I visited the City Ground in Nottingham last June when England played Senegal. It’s a cracking old school arena right on the banks of the River Trent just over the road from the Cricket ground. It was a wonderful summer’s day and as we arrived about three hours before kickoff we had time for a leisurely stroll down the river and past Meadow Lane, home of Notts County who are apparently Britain’s oldest football club.
Nottingham is a fabulously historic footballing city of course. Forest have produced some wonderful talent down the years and their two league titles and European Cup success in quick succession under the great Brian Clough remains one of English football’s greatest tales.
Forest took a tumble in the later part of the 20th century suffering relegation right before the new millennium. But after 23 barren years in the wilderness, they returned to the land of milk and honey in 2022 via the playoffs under the irritatingly gormless Steve Cooper. I’m sure he’s a nice chap but he was a bit of an eyesore. Sorry Steve if your reading this (highly unlikely to be fair.)
In their first year back, they narrowly avoided relegation. You may remember they secured their survival on the penultimate week of that season, beating Arsenal 1-0 in a game which also ensured the title returned to City. Ouch.
There was more turmoil in 23/24 when Forest received a hefty eight point deduction for PSR breaches. It was probably deserved but it did beg the question, why they were being swiftly punished when Manchester City, who’s crimes were exponentially greater, seemed to be able to operate with the complete disregard for the rules despite the 115 “investigation”. Move along, nothing to see here!
Last term, Forest had far more joy as they finished 7th. Normally they would’ve qualified for the lowly UEFA Conference League but due to Crystal Palace being unable to compete in the Europa League because of ridiculous ownership rules (Lyon had also qualified and apparently their owner had shares in Lyon or something arbitrary like that) Forest were bumped up to the Europa League through no merit of their own. So much for meritocracy.
Things were looking up for Forest. After decades in the doldrums this sleeping giant seemed primed to return to where they “belonged.” But then, Edu Gaspar happened. Just three games into this season manager Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked probably because he didn’t want his sporting director to infest the dressing room with backhanders for his mates because that worked so well for Arsenal. It was either that or he called Evangelos Marinakis a Greek Susan Boyle.
So out went Nuno. And speaking of morbidly obese Greek weirdos, in came Ange Postecoglou. His short tenure was a disaster as funnily enough, playing an offside “trap” in your oppisition’s half doesn’t tend to yield the best results. Ange was given the chop after just eight games. He failed to win a single one. You can take the man out of Spurs but you can’t take Spurs out of the man.
Ange was replaced by the gravel muncher Sean Dyche. Forest currently sit in 17th albeit with a seven point cushion to West Ham who they beat in their last league game. They crashed out of the FA Cup last week on penalties to Wrexham so they can solely focus on survival. We can expect the deepest of deep blocks tomorrow so we will need to be at it.
Forest lost six players to AFCON although they now have Wily Boly and Sangare available again. Arteta as usual gave away no information regarding the fitness of Calafiori and Hincapie so who knows. Other than that, we have no fresh injury concerns. It will be interesting to see if Timber starts at left back again or if Arteta has enough confidence in Myles Lewis-Skelly to give him a rare start. Other than that, I am expecting a very similar side to the one that beat Chelsea. Hopefully Gyokeres can build on his goal and assist at the Bus stop and fire us to another win.
It’s the Manc Derby at lunchtime so let’s hope they can pull a rabbit out of the hat and do us a favour ahead of kickoff. Safe travels to those making the trip up to Notts and let’s bring home those three points.
2-0 to The Arse. COYG!
Cheers 21CG. Though my eyes are bleeding from seeing that kit again. :-).
We’ll have to drill through that block indeed, 2-0 sounds right. Or 3-0 perhaps.
Thanks 21st
I have a strong connection to Forest as I once worked with a bloke who was Garry Birtles’ brother-in-law. A nice enough bloke but, in spite of that, I hope we give them a pasting to remind all that Dyche is anti-football and no better than “our” Ange ( our in it’s loosest form as I’m not even an Oz citizen).
2-0 would be fine, 3-0 even better.
UTA.
Nice preview, 21CG.
It is quite incredible to think how great Forest were back in the late 70’s and early 80’s and how far they have fallen. Of course they, and indeed football, lost John Roberson recently. Never has a footballer been more fluid in motion, more magnetic in attraction, nor, paradoxically, less visually like a professional athlete- a real throwback to times past, and none the worse for it.
I think today will be tough. Dyche’s football is from the Allardyce/Pulis school, despite the recent PR push which would gave us believe e us sone kind if modern day Rinus Michels. So I expect to play a team picked on the basis of height and physical size, which will utilise the low block 21CG describes above and seek to use the pace of Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson, formerly of this parish but who took the Chelsea shilling, as is his right- and the footballing guile and acumen of Gibbs-White to hit us on the break. The best way to counter this is to score early, which will then no doubt unleash a torrent of ante-diluvian long ball football for our midfield and central defence to gobble up. Perhaps a day for both Odegaard and Eze to start with one of Rice and Zubimendi given a break, ahead of a tough trip to Inter next week?
Oh, and safe travels and an enjoyable day to C100 and son. I trust the regular pre-match curry house is already booked?
Thanks for an entertaining preview, 21cg. Your prediction of a low block is spot on and their rapid breakouts will be their major threat. We can expect the typical Dyche physical scrap. An early goal to open them up would be optimal. I expect a tight scoreline, hopefully in our favour. 2-1 to the Arsenal?
