Dougie Freedman maintains his unbeaten record as Forest manager as they were held to a draw in a thrilling encounter with Blackpool as it finished 4-4 at Bloomfield Road. Gary Madine put Blackpool 1-0 up on the stroke of half-time and Orlandi made it two soon in the second. Goals from Dexter Blackstock and Gary Gardner then pulled Forest level before Davies restored Blackpool's lead. Forest then took a 4-3 lead with goals from Henri Lansbury and Chris Burke before Blackpool equalized in the last kick of the game with a header from Ferguson.
The game started off very scrappy which was no surprise considering the state of the Bloomfield Road pitch. Perkins hit a shot which bobbled across the surface but Darlow did well to hold. Michail Antonio was looking dangerous and causing problems for the Blackpool defence as the pitch meant neither him or the Blackpool defence had any idea where he was heading. Another big injury blow came in the 42nd minute for Forest as Jack Hobbs came off with a knee injury and was replaced by Jamaal Lascelles. Then came another blow as Blackpool took the lead in first half injury time as Gary Madine tucked the ball home from a dangerous cross to make it 1-0.
Forest started the second half with a big chance when Burke should have done better with an Antonio cross but failed to control the ball. Oliver Burke got handed his league debut for Forest as he replaced Matty Fryatt who had little impact on the game. Orlandi made it 2-0 to Blackpool soon after as he hit a great effort into the top corner of the net with Darlow having no chance. Forest got back into the game as Oliver Burke's flick was met by Blackstock who scored to make it 2-1 at the second time of asking. It was then 2-2 immediately as Antonio caused problems in the Blackpool area before the ball rebounded to Gary Gardner who had a simple tap-in. However, Forest weren't level for long as Blackpool restored their lead as Steven Davies finished from close range after an initial save by Darlow to make it 3-2 to the home side. Blackpool were pushing for a fourth when Oliver Burke's clearance found Antonio on the half way line who ran through on goal only to be taken out by Aldred in the penalty area who was subsequently sent off. Henri Lansbury stepped up and converted the penalty to make it 3-3 in what was turning out to be an incredible game. Blackpool had nine men for injury time as O'Dea collected an injury when they had used all their subs. There were nine minutes added on be the fourth official. Then Forest took the lead in 90+5 as Chris Burke tormented the Blackpool defence before unleashing a stunning effort into the top corner of the net. Then Blackpool showed incredible character to level the scores again from a corner when David Ferguson headed home to make sure the match ended 4-4.
Overall, I don't think many conclusions can be made from what was a crazy match on a awful pitch. What can be said is that Forest clearly have no problem scoring goals even without top scorer Britt Assombalonga. However, without Jack Hobbs in the team, the defence totally fell apart and to concede four goals to Blackpool isn't acceptable. If Forest can sort out their defensive issues they will win more games than they lose.
Saturday 21 February 2015
Blackpool Away Pre-Match Preview
On Saturday (14th February 2015), Dougie Freedman will look to make it three wins on the bounce as his Forest side visit Bloomfield Road to play Blackpool. He will want to build on two very precious wins against Brighton and Wigan and make sure it is three wins out of three and maximum points for his time in charge so far.
Blackpool have endured a horrid 2014/15 season to date, and it doesn't look like that will change anytime soon. They began the season with Jose Riga in charge and in their first game they lost 2-0 to Forest at the City Ground in what was Stuart Pearce's first game in charge. There was major controversy over Blackpool at the beginning of the season when they only had eight players signed on just a matter of weeks before the campaign began. This set off lots of protests over owner Karl Oyston which are still going on to this date. Lee Clark was appointed to continue Blackpool's struggles, and not too much appears to have changed. Some of Blackpool's worst defeats this season have been 4-2 away to Huddersfield, 6-1 at home to Bournemouth, 7-2 away to Watford, 4-0 away to Norwich and many more. However, last time out they only narrowly lost late on to Middlesborough who are challenging at the top of the Championship. In comparison, Forest have got the feel good factor about them once again under new manager Dougie Freedman. He has so far led them to two wins out of two against Brighton away which was won 3-2 and Wigan at home which was won 3-0. This has reignited Forest's hope to get something out of the season and at the same time diminishing any chances of relegation. Forest did suffer some bad news in the form that Britt Assombalonga will miss a years worth of football after coming off injured against Wigan. Freedman will now be looking for his other strikers such as Dexter Blackstock and Matty Fryatt to step up to the plate and fill Assombalonga's boots.
