The Championship action continues on Sunday with the East Midlands grudge match between Nottingham Forest and Derby at the City Ground (Forest 10/11, draw 5/2, Derby 3/1).
Recent clashes between these two have always produced fireworks and with so much local pride at stake, it’s sure to be an absolute cracker.
After an uncertain summer following their takeover by the Al-Hasawi family, Forest have struggled to gel due to the influx of new players and go into the game on a run of seven matches without a win.
This has been partly down to the appointment of boss Sean O’Driscoll, who has tried to introduce a new footballing philosophy at the club, following years of long-ball tactics under the likes of Billy Davies and Steve Cotterill.
However, it’s surely only a matter of time before they start putting some points on the board and one look at their squad shows you that they have plenty of quality within their ranks.
Most notable of these is attacking midfielder Lewis McGugan (9/4 to score at anytime), who has long been seen as a potential Premier League star without anyone ever taking a chance on him.
The 23-year-old is now a major part of the Forest line-up and has been one of the rare bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign.
He is also one of few local boys involved in the game and will be desperate to show his ability on Sunday.
After once again starting the season with high hopes, Derby have struggled this term as the lack of finances at the club have once again hampered Nigel Clough from adding true quality to his squad.
The lack of strength in depth has forced the Rams’ boss to utilise the club’s excellent youth players in a number of games and he’ll be looking to tap into his youngsters’ passion for the game at the City Ground.
He can also try to inspire his side with the memory of their miraculous win at Forest last year, where they upset the odds to win 2-1, despite being reduced to ten men after just two minutes.
One of the heroes of that match was Jamie Ward (5/2 to score at anytime) who after years of showing signs of potential, appears to have come of age this year and has even become a regular in the Northern Ireland team.
Ward thrives on pressure and will be looking to use his pace to try and get in behind the Forest rear guard.
This one is sure to be a classic local derby with two teams who will do anything to beat each other.
However, home advantage often plays a massive role in the outcome of these games and the extra class in the Forest side should see them through (Forest 7/1 to win 2-1).
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