Nottingham Forest Vs Brighton & Hove Albion ****Official Match Thread****

[StonehamPark]

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Nottingham Forest Vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Date: 11/04/2016
Kick Off: 19:45
Venue: The City Ground
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OFFICIALS
ANDY DAVIES
Nick Hopton and James Wilson
Fourth Official Trevor Kettle


TEAM NEWS
Nottingham Forest will check on Kelvin Wilson before the visit of title-chasing Brighton for Monday night's live Sky Bet Championship match on Sky Sports.

Wilson came off with a back injury during the first half of the 2-1 defeat at Reading last Tuesday but it is hoped the extra rest could work in the Reds' favour ahead of the clash with the Seagulls.

Fellow defender Michael Mancienne will also be assessed after he missed the loss at the Madejski Stadium with an ankle injury, while full-back Eric Lichaj will almost certainly come back into the reckoning after a one-match ban.

Club-record signing Britt Assombalonga is close to making his long-awaited return from a knee injury. The 23-year-old striker has been sidelined for 13 months.


Brighton are without strike duo Sam Baldock and Bobby Zamora for the trip to the City Ground.

Baldock was forced off in last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Burnley with a hamstring problem and missed the midweek win at Birmingham.

He has been pencilled in to return to the squad for Friday's clash with Fulham, as has Zamora who has not played since early March after suffering an unspecified knock in training.

Boss Chris Hughton this week praised the return of Kazenga LuaLua after injury, saying: "Kazenga is an explosive player and he has that physicality. He's been starved of that over the last few months because of injury and it's good to have him back."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8J_3cCvUFQ

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COYS!!

 

[GT49er]

Thank goodness - football's back after a barren weekend! Now a win would be nice............please!

 

[5ways]

We are going to smash them.

 

[Lethargic]

Wow I like the sound of title chasing not just promotion hopefuls.

wheel wine!

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[SeagullofMalaysia]

From what I've seen during the 2nd half of this season, the authors of OMT threads produce different results: [MENTION=15297]Dick Head[/MENTION] - draw [MENTION=17571]StonehamPark[/MENTION] - squeaky bum victory
@Bring back Psychobilly freakout! - 4-0 victories

So a narrow win it is then. Anything is better than [MENTION=14113]tom[/MENTION]Jerry though

 

[Stuart Munday]

Win tonight and we will go up.

 

[JonnyComeEarly]

Biggest game of the season..... (again)

 

[StonehamPark]

From what I've seen during the 2nd half of this season, the authors of OMT threads produce different results: [MENTION=15297]Dick Head[/MENTION] - draw [MENTION=17571]StonehamPark[/MENTION] - squeaky bum victory
@Bring back Psychobilly freakout! - 4-0 victories

So a narrow win it is then. Anything is better than [MENTION=14113]tom[/MENTION]Jerry though

10 League games for me.

7 Wins
3 Draws

2.4 PPG

 

[shaolinpunk]

With Baldock and Zamora out I wouldn't be surprised if we go 4-4-1-1 again, with Wilson as plan B from the bench, but I'd rather we start 4-4-2 and go on the front foot from kickoff.

Forest are incredibly low on confidence as it is; put them under immediate pressure and score early and the floodgates could open.

Winning tonight and on Friday is crucial but these game also offer a chance - if we play the way we can - to close the goal difference gap that Burnley and Boro have on us before they play each other.

 

[GT49er]

Winning tonight and on Friday is crucial but these game also offer a chance - if we play the way we can - to close the goal difference gap that Burnley and Boro have on us before they play each other.

I think most of us would happily settle for three points, without worrying over-much about goal differences!

 

[shaolinpunk]

I think most of us would happily settle for three points, without worrying over-much about goal differences!

I'd take two undeserved 1-0 wins right now, but this team is capable of more than that.

 

[MattBackHome]

I'm excited. Firmly believe that we can get something to keep the pressure on tonight.

I don't think that it's make or break at all (I think our home fixtures are) but really do fancy our chances.

 

[StonehamPark]

With Baldock and Zamora out I wouldn't be surprised if we go 4-4-1-1 again, with Wilson as plan B from the bench.

This, I reckon.
I'd rather go all out from the start but this is probably for the best with only 2 strikers available.

Winning tonight and on Friday is crucial but these game also offer a chance - if we play the way we can - to close the goal difference gap that Burnley and Boro have on us before they play each other.

Goal difference totally irrelevant now imo.

 

[dadams2k11]

Forrest are a wounded dog at the moment and are scrapping to stay in the league, 6pts from the relegation drop. The pressure will be on us tonight but we need an early goal.

 

[sparkie]

Forrest are a wounded dog at the moment and are scrapping to stay in the league, 6pts from the relegation drop. The pressure will be on us tonight but we need an early goal.

They are 9 points above the relegation zone, but do play at MK Dons on the last day.

 

[Snowy]

A mate at work is a Forest supporter and went to their last home game when they lost 3-0 to Brentford. He tells me that they are a club in complete disarray. The chairman lords it over the protesting fans, taking no notice of them whatsoever, the caretaker manager and his assistant were arguing with each other in the technical area, the players had no fight at all and, in my mates words "they didn't even win the third balls, let alone the second ones"! A large proportion of the fans left and went home very early too.

He's actually very worried that they could get relegated as he and many of his mates can't see them getting many, if any, more points this season.

His prediction? A 3-0 win, at the very least, for the Albion, particularly if we score early on when the Forest heads will go down and the fans (not that they expect many to turn up) start getting on the players and the boards backs.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Bottom three look nailed on now.

 

[shaolinpunk]

OFFICIALS
ANDY DAVIES
Nick Hopton and James Wilson
Fourth Official Trevor Kettle

One of our subs running the line? How very Sunday league.

 

[Ernest]

Usual lazy punditry on SSN just now with Stuart Pearce and some Jocko GIMP saying Burnley and Boro will go up automatically, if we win tonight then the pressure is on both of them when they play each other next week whilst we have a winnable match at home

 

[perseus]

A mate at work is a Forest supporter and went to their last home game when they lost 3-0 to Brentford. He tells me that they are a club in complete disarray. The chairman lords it over the protesting fans, taking no notice of them whatsoever, the caretaker manager and his assistant were arguing with each other in the technical area, the players had no fight at all and, in my mates words "they didn't even win the third balls, let alone the second ones"! A large proportion of the fans left and went home very early too.

He's actually very worried that they could get relegated as he and many of his mates can't see them getting many, if any, more points this season.

His prediction? A 3-0 win, at the very least, for the Albion, particularly if we score early on when the Forest heads will go down and the fans (not that they expect many to turn up) start getting on the players and the boards backs.

I am getting the same sort of message.
Three seasons ago Forest were good. The last two seasons and they have been poor. It does not mean that we will beat them easily though.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959070/Preview

Strong contrast between losing at home to the passing side fo Brentford 0-3, and defensive Wednesday 0-3.

My best guess is that a team with a few bad results will try and stem the tide with a more solid display and these bad defeats are not a good sign at all.

All games are 4 STAR now unless they are 5 STAR.