By Laith Gibani
May 16 2004

With the boss seemingly confident that we can make a promotion push next season, It got me thinking; What’s the difference between a player seemingly too good for Division One and a player who can succeed in the Premiership? The obvious example here is a certain Andy Reid, Forest’s player of the season. Despite a slow start to his career (lets not forget he was almost thrown on the scrap heap with Keith Foy), Reidy exploded on to the scene with two seasons of memorable performances and of course, some magnificent goals. His pace and ability with the ball have earned him many admirers in the football world, which has coincided with his recent inclusions in the Ireland squad.
Reid seems likely to join up with the elite this summer, with Tottenham the favourites to snap up the Irish international. But will he be able to hack it? The evidence so far suggests he will, so long as he joins a club that will play him in position. The direct style that dominates the premiership should ensure that our Reidy will soon become a star.

David Johnson is arguably the best striker in Division One, but does that necessarily mean he could do the business for Forest against tougher opposition? Loved by the fans for his commitment and goal scoring ability, it would be hard to find a supporter who would want him to leave the City Ground. There is no doubt about his ability at Division One level, as his spells at Ipswich, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and of course for Forest have proven. Some doubts over his ability at Premiership level may have been cast following his sale to the City Ground all those years ago having failed to establish himself in the Ipswich side that finished 7th on their return to the top flight. Not that you will see many Forest fans complaining, as Ipswich’s loss was our gain (despite a slow start to his Forest career). David Johnson is a classic example of a natural goalscorer, who always seems to find himself at the right place at the right time. He’s also capable of the spectacular as indicated most recently by the last minute strike against West Brom. His love for the club cannot be questioned, judging by the tears after our play off defeat. DJ is quite simply a legend, and a pleasure to watch.

The player who seems to have improved the most since the arrival of Joe Kinnear is Gareth Williams. I will openly admit, following the poor 3-1 defeat against Crewe at the start of the season, I left Gresty Road cursing the lack of commitment of Williams, who had effectively handed the game to Crewe. His agent said that he didn’t want to be here and was talking of moves to Spurs or Rangers. This didn’t make Gaz the most popular player at the club, and many fans turned on him for his lack of commitment for the cause. However since the arrival of Kinnear it became evident that Williams was a victim of Paul Hart’s tactical naivety. Joe has allowed Gaz a more attacking role, and we have reaped the benefits, with him finally looking like the exciting player we had all hoped he would become. And with his newfound form has come some newfound commitment. It would benefit Williams as a player if he signs a new contract with Forest, simply to prove to the fans and to himself that he can show some consistency and prove himself as a quality player at this level, before attempting the step up to bigger and better things. And who’s to say he can’t achieve that at Forest?

Joe Kinnear has stated his intention to build his new look Forest side around highly rated defender Michael Dawson, which is a good indication as to how important he is to the team. Dawson seems to have all the attributes of a future international – he’s tall, can head the ball and oozes confidence at the back. He even pops up with a goal from time to time! It’s no surprise that the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa have shown an interest. As long as we can keep the likes of Dawson at the club, along with another great looking prospect in Wes Morgan, the future looks bright for Forest.