Nottingham Forest 2 – 0 Coventry City

Another game undefeated for Billy’s men.

Five changes from the draw at Watford saw us line up, initially as a 4-4-2, but later as a 4-3-3 (Cohen moving to left midfield and Tyson joining Dex and Earnie up front).

Campo,
Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Shorey,
Cohen, McKenna, Majewski, Tyson,
Earnshaw, Blackstock

Coventry set out to make life difficult for us and it worked – for most of the game, things were pretty dour. But two fantastic goals, pretty much out of nothing sealed yet another victory for us.

Points to note: both Earnie and Dexter were outstanding, Raddy got his own chant as he was substituted and McCleary, Lewis and Dele terrified the knackered Coventry players when they came on at the end. But it was the defence winning the plaudits today, with both Morgan and Wilson truly outstanding.

 
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Christmas cheer and a Happy New Year?!

Greetings from afar and apologies for the lack of updates – as you can imagine Christmas is a funny time of year to be trying to post on t’internet.

Having listened to most of the Watford match, I think we will settle for a point, especially with Nicky Shorey pretending the ball hit his face (not sure that it is the Forest way, but I suppose these things even themselves out). Coventry today, and this should surely see us extend the increasingly impressive unbeaten run (I hope I haven’t just cursed it).

It is still unclear whether Wes Morgan will be back as tonsilitis can be quite debilitating, but Messrs Earnshaw and Majewski will be hoping for recalls to the “home” lineup.

Off the pitch, captain Paul McKenna (I managed to catch the second half of the Preston match on TV, what an excellent performance by the skipper) says that hard work makes the difference, while there must be something right when a keeper as good as Paul Smith signs a contract extension even though he is unlikely to be anything other than first-choice custodian (a decision that pleases Billy Davies).

Let’s hope for a win this afternoon and I would like to wish a Happy New Year to all of you, and thank you for your support in 2009.

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Going places – news roundup

We will be facing Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup.

Billy Davies is looking to win against his former club Preston North End this weekend (I won’t be there so no match report I’m afraid). And more importantly, Billy’s not had any contact from any other clubs about his availability.

As I’m sure you’re all now aware, one of the two linked clubs, Queen Park Rangers, have instead opted for ex-Forest grump and diamond-afficianado Paul Hart, with some speculation that James Perchio could be on his way there.

Another of Harty’s team (in my opinion, the most important member of that side), Riccy Scimeca has been forced to retire.

Meanwhile, Billy Davies is still pursuing Gareth Bale (and I’m sure it’s not for nothing that Nicky Shorey has been given the number 3 shirt). And lastly, Billy may be going back to Liverpool to bring in another of their youngsters, Nathan Eccleston, on loan.

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Heading north for the winter – news roundup

Paul Anderson reckons that Swansea fans are just jealous because we are a bigger club.

Meanwhile Chris Cohen says the big change is that we have learnt to win away. I would say that the big change is that we are ruthless.

Preston North End are looking to kick-start their season against their former manager on Saturday. Unfortunately there will be no podcast at the weekend as we are both busy – it is nearly Christmas you know.

Dark forces mobilise against former Forest and friend of the Garibaldi, Gary Megson.

Meanwhile Billy Davies has had his request for a Scottish scouting network turned down. Megson’s lot are interested in one of the first potential targets of that non-existent network – James McArthur who plies his trade at Hamilton.

UPDATE: Hans Backe is reportedly leaving Notts. Sven to leave next?

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Nottingham Forest – still unbeaten: news roundup

Forest Player wasn’t working for me on Saturday so I didn’t really listen to the match. But looking at the highlights, it looked pretty one-sided. And we still came away with three points (and only two behind the Baggies, who play tonight)!

Paul Anderson was a key man for us and he came in for some stick during the game, given that he had earlier helped Swansea to promotion. Lee Camp also did sterling work, as he did earlier in the week away at Sheffield United. And Paulo Sousa doesn’t reckon it was a fair result. To which I would say that it’s always nice to grind out three points away from home.

Elsewhere, Forest old-boy Brian Laws leaves the cursed Hillsborough hot-seat “by mutual consent” (and Wednesday chairman, Lee Strafford, no longer accepts comments on his Facebook page, which is a shame as it was fantastic to see the fans communicate so closely with the chairman of a club). And sunny delight Paul Hart looks set to rejoin Harry Redknapp at Tottenham, taking over youth team duties there.

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The juggernaut rolls on… News roundup

In the week that saw an amazing result, followed by a quietly satisfying one last night, little Robbie Earnshaw was rewarded for his “proper” hat-trick (c. Rahoul) with a place in the Championship Team of the Week.

However, that does not stop Billy Davies insisting that Forest are not ready for promotion, although he does drop in a teaser about potential new signings. Vital Forest are optimistic about a number of targets, including making Nicky Shorey and Raddy Majewski permanent players, and signing Gareth Bale on a temporary deal with the option to buy.

On the subject of last night’s draw at Bramall Lane, it seems that Lee Camp either gained us a point, or Dexter Blackstock cost us two (really?). Ned Kelly was happy with the result and Campo’s performance, although the custodian himself is keen to heap praise upon the in-form centre-half pairing of Wes Morgan and Kelvin Wilson. Things not looking too bad at the moment are they?

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Nottingham Forest 5 (five) – 1 Leicester City

The East Midlands premier, most important, highly charged local derby was an excellent affair.

    Campo    
Gunter Morgan   Wilson Shorey
Cohen McKenna (c)   Majewski Anderson
  Blackstock   Earnshaw  

After ten minutes of hoofball we took control of the game, playing excellent, incisive, passing football at pace – and Leicester had no real answer. A couple of bits of referee weirdness, a guest appearance by the 2nd Mercian regiment on their return from Afghanistan (who got a fantastic reception from the crowd and a goal dedication from Rob Earnshaw) and goals galore.

Phew – what a day – the best entertainment I’ve seen at the City Ground in ages.

Unfortunately it’s a solo podcast today as my brother was away (and he will be for the next few weeks), so a bit shorter than usual and probably less professional (haha).

 
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Wes in the team of the week, little Robbie in the team, Lewis and Dele on the bench (but want to be in the team): news roundup

Wes Morgan has astonishingly made it into the Championship Team of the Week. I say astonishingly not because he was bad, but simply because he has been eclipsed in recent weeks by the form of Messrs Gunter and Wilson, who have both upped their game impressively in recent weeks. No mention of Majewski or Gunter, who I thought were the outstanding performers on Saturday…

In other news, little Robbie Earnshaw is delighted to be in the team after weeks of frustration (and if he keeps scoring, surely he will keep getting minutes on the pitch), whereas Lewis McGugan is trying to handle the frustration of still being on the bench as an impact player, while Nigerian scouser big Dele Adebola finds himself in the same boat as his young midfield colleague.

Meanwhile Arron Davies and Matt Thornhill have been sent back from Brighton and Hove Albion as they are not getting in the team. I think we all suspect that Davies will move on at some point as he has never really been able to make an impact at Forest, but (like Vital Forest) I do hope that young Thornhill can pick up again.

Down the A46, Leicester City are looking forward to their trip to Nottingham – I didn’t know that they hadn’t beaten us at home in the League for 38 years! After we beat the bogey against Donny, let’s hope that this isn’t another record that gets broken – although Lewis says that we “fear no-one!

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