On Sky
Live football. Don’t you just love it? You may have difficulty finding a hooky stream this season, due to anything outside the Premier League not being of interest to our friends in the Middle East. However, there is always Sky Sports 2, giving you football at funny times, when you should be doing other things.
The fixture computer has given us the second of the two clubs that Brian Clough had success with, and we can only hope that Forest captitulate as easily as Derby did on Tuesday. Another lesson in how far a club can fall, in 2005 Forest became the first European Champions to fall into their country’s third tier. Whilst they have scrambled out of there since, and have been in the play offs in two out of the past four seasons, last year’s experiment with Steve McClaren was a failure and they ended up near the foot again. This season has started with a victory over Bristol City and a draw at Huddersfield.
Whilst you can get all romantic about Forest, ‘the little club that could’ if you will, if Bolton are to get promotion at the first attempt, these games need to be won. Forest now have money, and a manager who knows about sustainability on a budget in Sean O’Driscoll.
As for Bolton, after huffing and puffing their way to a 2-0 victory on Tuesday, you would expect OC to keep the same side, in a ‘not broke, don’t fix it’ kind of way. Some would prefer the back four reshuffled and, despite scoring, SKD to make way for an Afobe/Sordell partnership. History suggests that that will not happen.
Oh, and we have something in common with their fans. They hate Megson too.
Vital Quotes:
‘We want to get back to the Reebok being a fortress again. We`ve shown that can be the case against the best sides in the country in the Premier League, so we have to make sure we`re ready to do that in the Championship.‘ OC harking back to the halcyon days when a halo shone above his head and everyone loved on. Ahhh…memories….
‘I can’t remember the last time Kevin Davies lost a header…‘ Super John McGinlay in today’s BEN. Let me remind you SJ. Last Saturday. Quite a lot last season. There, is that better?
Zat Knight has also been wheeled out, but that’s because the press office were at Big Dave’s leaving do and were picking names out of a hat to talk to the press.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
The usual suspect up front and in midfield. Keith Andrews was on the receiving end of a SKD header on Tuesday so is a doubt.
Player to watch: Tyrone Mears
The new season hasn’t been kind to the former Burnley and Derby man. So it is hoped that now he has got them out of the way, and that we aren’t going to be playing Marseilles any time soon, he may start being the right back OC thought he was getting, as he has been pretty abysmal so far.
Nottingham Forest Team News:
According to the official Forest site, Daniel Ayala is a doubt with a hip injury.
Player to watch: Simon Cox
Cox joined Forest from West Brom in the summer and played at the Euros. I seem to recall him playing rather well against us last year in the Premier League and has already scored once this season, against Huddersfield.
Match Facts & Stats
Bolton and Forest have met each other seventy times in the league, with T’Wanderers leading 29-23 overall and 22-4 at Pikes/Burnden/T’Reebok. Our leading scorer in Joe Smith with five, scoring all our goals in a 4-2 win in 1923.
In the second tier it is is John Byrom with four between 1973 and 1975.
Our last game was a third round league cup game in October 2001, Rod Wallace scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory.
Match Prediction:
My heart says 2-0. Mrs X says 2-1. So, after Tuesday, 4-1 it is then.
Next Fixtures:
Crawley in the Capital One on Tuesday before an away trip to Hull next Saturday. The glamour. The actual glamour.