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Preview - Nottingham Forest v Derby County
Preview - Nottingham Forest v Derby County
Friday, 20th Feb 2009 10:14

Could the long awaited league win be coming this Saturday?

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

Coca Cola Championship

1:00pm; 21st February 2009

The City Ground, Nottingham

 

The way some Derby fans are talking – and indeed Forest fans – Derby only have to turn up to win.

If you listen to Billy Davies, he seems to share the same opinion. Plus he seems to be rehashing his pre-match quotes from his time at Derby;

 

"We are trying to develop a winning side and, with all due respect, there are players in the side who should not be there. I can tell you, there will not be a number of these players in the side in the future. We have too many players who are looking for help and support and look to find that from the player beside them – and find a player who is young themselves.”

 

He then set out his plan for the rest of the season;

 

“We just need to finish fourth from bottom that is all we need to do. Then we can shape this club in the summer. We will make more phone calls before the weekend; we do have one or two irons in the fire. It was very unfortunate, what

happened during the January transfer window.”

 

He then lamented the loss of some his more talented players;

 

"The most important thing could be to get some of our injured players back in. Certainly, if we could get Earnshaw and Anderson back it would only help."

 

Nobody, least of all Nigel Clough should be taken in by all of this. The fact is Forest are a better side than their position in the table would indicate. Both games at Pride Park were close run things and if Forest had managed a third goal our comeback would probably not have happened.

 

Nor are all the Forest players young lads picked up off local parks. Nathan Tyson and Lewis McGugan are both excellent players and Tyson in particular has the pace to cause any defence problems.

 

Plus a local Derby is a great leveler. As one fans said replying to a Forest fan on a message board;

 

“Personally if you played your under 15's and we were top of the prem I'd still be worried, can never relax playing your lot home or away. Every minute of every one of these games is so tense. Even when we have the ball in your half I'm panicking about giving it away and you getting us on the break!”

 

Robert Earnshaw, Paul Anderson, Guy Moussi and Julian Bennett are all injured although Moussi may make the bench.

 

Forest statistics 

 

No.  Position Player 
1  GK Paul Smith 
2  DF Kelvin Wilson 
3  DF Joel Lynch (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) 
4  DF Luke Chambers 
5  DF Wes Morgan 
6  DF Ian Breckin 
7  MF James Perch (Team Captain) 
8  MF Lewis McGugan 
9  FW Nathan Tyson 
10  FW Robert Earnshaw 
11  MF Paul Anderson (on loan from Liverpool) 
12  FW Garath McCleary 
14  MF Arron Davies 
15  MF Chris Cohen 
16  FW Joe Garner 
19  MF Guy Moussi 
24  MF Mark Byrne 
25  DF Richard Tait 
26  MF Matt Thornhill 
27  DF Brendan Moloney 
28  FW Emile Sinclair 
29  DF Julian Bennett 
31  GK Paddy Gamble 
32  DF Hamza Bencherif 
33  MF Liam Hook 
34  MF Reece Staples 
35  DF Jason Lipscombe 
36  DF Joe Heath 
37  FW Adam Newbold 
38  FW Mickael Darnet 
41  MF James Reid 
42  FW Ryan Whitehurst 
45  DF Aaron Mitchell 
 
 
Last 5 …
Cardiff 2-0 Notts Forest
Notts Forest 2-3 Derby County
Notts Forest 2-2 QPR
Birmingham 2-0 Notts Forest
Ipswich 2-1 Notts Forest 
 
 
Leading scorers
Earnshaw 6 lg 5 cup
Tyson 5 lg 2 cup
Garner 5 lg 1 cup
 
 
Games since...
Clean sheet 7
Goal 0
Loss 0
No score draw 13
Score draw 3 
Win 6
 

The Rams 

 

A 4-1 home win – you’d think the manager would be happy. Not Nigel Clough;

 

"That is probably the poorest we have played in some ways in the last few weeks but the goals lit up the evening and it was a workmanlike performance."

 

Clough is right. Apart from Kris Commons, many of the players were below par and losing Miles Addison and a resurgent Gary Teale early on was a blow.

 

That said, the player showed resilience and Blackpool are no pushovers. They have won 5 times away from home this season. As Blackpool manager Tony Parkes said;

 

“It was a great strike from the lad (Commons), quality. He had a hand in every goal but I don't think there was a big difference between the teams.”

 

Two late goals gave the scoreline a flattering edge but there’s no doubt the Rams were worthy winners overall.

 

The injuries to Addison and Teale are a blow. Teale may be fit but Addison is definitely out. Lewin Nyatanga seems the ideal candidate to replace him but Nigel Clough may want to consider Jay McEveley at centre half.

 

We have plenty of options to replace Teale if he doesn’t come through.

  

Mick’s Team: Bywater, Stewart, Albrechtsen, McEveley, Connolly, Green, Barazite, Savage, Sterjovski, Commons, Hulse

 

What the Bookies think

 

Forest are 5/4 favourites for this game while William Hill has the Rams at 9/5. The draw is 21/10. Rob Earnshaw and Nathan Tyson are at 5 and 6 to 4 respectively suggesting William Hill don’t believe the injury reports.

 

Rob Hulse is at 2/1 for the Rams as are Nathan Ellington and Kris Commons. Gary Teale is at 11/2

 

Information for travelling fans 

 

Driving: Take Brian Clough Way (the A52) towards Nottingham. Stay on the A52 into Nottingham following signs for Grantham until you see signs for A6011 into Nottingham – the ground is off the A6011. Better still – take the train. Some Forest fans report heavy handed tactics by the police towards unruly fans on the trains so take heed.

 

Parking: The best place to park is Victoria Embankment near the cricket ground. Footballgroundguide.com reports it as costing £3. There is street parking to be had around Trent Bridge but you need to get there early.

 

Drinking: It’s all home fans only around the ground though Rob Bristol, a Nott’s County fan informs us; “the Wheeler Bar on Meadow Lane will be open for all Derby County supporters at 10:30qm and there is parking for 150 cars at £3.”

 

Mick’s prediction

 

Loathe to predict these games. I don’t think I’ve felt lower in football than being 2-0 at the City Ground with the team seemingly in disarray. When we scored I turned to the bloke next to me and said that the next team to score will win this game.

 

Forest have a lot to prove and it could be they will be very quickly out of the traps. We need to show resilience and not buckle under the pressure and then we can get that long overdue League win to go with the cup win. 

  

Photo: Action Images



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