Chris Burke celebrates with Henri Lansbury after putting Forest 2-0 up against Wigan at the City Ground.
Forest will be travelling to Bloomfield road without star striker Britt Assombalonga who picked up a nasty injury against Wigan on Wednesday night and will now miss a years worth of football. This game is likely to come too soon for Michael Mancienne and Kelvin Wilson who are both set to return to training on Monday morning. Apart from that, the only other long-term absentees are Chris Cohen and Andy Reid with the latter not too far away from returning to full fitness.
My prediction for this game is Blackpool 0-2 Nottingham Forest. I think Forest will be too much for Blackpool who are a team really struggling to do anything in the Championship this season with every point being a bonus for them. I think the quality Forest have even without Britt Assombalonga will shine through on the day and allow them to collect all three points. The pitch is my only concern but professional football players should be able to play on any surface.
Blackpool have endured a horrid 2014/15 season to date, and it doesn't look like that will change anytime soon. They began the season with Jose Riga in charge and in their first game they lost 2-0 to Forest at the City Ground in what was Stuart Pearce's first game in charge. There was major controversy over Blackpool at the beginning of the season when they only had eight players signed on just a matter of weeks before the campaign began. This set off lots of protests over owner Karl Oyston which are still going on to this date. Lee Clark was appointed to continue Blackpool's struggles, and not too much appears to have changed. Some of Blackpool's worst defeats this season have been 4-2 away to Huddersfield, 6-1 at home to Bournemouth, 7-2 away to Watford, 4-0 away to Norwich and many more. However, last time out they only narrowly lost late on to Middlesborough who are challenging at the top of the Championship. In comparison, Forest have got the feel good factor about them once again under new manager Dougie Freedman. He has so far led them to two wins out of two against Brighton away which was won 3-2 and Wigan at home which was won 3-0. This has reignited Forest's hope to get something out of the season and at the same time diminishing any chances of relegation. Forest did suffer some bad news in the form that Britt Assombalonga will miss a years worth of football after coming off injured against Wigan. Freedman will now be looking for his other strikers such as Dexter Blackstock and Matty Fryatt to step up to the plate and fill Assombalonga's boots.
Chris Burke celebrates with Henri Lansbury after putting Forest 2-0 up against Wigan at the City Ground.
Forest will be travelling to Bloomfield road without star striker Britt Assombalonga who picked up a nasty injury against Wigan on Wednesday night and will now miss a years worth of football. This game is likely to come too soon for Michael Mancienne and Kelvin Wilson who are both set to return to training on Monday morning. Apart from that, the only other long-term absentees are Chris Cohen and Andy Reid with the latter not too far away from returning to full fitness.
My prediction for this game is Blackpool 0-2 Nottingham Forest. I think Forest will be too much for Blackpool who are a team really struggling to do anything in the Championship this season with every point being a bonus for them. I think the quality Forest have even without Britt Assombalonga will shine through on the day and allow them to collect all three points. The pitch is my only concern but professional football players should be able to play on any surface.
Friday 20 February 2015
Nottingham Forest 3-0 Wigan
Dougie Freedman secured his second win in as many games, as he led Forest to a comfortable 3-0 victory against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground. Britt Assombalonga put Forest 1-0 up before the break. Second half goals from Chris Burke and Henri Lansbury added further gloss to the victory. This secured six points out of six so far for Dougie Freedman in charge of Forest.
Forest started the game very brightly as you'd expect after winning the first game under a new manager. Chris Burke whipped in a dangerous ball to Michail Antonio who headed wide when he probably should've done better with the opportunity. However, despite Forest's dominance, Wigan almost took the lead when Bo-Kyung let fly only to be denied by Karl Darlow in the Forest goal. Michail Antonio had another chance but his low shot was held by Wigan keeper Al-Habsi. Then came the first goal of the game, and it was a very good one. Chris Burke did well in the middle of the park before feeding a delightful through ball for Assombalonga who slotted home past the keeper. Forest could of made it 2-0 soon after as Antonio set up Lansbury for the shot but he fired over. Wigan looked a team who were beginning to struggle which wasn't surprising due to the dire form they were in.
