[Football] Nottingham Forest vs Brighton & Hove Albion **** Pre-match Thread ****

[perseus]

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Championship
Saturday 27 September 2014 (Kick-off 3pm)



City Ground

Betting:

http://www.skybet.com/football/sky-bet-championship/event/17013868

Tickets from £28 against the Albion, £24 vs Blackburn, £20 vs Brentford.

First test of the season.


Forest have quite a good idea of the Albion team they are likely to face:
http://www.forestforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42238
​

 

[TomandJerry]

Wheel LOOSE Barber OuT

 

[perseus]

Forest team

The Albion back five picks itself, but the rest of the team is a conundrum.

The Forest team will be along the lines of:

Darlow
Hunt Mancienne Wilson Lichaj
Reid? Vaughan
Burke Lansbury Antonio
Assombalonga​

That includes two right-footed full backs though and they might get away with it as we haven't got Buckley any more. Otherwise, Danny Fox could play left back for them. Jack Hunt at RB (loan from Palace) might be quite fast.

Andy Reid is coming back from injury and may be on the bench. Fryatt could start upfront for them as well as Assombalonga. Antonio and Burke are both right-sided as well.

Only Vaughan played 45 minutes against Spurs. Danny Fox played the whole of the game. Wilson player 90 minutes as well and they have another defender Hobbs, assuming we do not have the good fortune of Forest playing Danny Collins.

On paper, they do not look as strong as Norwich or Derby. Maybe I am overestimated them.

Forest had five shots on target against Fulham and scored five.

Last season after 11 games we had 13 pts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24349274

After 7 games we have 7 pts. The minimum is 6 pts from the next 4 games.

Forest (A), Cardiff (H) Watford (A) Middlesbro (H)

I'd sooner we win the two home games.

 

[KZNSeagull]

My predicted team:

Stockdale
Bruno
Greer
Dunk
Bennett
Holla
Ince
Gardner
McCourt
Tex
Baldock

Subs: Ankergren, Hughes, Toko, Crofts, CoG, CMS, JFC

 

[perseus]

My predicted team:

Stockdale
Bruno Greer Dunk Bennett
Holla Forster-Caskey
​

Sub: Ankergren, McCourt, Lualua, Hughes,

That's 7 = Gardner, Ince, Colunga, Teixeira, Baldock, Crofts &

The final bench place between O'Grady, Mackail-Smith and Toko. Possibly Chicksen?

Gardner is the safe bet in midfield instead of Ince, but Ince needs the game experience in a match we are not expected to get anything from.

Without an obvious wide man fit, I would be tempted to play 4-4-2 with Ince and Crofts in midfield, and pen two from Colunga, Teixeira and Baldock up front, despite their lack of inches.

 

[nffc1976]

Darlow
Hunt Mancienne Wilson Lichaj
Reid? Vaughan
Burke Lansbury Antonio
Assombalonga​

think your pretty close to the line-up there.
Injury doubts over Reid and Hunt like you mention. Think Hunt will play, but not Reid. might be Tesche or Osborn who play if Reid doesnt make it.

one option though for Pearce is to play Antonio up front and bring Jamie PAterson into the left wing position. that would be a much more attacking line-up.

the 4-5-1 formation has been struggling for us lately.

 

[BensGrandad]

I would expect SH to play Holla and Ince in front of the centre backs to add some defensive stability as they did at Ipswich. We need to keep a clean sheet in a few games to give us a launching pad for the rest of the season.

 

[perseus]

We are just not as strong as last season. No pace upfront in the absence of Buckley and no presence and height in the absence of Ulloa.

We just the busier player in the inexperienced Teixeira (instead of the sheer pace of Buckley) and no player to replace Ulloa. Dale Stephens is the likely first choice in midfield (to counteract Lansbury) but he is medium term injured.

The only advantage is we cannot just lump to Ulloa when the midfield run out of ideas. We cannot keep possession as well as last season either. The loss of Upson and Bridcutt is not so serious though. Bennett is not up to the standard of Stephen Ward at left back for us.

Both teams seem overly right-footed. It is up to Forest to muck it up.

 

[perseus]

Are Forest a long ball team?

Some stats for what they are worth. We might be able to keep the ball more than Forest?

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...TeamStatistics/England-Championship-2014-2015

 

[sjonesbb]

i think we need a similar set up to the Burton game. Tactics seemed to work well albeit against a lower league side. I would go

Stockdale
Bruno
Greer
Dunk
Bennett

Holla
Ince

Texeira
Colunga
Lua Lua

CMS

 

[perseus]

I think we should keep possession of the ball. I would play:

Stockdale
Bruno Greer Dunk Bennett
Ince Holla Crofts Forster-Caskey
Lualua
Baldock (or Colunga or O'Grady)

Teixeira Ankergen McCourt Colunga O'Grady Hughes Gardner
​

I don't think Forest are as good as Leicester were last season

 

[Fada]

I think we should keep possession of the ball. I would play:

Stockdale
Bruno Greer Dunk Bennett
Ince Holla Crofts Forster-Caskey
Lualua
Baldock (or Colunga or O'Grady)

Teixeira Ankergen McCourt Colunga O'Grady Hughes Gardner
​

I don't think Forest are as good as Leicester were last season

Do you really see same midfield as versus Blackpool effective in this match? Ok, Ince wasnt there but in no case i would leave Paddy out of the starting line-up.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

If you leave out McCourt you have absolutely no creativity apart from the moment from Tex. Crofts and JFC can't conjure up anything.

 

[Mackenzie]

Stockdale

Bruno~Greer~Dunk~Chicksen

Ince~Holla

Teixera~McCourt~Lualua

Baldock​

4-2-3-1......a team built around Paddy McCourt.....Ince and Holla smashing anything that comes near them.

 

[Tarpon]

Stockdale

Bruno~Greer~Dunk~Chicksen

Ince~Holla

Teixera~McCourt~Lualua

Baldock​

4-2-3-1......a team built around Paddy McCourt.....Ince and Holla smashing anything that comes near them.

High risk - I like. Bennett for Chick tho.

 

[brakespear]

Stockdale

Bruno~Greer~Dunk~Chicksen

Ince~Holla

Teixera~McCourt~Lualua

Baldock​

4-2-3-1......a team built around Paddy McCourt.....Ince and Holla smashing anything that comes near them.

I like that - but I'd also like to see O'Grady given a chance so maybe lose a midfielder (KLL) and bung in COG just in front.

 

[perseus]

Clean Sheet

Do you really see same midfield as versus Blackpool effective in this match? Ok, Ince wasnt there but in no case i would leave Paddy out of the starting line-up.

The idea is to try and keep it at 0-0 until 67 minutes. Then unleash Paddy O'Court and put Lualua out wide. Second substitute at the same time if Ince still at the races.

I figured if we lose the midfield we could get hammered like in the last match last season.

 

[NS Herald]

Forget all about this team selection malarkey - the important thing is can you get chips in Meadow Lane

 

[BensGrandad]

Why go to Meadow Lane Notts County are away unless you aregoin g to park there and walk, which is not too far.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Because it is the only bar near the ground that lets away fans in.