Cheers 21cg, excellent preview. . Dyche’s teams are aleays hard to beat so we have one banan skins after another. But as long as we put those into the dustbin I’m not worried.
COYG
Oh and before I forget I just rrad this piece from ourbown Beth Mead, this is The Arsenal! https://www.theplayerstribune.com/beth-mead-wsl-arsenal-soccer
Las@6 Great read; thanks for posting.
Thanks 21CG – very harsh on Susan Boyle !
I remember standing at the front of the North Bank watching a game against Nottingham Forest and wondering how on earth they were achieving such dizzy heights with a centre back partnership of Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns. I’ve rarely seen a less cultured pair but solid they were – two old fashioned brick shit houses. But they were the rock around which Brian Clough and Peter Taylor sprinkled the star dust – and a bit more rock ! Back to back European Cups – wow !
Things change, however, and we have a fair bit of star dust sprinkled around our own defensive rocks these days. As usual, we HAVE to win today – what pressure. Low block, counter attacks, mid blocks – the team has to find a way to win. Again. Winning league titles is often not pretty. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Cheers 21CG, bit harsh on Ange who has been a great secret weapon 😀
but a very enjoyable preview of what might be a tricky game.
Fortunately they are not playing well and 2-0 looks good
Just watching the Manc derby and they have annoyingly been a little unlucky
with a couple of disallowed offside goals for Carricks retro team selection.
@6;thanks Las👍
CER, previous drinks. No problem at all 😉
On that issue it is perfectly obvious that Mansour or his delegates
cheated systematically over a number of years and therefore are not
fit and proper owners – the titles should stripped as TTG said in his post and
the owners should be booted out – this is just blindingly obvious.
Of course I am just saying and I have no expectation this will happen.
The useless half of Mancdom is now 2-0 up!
This current Cheaty shower doesn’t look like
a team that can win 15 in a row to deny us the title.
Just saying
It’s not often that I can cheer on the Red Mancs but here they are distinctly the lesser of two evils and they’re doing us a favour. Come on you redzzzzz.
Hahahaha 3-0
Pep has the pip on the sideline
Hopefully that will take the pressure off a little
for tomorrow even though the third was disallowed.
Just keep accumulating the points
Matt @14, it’s TONIGHT, 5.30pm UK time!
Fine preview with some ince fun woven in there, 21CG. Yet one more ‘Must Win’ game in a series that will no doubt extend to the end of the season. I expect to see Raya, MLS, Madueke and Martinelli start in the team that played at Chel$ki and the introduction of Eze for Odegaard isn’t out of the question. Would be nice to see Havertz get a full 30 minutes too in the second half.
Just win it, Gunners.
A most enjoyable read, 21CG. I agree with all those predicting a tough game against a typical Dyche low block and a Forest defence that has some decent defenders.
The Ginger one has a bit of a hex over Arteta. He had lost all ten games he managed against Emery and Wenger teams, but his record since has been won 2, drawn 4, lost 4.
We need to take full advantage of City being on the wrong end of a new interim manager bounce, and turn that lost 4 into lost 5.
@15 😂😂
But for me it’s tomorrow, or will be in about 5 minutes,
To be honest I find the 02:30 kick offs the toughest.
That’s true commitment, Matt!
OM@18: Surely you are rising at that time every day to observe Nocturns…
so ned@20 let the secret out. matt was one of his monks, once!
fine preview, 21cg. any win against the bald knob and his squad will do. thanks to united for setting up such potential!
Finer preview 21CG
Super go hear and see United win ( comfortably)
This is a huge opportunity for us . It will be tough but I think we might take it 1-0
Fine preview 21CG
Super go hear and see United win ( comfortably)
This is a huge opportunity for us . It will be tough but I think we might take it 1-0
Scruz@21- I think it was Arseblog who christened Dyche “The Ginger Testicle”…..
Breezily entertaining preview 21CG, thank you!
A great chance has opened up to really assert our lead at the top and I am sure the team will lack no effort. The defense is still a bit short on numbers to rotate as much as Mikel would have probably liked in this busy period. Hopefully one of Calafiori or Hincapié is back soon.
Ben had a very good game against Chelsea, getting closer to his best. But probably a bit risky to play him again in a few days given the recent recurrence of his injury. MLS would need to start at left back in that case. Should the rest of the starting lineup stay same or maybe keep Saka rested for the Inter match and have Madueke dribble directly at the low block?
Raya
Timber-Saliba-Gabriel-MLS
Ødegaard-Zubimendi-Rice
Madueke-Gyökeres-Trossard
Getting a couple of early goals to be able to then bring in Eze, Merino, Jesus, Gabi would be ideal.
Never easy against Dyche’s teams, but I think we have started to get the mix of craft-power-invention just correct in recent matches, and I will go for an ambitious 3-0 away victory.
Come on Arsenal!
Matt @18, Doh! Silly me!! A UK-focused knee-jerk reaction. I was worried that you might miss it. Enjoy!
Hard work here. We really should have scored one of those chances. Haven’t let them have much of a look at our goal but we really must take one of those chances we keep creating. Our finishing has to improve.
That is not the sort of team we should be dropping points against. The Dyche hex continues.
Emery might turn out to be the big winner of the weekend’s results.
The late penalty shout for handball could have gone either way but I can’t shake the feeling that it would have been given had the boot been on the other foot or rather the arm in the other shirt, so to speak.
Someone mentioned Madueke reminds him of Gervinho. I can’t unsee that now . A blog rating also likened Gyokeres to Chsmakh . I don’t want to think about that
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