Forest started the second half equally as impressive as the first. Michail Antonio did well to shrug off two challenges and set up Chris Burke on the right hand side who smashed the ball into the top corner to make it 2-0. Then came what was without doubt the best goal in the game. Assombalonga did well to hold the ball up and play the ball to Fox on the left hand side of the pitch. He then gave the ball to Lansbury who turned and curled a beautiful shot into the bottom corner from about 20 yards out to make it 3-0 to Forest and give no way back for Wigan. The game turned sour soon after as Britt Assombalonga picked up what looked like a serious injury and was taken off on a stretcher after a long delay. The atmosphere in the City Ground dipped after this but Forest still had enough about them to cruise to victory.
Overall, this was a very good day for Forest and it was very refreshing to see Forest completely dominating a team at home for once. It has been a long time since teams feared going to the City Ground because they thought they might be on the end of a battering. This was a fantastic team performance with so many positives to take. The only negative is the blow of the injury to Britt Assombalonga but he will be back. However, what must be remembered is how poor a team Wigan are at the moment.
Forest started the game very brightly as you'd expect after winning the first game under a new manager. Chris Burke whipped in a dangerous ball to Michail Antonio who headed wide when he probably should've done better with the opportunity. However, despite Forest's dominance, Wigan almost took the lead when Bo-Kyung let fly only to be denied by Karl Darlow in the Forest goal. Michail Antonio had another chance but his low shot was held by Wigan keeper Al-Habsi. Then came the first goal of the game, and it was a very good one. Chris Burke did well in the middle of the park before feeding a delightful through ball for Assombalonga who slotted home past the keeper. Forest could of made it 2-0 soon after as Antonio set up Lansbury for the shot but he fired over. Wigan looked a team who were beginning to struggle which wasn't surprising due to the dire form they were in.
Forest started the second half equally as impressive as the first. Michail Antonio did well to shrug off two challenges and set up Chris Burke on the right hand side who smashed the ball into the top corner to make it 2-0. Then came what was without doubt the best goal in the game. Assombalonga did well to hold the ball up and play the ball to Fox on the left hand side of the pitch. He then gave the ball to Lansbury who turned and curled a beautiful shot into the bottom corner from about 20 yards out to make it 3-0 to Forest and give no way back for Wigan. The game turned sour soon after as Britt Assombalonga picked up what looked like a serious injury and was taken off on a stretcher after a long delay. The atmosphere in the City Ground dipped after this but Forest still had enough about them to cruise to victory.
Overall, this was a very good day for Forest and it was very refreshing to see Forest completely dominating a team at home for once. It has been a long time since teams feared going to the City Ground because they thought they might be on the end of a battering. This was a fantastic team performance with so many positives to take. The only negative is the blow of the injury to Britt Assombalonga but he will be back. However, what must be remembered is how poor a team Wigan are at the moment.
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Wigan Home Pre-Match Preview
On Wednesday (11th February 2015), Dougie Freedman will be looking to secure his first home win in charge against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground. He will want to build on what was a moral boosting 2-3 win away at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. He will be hoping to secure another three points on Wednesday which could potentially move Forest up to 9th in the Championship.
Wigan Athletic are another team like Brighton who have had a poor campaign to date in the Sky Bet Championship. Uwe Rosler was looking to build on an unsuccessful play-off campaign last season by gaining promotion this. Wigan were one of the favorites for promotion at the beginning of the season. However, Rosler endured what was a very slow start to the season, Wigan were a completely different team to the one which we saw at the end of last season. Under Rosler's management this season, Wigan achieved three wins, seven draws and seven defeats. This left Wigan placed 21st in the table, and with major fears of relegation. Rosler was replaced by controversial manager Malky Mackay. It caused Wigan chairman Dave Whelan all sorts of problems in appointing him which involved in himself being branded as a 'racist'. Mackay has failed to have much of an impact since taking charge, and Wigan's form has arguably got worse. Since he has taken the reigns, he has achieved one win, three draws and eight defeats. This is an even worse record than Rosler had at the beginning of the season. This has resulted in Mackay taking Wigan from 21st place in the table down to 23rd place, which is not good reading for Wigan fans. Wigan now look to be in a desperate situation, where League 1 looks the most likely destination. In comparison, Forest now appear like they could be on the up again after Dougie Freedman won his first match in charge against Brighton on Saturday. This leaves Forest 13 points off the play-offs, with a lot to do if they still want to achieve promotion this season. However, playing Wigan at home is a massive opportunity for Freedman and his men to get another three points and really build confidence. It is very important that Forest put on a good performance for the home crowd who have only seen four wins at home all season.
