Nottingham Forest (A) - Tue 14th Jan 2025 (8:00pm)

[Trumo]

The only side we’ve suffered a reverse against in the league under Slot to date, in a match that’s live on TNT Sports.

 

Forest have emerged as the surprise team in the league this season under Nuno Holy Spirit, demonstrating a solidity combined with some highly efficient finishing, very reminiscent of their local rivals’ run to the title in 2016. Espirito Santo’s methods have always been about prioritising defensive solidity and relying on the counter attack, so his Forest team isn’t one to look to dominate possession. They’ve been on a great run recently and find themselves well inside the Champions League places. It must be asked though: are they overperforming on things like xG for and especially against? Is this run of results who they are or is this a purple patch?

 

Attack-wise, the trio of Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White and Elanga have been crucial to their counter-attacking ploy, with their pace and skill ideally suited to making maximum impact when they break on teams. Up front, Wood is having a Vardy-like season and is up there with the most in-form players in the league. In midfield, Anderson is building a reputation as one of the league's best young players this season. I hadn't even heard of him until I read that he'd been signed for over £30m from the Geordies/Saudis, with Forest selling Newcastle their reserve goalkeeper for a hefty sum in one of those obvious PSR scams that the PL really needs to clamp down on. Defensively, both full backs Williams and Aina are high energy and love to get forward when they can. Centre back pairing Murillo and Milenkovic along with goalkeeper Sels have been instrumental in the side racking up clean sheets.

 

Our home fixture against Forest was arguably our worst display of the season, especially after we fell behind. We didn’t look like we knew how to break them down, or had any belief that we could do so. That must absolutely be addressed by taking this game to them and being ultra-efficient with our opportunities. We have the tools to get the better of them, but one consideration is whether we should play more cautiously ourselves and ask them to take the game to us. From what I’ve seen of them, that’s not what Forest are set up for. In terms of availability, everyone bar Joe should be available and as many were rested against Accrington, you would think that they’d be starting this one. They need to have fire in their bellies as we look to try and keep the likes of Arsenal at bay and extend our lead at the top.

 

How have our previous managers got on in their first away fixture against Forest? It's not a great record at a venue where I’ve rarely seen us win. Darwin’s last-gasp winner last season is our only league win there in living memory for me. The year before, we beat a promotion-chasing Forest side in the FA Cup quarter final thanks to a solitary goal from Diogo. Even in the pre-PL era, we would scrape a draw at best against a Forest side usually bumming around in 6th with bang-average players like Gary Crosby and Franz Carr. Mind you, looking back we had a bang-average defence in those years under Kenny when our attack and midfield were strong enough to see us challenge for (and regularly win) the league. Brucie was his usual mix of sublime and ridiculous in goal, and the likes of Ablett, Nicol, Gillespie, Hysen, Venison and Burrows seemed to take it in turns to make defensive mistakes. Then there’s the fact that Forest spent a couple of decades outside the top flight at the turn of the millennium.

 

Souness...16/08/1992...Forest 1-0 Liverpool

Evans...04/02/1995...Forest 1-1 Liverpool (Fowler)

Houllier...05/04/1999...Forest 2-2 Liverpool (Redknapp, Owen)

Benitez...N/A

Hodgson...N/A

Dalglish...N/A

Rodgers...N/A

Klopp...22/10/2022...Forest 1-0 Liverpool

 

I don't ask for much. Maximum motivation, control, application, attitude and concentration from minute one. 3 points please. Get it done!

[Creator Supreme]

The scabs look a much better side than Liverpool and I expect them to win handsomely.

[Anubis]

Just win.
 

Fuck these scab bastards.

[Mook]

This is an absolutely massive game.

 

A handsome win here would send out a big statement but I suspect it's going to be a very tight one. I'd start with Bradley, Szoboszlai & Jota.  Gakpo on the left & the rest of the team picks itself.

 

The idea of going a goal down here is not a pleasant one so let's avoid that at all fucking costs.

[LFC 6 Times]

Enormous game in the context of the season, have started dropping too many points here a win puts us right back on track.

 

Alisson, Bradley, Konate, VVD, Robbo, Grav, Dom, Maca, Mo, Diaz, Gakpo. 2-0 to us.

[whtwht]

20 minutes ago, Mook said:

This is an absolutely massive game.

 

A handsome win here would send out a big statement but I suspect it's going to be a very tight one. I'd start with Bradley, Szoboszlai & Jota.  Gakpo on the left & the rest of the team picks itself.

 

The idea of going a goal down here is not a pleasant one so let's avoid that at all fucking costs.

We've been pretty sound away from home. I agree let's score first and put the pressure on them and hit them on the counter.

[an tha]

We all hate scabs

And scabs and scabs

Scabs and scabs and scabs and scabs

Scabs and scabs and scabs and scabs

We all fucking hate scabs

[Scott_M]

It feels a big one on Tuesday.

