Tag Archives: Forest

Rovers to chop down Forest

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It’s been a tough few days for Blackburn Rovers with the resignation of manager Steve Kean and the side find themselves on the road again when they take on Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night (Forest 6/4, draw 9/4, Rovers 9/5 Match Betting).

After months of speculation and pressure for change at Ewood Park, Kean finally decided to call it a day with the Lancashire outfit ahead of their 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Saturday.

The Scot’s departure will relieve the pressure on the Blackburn (11/2 Championship outright) squad and it will be up to caretaker manager Eric Black to guide the players through this spell, as the club’s owners continue their search for a successor.

Black has spoken about the positive attitude in the dressing room and, with the experience of Paul Robinson, Danny Murphy and Nuno Gomes in their ranks, they certainly have the mental strength to get through this difficult time and get results on the pitch.

The combination of Gomes and Scotland international Jordan Rhodes looks like it could be a potent partnership in the Championship this term and Forest will have their work cut out for them in defence if they are to keep the pair off the scoresheet.

As for the home side, their task against one of the favorites to win promotion back to the Premier League will be made all the more difficult following the suspension of Dexter Blackstock, who was sent off in the 1-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Derby County on Sunday.

Forest will still be hurting from that defeat at the City Ground and manager Sean O’Driscoll will be wanting to put things right against Rovers.

However, Blackburn have so much strength in their starting XI and the luxury of bringing impact players off the bench, so they should be able to just edge out the Reds (13/2 1-0 Rovers correct score).

In Wednesday’s other encounter Derby, who will be buoyed by that win over Forest, make the trip to the North East to take on Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough 21/20, draw 12/5, Derby 5/2 Match Betting).

Boro suffered their first defeat at the Riverside last weekend, as they were undone by Leicester City 2-1 to the frustration of manager Tony Mowbray. It was really a game the home side should have won but goals from Jamie Vardy and Lloyd Dyer saw their downfall.

Derby will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday, as they go in search of their second away win of the season following that scalp against Forest.

The Rams look like they will struggle in the Championship once again this term and manager Nigel Clough looks set to head back down to the East Midlands with nothing to show for their efforts at the Riverside, with Boro looking just too strong for them (7/1 2-0 Middlesbrough correct score).

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Forest out to put down Rams

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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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Forest ready for Bolton battle

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Nottingham Forest have made a positive start to their Championship campaign and will make the trip to the Reebok Stadium on Friday confident they can get something from their clash with Bolton Wanderers (Bolton Wanderers Evens, draw 5/2, Nottingham Forest 13/5 – Match Betting).

The Reds claimed a win on the opening day of the season with a 1-0 home victory over Bristol City, followed by a hard fought 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town in West Yorkshire in midweek from which they were unlucky not to claim the three points from.

Manager Sean O’Driscoll has made his side hard to beat in their opening games and it looks like Forest (7/2 – Promotion Outright) will be in the mix for the play-offs come the end of the regular season.

Backed by their new Kuwaiti owners, Forest have been able to make some strong signings over the summer and they are likely to add to the squad at the City Ground before the window closes at the end of the month.

The signing of Simon Cox from West Brom already looks like it will pay off over the course of the season, as he found the net against the Terriers on Tuesday and looked a threat throughout.

With the likes of Lewis McGugan  and Dexter Blackstock in their ranks, Forest have some real attacking threats who are bound to get chances presented to them on Friday night against a Bolton outfit who have already shown they can be vulnerable at the back this term.

The Whites had a rude awakening to life in the Championship when they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Lancashire rivals Burnley last weekend.

That result at Turf Moor will have been a bitter pill to swallow for Trotters boss Owen Coyle against his former employers but he will have been pleased with his side’s display in midweek when they saw off Derby County 2-0 at the Reebok.

Bolton (7/1 – Championship Outright) will be a tough proposition on home soil this term, as they have been able to keep hold of many of their key players who dropped down from the Premier League last season.

Mark and Kevin Davies form the spine of the team in the upper half of the pitch and Coyle will need to keep both those players at the club beyond the transfer window if they are to be successful in the second tier of English football.

The strong back two of Matthew Mills and Zat Knight will be tough to break down and the pair of Keith Andrews and Chris Eagles in the middle of the park will add an extra attacking threat that Forest will have to be wary of.

This certainly looks like it will be a very close game and it could go either way, depending on who can make the most of their chances.

It looks like there could well be a share of the spoils which would probably make O’Driscoll the happier of the two managers as Forest (12/1 – Championship Outright) would maintain their unbeaten record in the league this season.