Henri Lansbury celebrates after putting Forest 2-1 up against Brighton at the AMEX Stadium at the weekend.
Forest have no fresh injury concerns from their game at Brighton at the weekend. However, Freedman has stated that this game has come too soon for Michael Mancienne who is still recovering from injury. The only other long-term absentees are Andy Reid and Chris Cohen. Apart from those three, Freedman has a fully fit squad to choose from. He has already stated that he probably won't make too many changes from the team who beat Brighton 2-3 at the weekend.
My prediction for this game is Nottingham Forest 2-0 Wigan Athletic. I am expecting Forest to build on what was a very positive result on Saturday with another three points. It is important that Forest go on a bit of a run now to make sure we are well clear of relegation and even maybe get back into the playoff race. Anything is possible in the Championship, and much stranger things have happened in the past. However, I think Wigan are more than beatable for Forest especially on home turf.
Wigan Athletic are another team like Brighton who have had a poor campaign to date in the Sky Bet Championship. Uwe Rosler was looking to build on an unsuccessful play-off campaign last season by gaining promotion this. Wigan were one of the favorites for promotion at the beginning of the season. However, Rosler endured what was a very slow start to the season, Wigan were a completely different team to the one which we saw at the end of last season. Under Rosler's management this season, Wigan achieved three wins, seven draws and seven defeats. This left Wigan placed 21st in the table, and with major fears of relegation. Rosler was replaced by controversial manager Malky Mackay. It caused Wigan chairman Dave Whelan all sorts of problems in appointing him which involved in himself being branded as a 'racist'. Mackay has failed to have much of an impact since taking charge, and Wigan's form has arguably got worse. Since he has taken the reigns, he has achieved one win, three draws and eight defeats. This is an even worse record than Rosler had at the beginning of the season. This has resulted in Mackay taking Wigan from 21st place in the table down to 23rd place, which is not good reading for Wigan fans. Wigan now look to be in a desperate situation, where League 1 looks the most likely destination. In comparison, Forest now appear like they could be on the up again after Dougie Freedman won his first match in charge against Brighton on Saturday. This leaves Forest 13 points off the play-offs, with a lot to do if they still want to achieve promotion this season. However, playing Wigan at home is a massive opportunity for Freedman and his men to get another three points and really build confidence. It is very important that Forest put on a good performance for the home crowd who have only seen four wins at home all season.
Henri Lansbury celebrates after putting Forest 2-1 up against Brighton at the AMEX Stadium at the weekend.
Forest have no fresh injury concerns from their game at Brighton at the weekend. However, Freedman has stated that this game has come too soon for Michael Mancienne who is still recovering from injury. The only other long-term absentees are Andy Reid and Chris Cohen. Apart from those three, Freedman has a fully fit squad to choose from. He has already stated that he probably won't make too many changes from the team who beat Brighton 2-3 at the weekend.
My prediction for this game is Nottingham Forest 2-0 Wigan Athletic. I am expecting Forest to build on what was a very positive result on Saturday with another three points. It is important that Forest go on a bit of a run now to make sure we are well clear of relegation and even maybe get back into the playoff race. Anything is possible in the Championship, and much stranger things have happened in the past. However, I think Wigan are more than beatable for Forest especially on home turf.
Brighton 2-3 Nottingham Forest
Dougie Freedman got off to a winning start as Nottingham Forest manager, as he led Forest to a 2-3 win against Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. Brighton took the lead in the first half as Lewis Dunk headed them ahead. However, Danny Collins equalized with a header shortly before half-time. Goals from Henri Lansbury and Ben Osborn gave Forest a 3-1 lead in the second half before Kayal pulled one back for the Seagulls late on.
