Nottingham Forest Reaction: Coyle pleased with performance
Last updated : 01 September 2013 By Paul Farrington
Particularly telling was Coyle's decision to stick with the tried and trusted. Against Middlesbrough four of the starting line up were with the club last season but the starting eleven against Forest contained seven familiar names.
It showed on the pitch as Maloney's central position complimented the dangerous Fortune and the dynamic duo were ably supporting by a classy midfield of Watson, Gomez, McCarthy, and Espinoza.
After a shaky home start it was pleasing to see the team operating as a unit, particularly at the end of the first half when the standard of the football left Forest chasing shadows.
Perhaps unsuprising then that Coyle was so pleased with the performance of his side. He told the club's official website: “Our group is still in its infancy and we’ve come up against a team who took all before them last season and were top of the table at the start of the day with an unbeaten record.
“So we gave them the respect they deserved but at the same time knew we had to apply ourselves in the right manner to win the game, and that’s just what we did.
“What was particularly pleasing was the range of qualities we showed throughout the course of the game; there was swagger and arrogance in how we moved the ball around in possession, a great reaction to the early setback from both the players and the fans, and then the determination to fend away what they threw at us in the second half.
“Towards the end of the game they bombarded us with some high balls but the defence were superb and saw away the danger time and again, so much so that Scott Carson barely had a save to make.”
The Latics go into the international break on the back of a very positive result that will give a much more pleasant feel around the club.