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Forest to pull up more trees

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There is a full round of Championship fixtures on Tuesday night and Nottingham Forest look set to continue their resurgence with a win over fellow strugglers Doncaster Rovers.

After seeing off Coventry and Birmingham, Forest were held to a 1-1 draw at Barnsley last time out but they should be too strong for rock-bottom Donny on Tuesday night.  The South Yorkshire side are without a win in their last seven league fixtures and have managed just two wins and seven points on the road all season.

Doncaster are five points adrift of safety and appear to be heading into League One.  Forest are priced at 4/6 to secure the win and pile the pressure on the Rovers.  The draw is 11/4 and Doncaster are 4/1 to take all three points.

New Leeds United boss Neil Warnock couldn’t secure a win in his first game in charge as the Elland Road side suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to league-leaders Southampton.  Warnock’s second game in charge is a tricky trip to Hull City on Tuesday, with the Tigers a formidable side on home soil.

Nick Barmby’s men are unbeaten in their previous seven fixtures and can be backed at evens to see off Leeds, the draw is 12/5 and an away win can be backed at 11/4.

Derby County’s hopes of sneaking into the play-offs appear to be all but over, with the Rams currently 12 points adrift of a top six spot.  The Pride Park outfit seem set to finish mid-table as they’re 15 points clear of relegation, and pushing for as high a finish as possible remains their only realistic goal for the remainder of the campaign.

In contrast, Blackpool are involved in the battle for a top-six spot as they seek an immediate return to the top flight and the Seasiders could well take all three points when the two sides meet in Derby on Tuesday night.

Derby have been in shocking form of late and are without a win in seven, losing four and drawing three.  Blackpool have lost just once in their previous 10 league fixtures and have also won their last three away games.  The Seasiders can be backed at 11/8 to take all three points, while Derby are 15/8 to seal the win and the draw is priced at 12/5.

Ipswich have picked up of late with four wins in their last five games but they face a daunting trip to St Mary’s on Tuesday, where league leaders Southampton have won 13 of their 17 games to date.

Saints seem set to secure back-to-back promotions and should be too strong for the Tractor Boys, who are well clear of relegation but too far from the top six to mount a serious late promotion charge.  The home win can be backed at 8/13, while Ipswich are 9/2 and the draw is available at 14/5.

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Forest can add to Howe woes

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There’s almost a full fixture list in the Championship on Tuesday, with some crunch games at the top and bottom end of the table. Two former top-flight clubs go head-to-head at Turf Moor, with Burnley and Nottingham Forest expected to be doing better than they are at present. Here’s our take on how Tuesday’s matches (all 7:45pm kick offs) might pan out…

Burnley v Nottingham Forest

Both these teams have endured a tough start to the season and the pressure has been mounting on Eddie Howe and Steve McClaren. Being at home, the onus will be on the Clarets to take the game to Forest and that may play into the visitors’ hands.

Burnley have won only one league game so far this term, but the biggest worry will be their form at Turf Moor. Howe’s men have collected just three points from a possible 12 at home and were denied a win on Saturday by a late Southampton equaliser.

Forest on the other hand picked up a useful win, if a bit scrappy, at Watford and their away form has been better than that home, where they are yet to win.

Suggested Bet: Draw HT / Forest FT @ 5/1

Derby v Barnsley

The Rams go into Tuesday’s game sitting third in the table after a crushing win over Millwall at the weekend. Nigel Clough has turned Derby from relegation candidates into promotion hopefuls, but they face a stiff test in midweek.

Barnsley have started to turn around their fortunes and Keith Hill’s men are unbeaten in their last five games. Ok, four of those games have been draws but they have made themselves tough to beat.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 5/2

West Ham v Ipswich

Sam Allardyce is still trying to make Upton Park a fortress, but it is proving harder than he probably thought.

Saturday’s narrow win over Peterborough was their second home success of the season, but the boss will be concerned with a lack of goals in the last couple of games.

Meanwhile, Ipswich continue to sum up the division – unpredictable and inconsistent! Paul Jewell’s team are good enough to beat anyone in the division, but they are also capable of losing to anyone.

Suggested Bet: West Ham to win 1-0 @ 6/1

Doncaster v Hull

Dean Saunders secured the perfect start to his spell in charge at the Keepmoat, with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace – Rovers’ first win of the season. He may find it tougher to build on that though on Tuesday, when he faces the prospect of his first Yorkshire derby.