Dougie Freedman made a total of six changes to the team who lost 1-0 at home to Millwall the previous weekend. The most notable changes were the inclusion of Danny Collins and putting Karl Darlow back into the starting-11 ahead of Dorus De Vries who has played very well of late. Gordon Greer had a good chance to put Brighton ahead from a corner, but failed to do so. Forest were looking pretty solid and had appeals for a penalty turned down when Greer tussled with Britt Assombalonga. Holla had the best chance of the game so far for Brighton as his free-kick seemed to hit a combination of the post and bar leaving Brighton incredibly unlucky not to be 1-0 up. However, Brighton did exactly that just moments later as Lewis Dunk headed home. Forest took just two minutes to respond as a free-kick was headed in off the post by Danny Collins to level the scores.
Forest started the second half brightly and Dunk had to be alert to deny Assombalonga a chance to give Forest the lead. Forest did take the lead in the 63rd minute as Ben Osborn laid off a free-kick for Henri Lansbury to smash through a mass of bodies into the far bottom corner much to the travelling fan's delight. Forest then looked to have wrapped up the three points in the 86th minute as Chris Burke went on a good run down the right hand side and squared it for Ben Osborn to smash home and cause jubilant scenes in the away end. However, for Forest it is never that easy and Kayal headed home in the 90th minute to cause a nervy final few minutes for Forest and their travelling support. Then came a huge chance for Brighton to find an equalizer as Kayal's effort was cleared off the line by a combination of Jamaal Lascelles and Jack Hobbs. However, Forest managed to clear their lines and hang on for a moral boosting three points.
Overall, this was a much improved performance from Forest and it was nice to see the players playing with a smile on their faces once again. I don't think it is a coincidence that when Henri Lansbury plays well, so do Forest. I think if Dougie Freedman can get the best out of Lansbury then he will have a much more successful time in charge than if he can't. Freedman already clearly has the players on board and has already recorded one impressive result against a Brighton side who were much improving under Chris Hughton. He now has to build on this by securing a win in his first home match in charge against Wigan, another team with relegation fears in the Championship.
Dougie Freedman made a total of six changes to the team who lost 1-0 at home to Millwall the previous weekend. The most notable changes were the inclusion of Danny Collins and putting Karl Darlow back into the starting-11 ahead of Dorus De Vries who has played very well of late. Gordon Greer had a good chance to put Brighton ahead from a corner, but failed to do so. Forest were looking pretty solid and had appeals for a penalty turned down when Greer tussled with Britt Assombalonga. Holla had the best chance of the game so far for Brighton as his free-kick seemed to hit a combination of the post and bar leaving Brighton incredibly unlucky not to be 1-0 up. However, Brighton did exactly that just moments later as Lewis Dunk headed home. Forest took just two minutes to respond as a free-kick was headed in off the post by Danny Collins to level the scores.
Forest started the second half brightly and Dunk had to be alert to deny Assombalonga a chance to give Forest the lead. Forest did take the lead in the 63rd minute as Ben Osborn laid off a free-kick for Henri Lansbury to smash through a mass of bodies into the far bottom corner much to the travelling fan's delight. Forest then looked to have wrapped up the three points in the 86th minute as Chris Burke went on a good run down the right hand side and squared it for Ben Osborn to smash home and cause jubilant scenes in the away end. However, for Forest it is never that easy and Kayal headed home in the 90th minute to cause a nervy final few minutes for Forest and their travelling support. Then came a huge chance for Brighton to find an equalizer as Kayal's effort was cleared off the line by a combination of Jamaal Lascelles and Jack Hobbs. However, Forest managed to clear their lines and hang on for a moral boosting three points.
Overall, this was a much improved performance from Forest and it was nice to see the players playing with a smile on their faces once again. I don't think it is a coincidence that when Henri Lansbury plays well, so do Forest. I think if Dougie Freedman can get the best out of Lansbury then he will have a much more successful time in charge than if he can't. Freedman already clearly has the players on board and has already recorded one impressive result against a Brighton side who were much improving under Chris Hughton. He now has to build on this by securing a win in his first home match in charge against Wigan, another team with relegation fears in the Championship.
