On Sunday, following a fifth defeat in their last six games, Nottingham Forest parted ways with manager Dougie Freedman, their ex-striker who had been in the job for only 13 months.
Forest owner Fawaz al Hasawi said that the sacking of Freedman, who was the eighth manager to work for the Kuwaiti owners since they took stewardship of the club, was a necessary measure to stop the club sliding ever-perilously closer to a relegation battle.
At the moment, ahead of tonight’s visit to Hull City’s KC Stadium, Forest find themselves in 14th position but, in a tightly packed Championship table, find themselves only nine points away from the last of the relegation places.
Speaking to BBC East MIdlands Today programme al Hasawi said that with the club slipping ever-closer towards a relegation battle, he had no choice but to cut Freedman loose. Speaking on the matter, the Forest owner said, “I want stability but I want to win games and don’t want to go to the relegation zone. We are in a very difficult position – nine points from relegation – and we have to do some changes.”
Al Hawasi has come in for criticism for the way that they have run the club recently and defended himself by saying on Twitter, “I made the commitment to leave my country, my family & my home to put this club back where it belongs. Don’t believe the hype’! DEFLECTION”.
Accusing the criticism of deflecting attention away from the positives he brings to the club, al Hasawi said more recently, with the sacking of Freedman, that he understand the criticism and feels their pain. On Twitter yesterday he tweeted,
I love Nottingham Forest , and I consider myself one of the fans , I don't blame them for what they saying cuz I feel the same #nffc
— @FAWAZ_ALHASAWI (@fawaz_alhasawi1) March 14, 2016
The reaction to this tweet was mixed from Forest fans but in the BBC Midlands Today programme, Fawaz al Hasawi admitted that the constant griping and criticism was getting to him somewhat. On this subject, the Forest owner stated, “I don’t want to sell and walk away, but if it carries on in the same thing as this, maybe I might do.
Developing this a little further, al Hasawi added, “If people are pushing and always negative, and there is no appreciation, why should I continue? Maybe there are some people better than me and I am doing it wrong. If there is somebody who wants to buy the club and gives me the right money, maybe I do so.”