Hull are unbeaten in their last four games and their away record is impressive, picking up two wins and a draw in four away matches to date. Nigel Pearson has instilled some real steel into the Tigers and they look real promotion contenders.

Suggested Bet: Hull to win @ 8/5

Coventry v Blackpool

Six points already separate these two sides and they are likely to be at opposite end of the table come May. Coventry are in desperate need of striking reinforcements and goals continue to be their problem.

Goals are not normally a problem for the Tangerines, it’s leaking them that gives Ian Holloway cause for concern. Saturday’s late defeat at Portsmouth is likely to inspire them though to respond at the Ricoh Arena.

Suggested Bet: Blackpool to win @ 6/4

Brighton v Crystal Palace

A third home game in seven days for Brighton, with Gus Poyet hoping to make it third time lucky. Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool was followed by a draw with Leeds on Friday, leaking five goals in the process.

The Seagulls bright start to the season may well have been derailed in recent weeks and Palace are a dangerous team to face at this time. The Eagles are sat in mid-table and have already secured a win at Hull on their travels this season.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 11/4

Bristol City v Reading

Both of these teams have disappointed so far this term, with both the Robins and the Royals sitting in the bottom half.

Bristol City are yet to win at home this season and Reading have the attacking threat to pile on the woes for the Ashton Gate faithful.

Suggested Bet: Simon Church to score at anytime @ 13/8

Portsmouth v Peterborough

Peterborough’s good start has turned sour in recent weeks, with Darren Ferguson’s men losing four of their last five games.

Pompey will have been buoyed by their late win over Blackpool on Saturday and can grind out another three points in midweek.

Suggested Bet: Portsmouth to win @ 11/10

Watford v Millwall

These two teams are struggling badly, with a lack of confidence and a lack of goals in recent weeks.

The Hornets have failed to find the net in four league games this term, while the Lions have not scored in their last five matches – don?t expect many goals here!

Suggested Bet: 0-0 draw @ 5/2

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Forest face uphill task

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Nottingham Forest will be desperate to put recent play-off disasters to one side when they tackle Swansea City in the first leg of their Championship semi-final at The City Ground (Forest 13/10, draw 23/10, Swansea 21/10 in the match betting).

Four years ago, when Forest were languishing in League One, they seemed certain to be heading to Wembley when they won at Yeovil Town 2-0 in the first leg, only to suffer a stunning 5-2 home reverse to the Glovers in the return clash.

After that amazing aggregate defeat, Forest did at least bounce back by winning automatic promotion 12 months later, but they were to endure another disastrous play-off experience at the end of the 2009-10 campaign.

Billy Davies’ side were everyone’s favourites to see off rank outsiders Blackpool even after they had been beaten 2-1 at Bloomfield Road in the first leg.

However, despite being unbeatable at The City Ground in the second half of the regular season, including a run of 12 successive victories, they contrived to lose 4-3 to Ian Holloway’s inspired side, who went on to beat Cardiff City at Wembley to confirm their place in the Premier League.

Despite a few wobbles along the way, Forest finished the 2010-11 campaign strongly to see off the challenge of Leeds United and Millwall and clinch sixth spot.

However, they will find it difficult to see off a Swansea City side that have a notoriously mean defence and are 13/5 with totesport to keep a clean sheet on Thursday.

Last term, under Paulo Sousa’s astute stewardship, they only just missed out on a top-six spot after conceding a paltry 37 goals in their 46 matches.

Despite Sousa’s summer defection to Leicester City, the Swans have prospered this term under ex-Watford and Reading manager Brendan Rodgers.

Once again their defence has been solid – Rodgers’ side conceded only 42 goals as they finished third – but they have added some goalscoring flair to their defensive organisation, finding the net 69 times in comparison to last season’s tally of 40 goals.

Former Chelsea starlet Scott Sinclair (13/2 to open the scoring at The City Ground) has been in blistering form, scoring 19 times in the Championship this term.

He has received good support from Darren Pratley and Stephen Dobbie who have both netted nine times.

There has been little to choose between the two sides this term, with Forest beating Rodgers’ team 3-1 at The City Ground in September, before the Swans gained revenge at the Liberty Stadium in March when they won by the odd goal in five.

Despite the prize on offer being so vast, a high-scoring game could once again be on the cards, with 12/1 available on a 2-2 draw.

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Forest to fire promotion message

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Nottingham Forest have the first of two chances to use games in hand on their rivals to jump into the Championship’s automatic promotion places (10/11 Promotion) when they travel to struggling Scunthorpe United on Wednesday evening.