Brighton Away Pre-Match Preview
On Saturday (7th February 2015), Dougie Freedman takes charge of the Forest team for the first time since being appointed to replace Stuart Pearce on Sunday. He will want to get off to a good start after a poor result for Forest in the last outing in the form of a 1-0 defeat at home to Millwall which leaves Forest just seven points off the relegation zone. He will be looking to inspire Forest to all three points as the travel to the AMEX Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion.
Brighton had a very poor start to the season under new manager Sami Hyypia. During Hyypia's time in charge he achieved three wins, ten draws and nine defeats. This left Brighton sitting 22nd in the table and led to Hyypia's resignation from his role as manager. This was to the delight of majority of the fans at Brighton who weren't happy with how results and performances were going. It probably didn't help Hyypia, in the fact that Brighton had finished in the top six in the previous two seasons as this has risen the level of expectation at the AMEX. Chris Hughton has since taken over the reigns and seems to be gradually improving results. He has so far recorded three wins, no draws and two defeats in the Championship. This means he has already matched the amount of wins which Hyypia managed to achieve during his time in charge. However, Brighton suffered a set back last time out as they fell to a 1-0 defeat away to relegation rivals Blackpool. In comparison, Forest have now ended their relationship with Stuart Pearce as the manager was sacked on Sunday evening by chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi. During his time in charge he achieved eight wins, ten draws and ten defeats. This was not good enough in Al-Hasawi's opinion for a Forest team which had a lot of investment in the summer with the likes of Britt Assombalonga signing for £5.5 million. Pearce did achieve some memorable wins in charge including his first match against Blackpool at home and the famous 2-1 win at local rivals Derby County. However, this wasn't good enough for him to keep his job and he leaves Forest thirteen points off the play-offs. Dougie Freedman now comes in with a relatively good managerial record for a young manager and will be looking to get off to a flying start on Saturday.
Forest manager Stuart Pearce was relieved of his duties by chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi on Sunday night.
His replacement, Dougie Freedman, was appointed just hours after Stuart Pearce's sacking was confirmed.
New Forest manager Dougie Freedman has a fully fit squad to choose from apart from Michael Mancienne who is still recovering from injury and long-term absentees Chris Cohen and Andy Reid. Apart from that, Dougie Freedman has the whole squad at his disposal. It will be interesting to see what changes he makes to the team in his first game in charge. Dexter Blackstock has now recovered from a recent injury and Matty Fryatt is now fully fit after his run out against Millwall last weekend.
My prediction for this game is Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Nottingham Forest. I think it will be a tight game between the two teams, with little to separate them. I think the introduction of Dougie Freedman will inspire a spirited performance from Forest and make them come home with at least a point from the AMEX. However, I think the home side will also gain something from the match due to the fact Chris Hughton is doing a very good job so far.
Brighton had a very poor start to the season under new manager Sami Hyypia. During Hyypia's time in charge he achieved three wins, ten draws and nine defeats. This left Brighton sitting 22nd in the table and led to Hyypia's resignation from his role as manager. This was to the delight of majority of the fans at Brighton who weren't happy with how results and performances were going. It probably didn't help Hyypia, in the fact that Brighton had finished in the top six in the previous two seasons as this has risen the level of expectation at the AMEX. Chris Hughton has since taken over the reigns and seems to be gradually improving results. He has so far recorded three wins, no draws and two defeats in the Championship. This means he has already matched the amount of wins which Hyypia managed to achieve during his time in charge. However, Brighton suffered a set back last time out as they fell to a 1-0 defeat away to relegation rivals Blackpool. In comparison, Forest have now ended their relationship with Stuart Pearce as the manager was sacked on Sunday evening by chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi. During his time in charge he achieved eight wins, ten draws and ten defeats. This was not good enough in Al-Hasawi's opinion for a Forest team which had a lot of investment in the summer with the likes of Britt Assombalonga signing for £5.5 million. Pearce did achieve some memorable wins in charge including his first match against Blackpool at home and the famous 2-1 win at local rivals Derby County. However, this wasn't good enough for him to keep his job and he leaves Forest thirteen points off the play-offs. Dougie Freedman now comes in with a relatively good managerial record for a young manager and will be looking to get off to a flying start on Saturday.