 

1st v 3rd, the only team to beat us this season, we always struggle at Forest, we’ve not been at our best the last 2 games, some unhelpful outside noise…

 

It would be great to shut some of those doubts down and get back to the performance levels v Spurs & WHU.

 

A win here puts big pressure on Arsenal as well. I’d expect them to beat Spurs on Wednesday, however, us winning leaves them zero margin for error. 

Undoubtedly, we should play our 1st choice in this. Hopefully Slot is desperate to right that wrong from September.

 

Just fucking win.

 

[an tha]

Yeah it is a big game against a side high in confidence and in good form in front of what will be a rabid crowd at a ground we have always found it difficult to win at.

 

But if we turn up properly we win.......If of course can be a big word - but I expect us to be right at this....A statement win!

[JohnnyH]

I’m weirdly confident for this. I think we’re better against better teams that come out and play us. 

[Scott_M]

20 minutes ago, an tha said:

Yeah it is a big game against a side high in confidence and in good form in front of what will be a rabid crowd at a ground we have always found it difficult to win at.

 

But if we turn up properly we win.......If of course can be a big word - but I expect us to be right at this....A statement win!

Hopefully like Leicester on Boxing Day in 2019…. Best performance of the season, a handsome win, Trent MOTM & rifles in a 25 yarder and celebrates it properly. 

[TheDrowningMan]

I think it’s a must-win if we harbour serious title aspirations, but at the same time it’s difficult to see us getting anything from this on recent form. I foresee an ugly Forest win with Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City all also winning their own midweek fixtures.

[3 Stacks]

Might be the biggest game of all time.

[sir roger]

2 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

I think it’s a must-win if we harbour serious title aspirations, but at the same time it’s difficult to see us getting anything from this on recent form. I foresee an ugly Forest win with Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City all also winning their own midweek fixtures.

 

This is a turn up for the books.

 

 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

3 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

I think it’s a must-win if we harbour serious title aspirations, but at the same time it’s difficult to see us getting anything from this on recent form. I foresee an ugly Forest win with Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City all also winning their own midweek fixtures.

You need to fuck off and put all your efforts into whatever cunt team you support.

Happy New Year.

[niallers]

22 minutes ago, JohnnyH said:

I’m weirdly confident for this. I think we’re better against better teams that come out and play us. 

They won't bother their arses to come out and play against us. They had 45 % possession today against a bad championship side, and even though they made changes, they didn't and won't change the way they play.

It'll be low block and hit on the break, which is the type of game we've been worst at over the last few seasons.

We'll need to grind this one out in my opinion and if we concede first, it'll be even worse

 

[sir roger]

Nuno makes Dyche look like Postecoglou

[Scott_M]

40 minutes ago, JohnnyH said:

I’m weirdly confident for this. I think we’re better against better teams that come out and play us. 

The won’t come out and play. 

[Smell The Glove]

1 hour ago, 3 Stacks said:

Might be the biggest game of all time.

Litterally. Serious question, do you really care, genuinely, if we win or lose? You seem really interested in transfers and boardroom, but winning and losing, not so much.

[an tha]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

Hopefully like Leicester on Boxing Day in 2019…. Best performance of the season, a handsome win, Trent MOTM & rifles in a 25 yarder and celebrates it properly. 

Sold!

[Bjornebye]

Us beating these 5 nil in the late 80’s made Dr Dre support us. 

 

 

So you like Liverpool?

Yeah! They're the team I always look out for when I'm at home. Back in 1988 I was in London on a promotional tour with NWA, and one night we were watching TV and these cool cats in red came on the box. They whupped some poor dudes four or five zip.

Do you remember any of the players from last night?

John Barnes. He was bad. Kinda reminded me of Magic Johnson. I'm from LA and dig the Lakers, especially when Magic was there, and Barnes was like him, in that he made the ball talk. The cat was cool.

Did you ever hear him rap?

No, but if he rapped like he played, I might have signed him up...

[3 Stacks]

14 minutes ago, Smell The Glove said:

Litterally. Serious question, do you really care, genuinely, if we win or lose? You seem really interested in transfers and boardroom, but winning and losing, not so much.

I don't care if we win or lose, but I don't like to draw. You either win or lose in life. Ties are for weddings and business meetings.

[Smell The Glove]

10 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

I don't care if we win or lose, but I don't like to draw. You either win or lose in life. Ties are for weddings and business meetings.

So you do care if we win or lose. Thank fuck for that. You were getting close to being bracketed with the octogenarian fella on your continent with similar posting traits to yours.

 

[Bjornebye]

11 minutes ago, Smell The Glove said:

So you do care if we win or lose. Thank fuck for that. You were getting close to being bracketed with the octogenarian fella on your continent with similar posting traits to yours.

 

Howie? 

[Binomial]

Time to knock these pretenders down a peg or 2, they've had a good ride till now but their still just Forest.

 

Same team as Utd but Tsimi and Szobo keeping their places.