Nottingham Forest v Derby Preview
This is incredibly the fourth time these two sides have met this season, with the last game being just over two weeks ago. There’s been two draws and a Derby win so far, so Nottingham Forest will be going all out for victory against their fiercest rivals this weekend.
The honeymoon period for Billy Davies seems to be well and truly over and the Forest manager is now experiencing the first difficulties in his new post. Having masterminded three out of three wins in the opening weeks, form has since deteriorated and the City Ground side have slumped back into a relegation battle. Their last win came at the start of January and having lost three out of their last four, one of which was against Derby, it’s clear that they’ve got a real fight on their hands to stay in this division. Just two points and two places separate them from the drop zone and with Davies himself going on record to say that it will be a remarkable achievement to stay up, that speaks volumes on the task that Forest face. While any game against local rivals Derby is a big one for them, recent poor form means that this has added significance.
It’s a little bit different for Nigel Clough, who took over Derby at a similar time to Davies arriving at Forest. After a sticky start, Clough has revitalized the Rams and helped them get to 16th in the league – six points clear of the relegation zone. There’s no doubt that they’ve underachieved for much of the season and probably have a more talented squad that Forest anyway, so really it’s about time they started putting some form together. They’ve won their last three league games and with that including a 3-0 romp over Plymouth and a 4-1 demolition of Blackpool, it’s clear that things are finally starting to click for the Pride Park outfit and they may have their sights on a top half finish.
One thing that will help Nottingham Forest immensely in this one is the return of Guy Moussi. The Frenchman signed in the summer yet after a highly impressive start to his City Ground career, he was hit by a nasty injury that’s sidelined him for four months. His return looks to paste over the negatives, with Billy Davies set to be without Robert Earnshaw, Paul Anderson and Kelvin Wilson who are all struggling with injuries. As for Derby, there’s just two pieces of news to report for them. Youngster Miles Addison is doubtful with a foot problem, while winger Gary Teale is almost certain to be out with a hamstring injury.
Nottingham Forest may be in poor form, but in derby games form really does go out of the window. Billy Davies won’t be frightened of reminding his players the significance of this game after failing to beat the Rams yet this season, so we think this could end in a home victory – 2-1 Forest.