Forest manager Stuart Pearce was relieved of his duties by chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi on Sunday night.
His replacement, Dougie Freedman, was appointed just hours after Stuart Pearce's sacking was confirmed.
New Forest manager Dougie Freedman has a fully fit squad to choose from apart from Michael Mancienne who is still recovering from injury and long-term absentees Chris Cohen and Andy Reid. Apart from that, Dougie Freedman has the whole squad at his disposal. It will be interesting to see what changes he makes to the team in his first game in charge. Dexter Blackstock has now recovered from a recent injury and Matty Fryatt is now fully fit after his run out against Millwall last weekend.
My prediction for this game is Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Nottingham Forest. I think it will be a tight game between the two teams, with little to separate them. I think the introduction of Dougie Freedman will inspire a spirited performance from Forest and make them come home with at least a point from the AMEX. However, I think the home side will also gain something from the match due to the fact Chris Hughton is doing a very good job so far.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Millwall
Nottingham Forest lost their second game in a row as they lost late on 1-0 to Millwall at The City Ground. Ricardo Fuller was the man to get the winner for the Lions, as he capitalized on a shocking error from Stephen McLaughlin. Forest didn't have time to muster a response meaning Millwall went back to the capital with all three points.
Forest did make a decent start to the match and looked to be the better of the two sides. Henri Lansbury had the best chance of the opening minutes as hit shot from inside the area deflected over. Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga were also looking menacing. Cummings then made what looked like it might be a costly mistake as his free-kick back towards his own goal was picked up by Antonio but he could only fire straight at Forde. Then came the first big moment of the match as Dorus De Vries made a superb save to prevent Beevers putting Millwall 1-0 up with a header. Half-time soon came, with little to talk about in what was a pretty dull contest between the two teams desperate for a victory.
Forest almost started the second half by going 1-0 up as Robert Tesche smashed a shot from 25 yards out against the crossbar. Chris Burke then followed it up with a header but this was cleared off the line by Beevers. Michail Antonio then did some good work down the right hand side and delivered a cross in which was met by Britt Assombalonga who hit the bar. Henri Lansbury then again came close as his curling effort from the edge of the box missed narrowly. Then came the vital goal in the game as Ricardo Fuller capitalized on a shocking header back from Stephen McLaughlin and rounded Dorus De Vries before tapping the ball into the empty net.
Overall, this was a shocking performance and result from Forest's point of view. To lose to a team like Millwall at home is completely unacceptable. They have arguably been the worst team in the Championship of late and Forest with the quality they have in their ranks should have been able to take advantage especially on home turf. However, it wasn't to be and the long ball football was even more evident than ever. Something has to change if Forest are going to turn their form around.
Forest did make a decent start to the match and looked to be the better of the two sides. Henri Lansbury had the best chance of the opening minutes as hit shot from inside the area deflected over. Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga were also looking menacing. Cummings then made what looked like it might be a costly mistake as his free-kick back towards his own goal was picked up by Antonio but he could only fire straight at Forde. Then came the first big moment of the match as Dorus De Vries made a superb save to prevent Beevers putting Millwall 1-0 up with a header. Half-time soon came, with little to talk about in what was a pretty dull contest between the two teams desperate for a victory.
Forest almost started the second half by going 1-0 up as Robert Tesche smashed a shot from 25 yards out against the crossbar. Chris Burke then followed it up with a header but this was cleared off the line by Beevers. Michail Antonio then did some good work down the right hand side and delivered a cross in which was met by Britt Assombalonga who hit the bar. Henri Lansbury then again came close as his curling effort from the edge of the box missed narrowly. Then came the vital goal in the game as Ricardo Fuller capitalized on a shocking header back from Stephen McLaughlin and rounded Dorus De Vries before tapping the ball into the empty net.
Overall, this was a shocking performance and result from Forest's point of view. To lose to a team like Millwall at home is completely unacceptable. They have arguably been the worst team in the Championship of late and Forest with the quality they have in their ranks should have been able to take advantage especially on home turf. However, it wasn't to be and the long ball football was even more evident than ever. Something has to change if Forest are going to turn their form around.
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