Joe Lolley interview on scapegoating footballers, finishing the season and Forest form

While the inactivity of the game itself continues and will do for the next month across Europe at least, it's been a big week of news in English football.

From Liverpool announcing that they would furlough staff only to reverse their decision after a backlash from fans, to FA chairman Greg Clarke claiming some lower league clubs are likely to go out of business. Meanwhile, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock accused Premier League players of not 'playing their part' in the Coronavirus crisis...

Having been negotiating a way to do so long before they were targeted, the vast majority of England's top-flight pros announced their participation in the #PlayersTogether campaign, making contributions to the NHS through it's official charities partner.

One player that has never been afraid to speak his mind on hot topics of the time is Nottingham Forest winger Joe Lolley, who we reached out to to discuss his thoughts on all manner of subjects.

As well as discussing all things Forest, Lolley revealed his thoughts as to the potential culmination of the current campaign, career as a footballer to date and, firstly, members of the government's scapegoating of the profession.

"Well, I’d like to say that I have no problem with footballers, especially in the top few leagues who are earning good money, to be asked to help play their part", Lolley states. "I think what grates is that there has been no demand and call for any other high earners to help out where they can, there’s no government call out to those who aren’t paying fair shares of tax, earning way beyond what footballers do."

"The idea of a pay cut, seems to make little financial sense from a tax point of view so suddenly, and the point he (Hancock) made just seemed an easy point scoring exercise to try and deflect attention rather than a credible idea about how we can all contribute to those who need it the most."

It's true that players are often easy targets due to the money they earn but most do a great deal of community work and make charitable donations of all kinds. They are just people after all, and Lolley in particular was only playing semi-professional in his early twenties. His path that has led all the way up to the Premier League and becoming a firm fan favourite since moving to Forest hasn't been as smooth as many.

An Aston Villa fan released by Birmingham as a schoolboy, he has gone on to score against both, picking a memorable performance in a 5-5 draw at Villa Park as the sweeter moment. 

"I enjoy the sort of villain aspect I have against Blues (Birmingham) whatever the result, it’s sort of fun but harmless really. I think the Villa one is more special because of it being a place where I used to watch football growing up, dreaming of playing on that pitch."

Before all that he was scoring goals for fun when Kidderminster Harriers picked him up from Littleton in 2013, and didn't take long to make a big impression. Interest mounted quickly, with Huddersfield ultimately rewarded for acting on it the fastest.

"I think it (the interest) had gone on a while. I think after I played my second game, the club sat me down and told me I needed an agent because of the amount of calls they were getting. That was the shocking part!" 

"There were a few clubs that came in towards the end but I’d already committed myself to Huddersfield and didn’t feel right to turn back as they were the first team who moved on their interest."

Having helped the Terriers to a Premier League promotion  against the odds to reach the top of the game, Lolley still understands the lower league structure and also fears for clubs such as those that first gave him his chance in the game.

"It’s difficult because every club is going through different things themselves and making losses they wouldn’t expect to be making," he states. "I think there has to be some way in which funds are relocated from the top and into clubs more likely to struggle significantly lower down the pyramid."

This season Lolley finds himself at another that is pushing for promotion from the second tier via a play-off spot at the least, and in that sense is directly effected by the huge decisions still to be made as to the culmination of the 2019/20 campaign.

"It's been a good season collectively, and individually, I think I started the season slow for various reasons but picked up around November time really and have felt good since. Hopefully we get the chance to finish the season!"

On the subject of his own performances, as a long-term follower of WhoScored.com we asked Lolley to guess his top rated matches this season, both with and without registering on the scoresheet. 

"I Imagine Birmingham at the start of the season would be up there (top rated at 9.23), oh, and Luton (second at 9.04).

"Without a goal, maybe a game with an assist.. Leeds at home (third highest at 8.16)? Cardiff at home I probably played as well as I could have without scoring or assisting so that should be high (second highest without a goal or assist at 7.67)."

He also named four of his five statistical strengths (dribbling, key passes, long shots and taking set pieces, missing out holding onto the ball), so there's clearly one player in agreement with our analysis!

On a serious note, given Forest's current standing in the table, occupying a play-off spot, Lolley's desire for the season to run its course in one way or another is understandable and unsurprising, but only once it is feasible to do so.

"I think closing the season in the safest way possible once it’s deemed right to do so is the fairest way for me personally. I understand playing behind close doors isn’t ‘football’ but this is a very one off situation."

There have been many suggestions put forward as to the best course of action, and the 27-year-old admits "obviously thoughts drift to what’s going to happen," but he tries not to think about it too much. "Everything seems so unclear that it’s not worth thinking about as anything could happen." 

"I realise the difficulty across the board to make the right decision and of course there’s player contracts etc, but I’d still push for the season finishing however long it takes. It just seems fair in that respect. Rules can always change for upcoming seasons to make it shorter or change the dates in which the season is played leading up to the 2022 World Cup, so there are plenty options."

Regardless of the decisions that are made out of the club's control, however, Lolley is very optimistic as to the footing with which a fallen giant of the English game now finds itself. There is a big squad at Forest, with a Potuguese influence in particular, but the winger insists it's a tight group and competition for places can only be healthy.

"Everyone gets on with everyone. There are no cliques or groups of people separated despite the numerous nationalities so it’s a good group! 

"I think it’s always disappointing if you don’t play when you feel like you should be or can play but football is a demanding game and teams have squads for a reason. It’s not easy playing every minute of a game, I think even more so as an attacking player when a lot of performance depends on sharpness."

The club's results, losing just nine of 37 league games all season, would certainly suggest that Sabri Lamouchi has got the balance right in terms of squad rotation and Lolley is full of praise for the Frenchman.

"He (Lamouchi) has been really good and a calming presence, which I think has been needed at the club. I’ve played under a few managers now and everyone has been different in terms of the way they do things. I think we are probably the best team I’ve been in from a counter attacking perspective, as well as controlling the game from behind the ball."

Lamouchi's success and popularity within the squad is set to see the former Rennes boss become the first Forest manager to complete an entire season in charge since way back in 2011. There is no doubt in Lolley's mind that that sense of stability is reaping rewards.

"From a human perspective, he’s a very good man manager. He treats his players and staff with a lot of respect and allows players to make decisions with their bodies. For example, at times if we feel we need an extra day to recover with physios rather than train, he'll allow us to make that decision, which isn’t that common."

Recovery is of course no concern right now, although player fitness will be at the forefront of managers' thinking across the globe for when football does finally return. In Joe Lolley's mind, as long as it's safe to do so, playing out the remainder of the current season is the only reasonable outcome. The straight-talking Forest star wants and deserves another shot at the big time, of that there is no doubt.