3 hours ago
3
This is the price of instability. Nottingham Forest look lost, and another abrupt change of direction might serve to make matters worse before they find a way out of a maze they have created for themselves.
Bournemouth dominated for 45 minutes, led 2-0 at the interval and cruised through the second half.
The first goal was scored direct from a corner when a goal kick should have been awarded but make no mistake, Forest were flattered by the scoreline.
Up front, they made nothing stick to relieve the pressure, they won little in midfield and did little to resist at the back.
They improved in the second half without looking like getting anything from the game and are now winless in eight Premier League games...
Where's the confidence gone?
It reeks of lost confidence. The poor start compounded by the upheaval behind the scenes and the extra demands of European football and a team as secure as any last season suddenly look very fragile.
Marcus Tavernier scored the opener direct from a corner which should have been a goal kick. Matz Sels flapped at it under pressure from Tyler Adams, but the goal made it through VAR checks and it was fair reward for Bournemouth’s excellent start.
Sels was beaten from 30 yards for the second. Adams won the ball in midfield, referee Sam Barrott played a good advantage and Junior Kroupi scored his fourth goal in three games, slammed in low as Nikola Milenkovic backed off and invited him to try his luck from 30 yards.
Forest keeper Mat Sels is helpless as Marcus Tavernier's corner goes straight in for 1-0
Junior Kroupi celebrates scoring Bournemouth's second shortly before half-time
Sean Dyche rallies his troops but his first Premier League game as Forest boss ends in defeat
Forest of Dyche
Sean Dyche fumed and was shown a yellow card for airing his grievances once too often.
The new Forest boss made only one change from Thursday’s win against Porto, bringing in Nicolo Savona who did a reasonable job of nullifying the threat of Antoine Semenyo.
Perhaps he wanted to settle a team that has chopped and changed under Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou, but Bournemouth, fresh and bristling with energy, overwhelmed the visitors in the first half. Too quick, too strong, too purposeful.
Forest made three changes during half-time and returned with all the hallmarks of a team who had been on the receiving end of a verbal rocket. Ryan Yates added much needed bite in the centre and Taiwo Awoniyi was more effective up front.
They got Morgan Gibbs-White onto the ball in more advanced areas and yet did not extend Djorde Petrovic until a swerving effort by Gibbs-White from just outside the penalty box in the 77th minute.
Bournemouth never looked like relinquishing their lead after half-time and are now second
Ballon d’Orset
Bournemouth have troubled better teams than Forest and will continue to do so if Andoni Iraola can keep key players fit. They have lost only once and that was at Liverpool in a six-goal thriller on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Once ahead, they did not look like taking anything less than three points. The second half was a more even contest, but Iraola’s team let Forest make the running and sought to pick their opportunities on the break which they did without maximising them.
Perhaps it shows a mature dimension to this exciting team now sitting second in the Premier League after nine games and singing about the Champions League, dreaming the dreams Nottingham Forest were dreaming a year ago.
