiece last March. Much of that centres around their work in the final third and making the most of having a figure like Wood. They also need to strike the right balance between keeping possession and recycling and being quick to play forward, through the lines, when the need arises.
“There’s been some good changes of mentality and we’re starting to play a little bit more direct at times,” Bazeley said.
World No 31-ranked Norway are a tough proposition – especially at home – though the All Whites won’t have to face Erling Haaland, with the superstar striker one of five players released back to their clubs after their 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel.
Haaland, who has scored 46 goals in 51 internationals, along with a staggering 94 goals in 104 Premier League matches for Manchester City, is a significant absence, along with Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth.
“Obviously, he’s a very good player for them, so it’s probably a good thing for us, said Bazeley. “But they’re still a very good team.”
There will be a few personnel changes from the 1-0 loss to Poland. Centre back Tyler Bindon and midfielder Joe Bell should be back, providing Bell has recovered from the muscle tightness that saw him sidelined last Friday. Bazeley could also rotate his goalkeepers and tinker with the wide attacking players.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.