Billy Davies’ men have stormed up the table in recent weeks with a ten-game unbeaten run to leave them handily-placed in fourth position and just two points behind second-placed Cardiff – who blew their opportunity to cement their place in the top two by being held to a 1-1 draw against Burnley on Tuesday.

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at league leaders QPR, despite being down to ten men for most of the Loftus Road encounter, highlighted Forest as real contenders for not only promotion but possibly the title (9/2 Outright) as they could move to within a point of Neil Warnock’s Rs if they win their two games in hand.

Forest have to travel to struggling Middlesbrough on March 1 to catch up on their previously postponed fixtures, but they will look to leap-frog Norwich and Cardiff this evening with a maximum haul from their game at Glanford Park.

Davies will be without Radoslaw Majewski, who must serve a three-match suspension following his red card at QPR, while fellow midfielder Guy Moussi is out with a thigh injury.

However, Forest should have more than enough to see off the Iron, who are seven points adrift of safety in second-bottom spot in the table following a run of 12 defeats in their last 14 and have won only once at home all season.

Ian Baraclough’s side will be without striker Joe Garner under the terms of his loan from Forest, but Chris Dagnall should be back in contention. Defenders Rob Jones and David Mirfin are doubtful and Garry Thompson is still about four weeks away from a return.

Forest boast the best defensive record in the Championship on their travels, while Scunthorpe are poor at home and have failed to score in seven of their last ten league matches.

Everything points to a 3-0 win for Forest (12/1 Correct Score), but the fact they battled on to earn a point with ten men at QPR could impact on their energy levels and subsequently play a part on the outcome of the game.

Add to that Scunthorpe’s desperation for points to try and save themselves from the drop back into League One and it might be a closer affair than many would anticipate looking at the stats ahead of the game.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest To Score In Both Halves @ 7/4
Value Bet: Forest To Win 2-1 @ 7/1

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Forest eye automatic places

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Nottingham Forest are looking to extend their six-game unbeaten run in the Championship when they take on Bristol City on Tuesday (Nottingham 4/7, draw 5/2, Bristol 21/5).

Forest have won their last four games in all competitions but it has not come easily for Billy Davies and his men.

Luke Chambers netted in the 89th minute to give his side a 2-1 win over Preston in the FA Cup which was followed by another 2-1 victory over Portsmouth the following week, thanks to two goals in the 87th and 94th minute.

Despite leaving things pretty late, Forest have been playing some of the best football in the Championship and, after having a slow start to their Championship campaign, they have now got themselves into a great position in the table.

The Reds currently sit in sixth but they could sneak into the automatic places if they win their games in hand over the teams above which include Leeds United, Swansea, Norwich and Cardiff.

Bristol City will have their work cut out as Forest will be full of confidence after beating local rivals Derby County last week, thanks to a late goal from Welsh striker Robert Earnshaw.

Notts should come out on top in this one, as they eye those automatic places and promotion back to the Premier League.

There is a juicy South Yorkshire derby as Doncaster Rovers host Barnsley in what should be an exciting encounter (Doncaster 10/11, draw 23/10, Barnsley 5/2).

Both teams play attractive, attacking football so there should be goals in this one. Barnsley played out a draw against high-flying Swansea on Saturday and were unlucky not to pick up all three points.

There were concerns that the Tykes would struggle without their star man Adam Hammill, who moved to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Barnsley are an improved outfit from last season and they sit eight points clear of the relegation zone and find themselves looking upwards.

As for Doncaster, they have suffered a recent dip in form and have failed to win in their last five outings in all competitions.

Rovers will be determined to get their season back on track and in front of their home fans, against their local rivals, they may well just grab all three points.

In the other game from the Championship on Tuesday, Portsmouth take on Burnley at Fratton Park (Portsmouth 7/5, draw 11/5, Burnley 8/5).

Both these sides have enjoyed their time in the limelight of the Premier League but now it’s back to the toil of the Championship.

This should be a very close game as Burnley, who are still finding their feet under new boss Eddie Howe, have struggled to secure wins in recent weeks while Portsmouth  have failed to win in their last six so a draw looks a good option down on the south coast.

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Davies committed to Forest

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Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies insists he is not about to walk out on the 8/1 joint favourites to win the Championship in 2010/11, with the new season less than a month away.

The Scot took Forest into the play-offs last season where they were knocked out by eventual winners Blackpool over two legs.

Davies’ future has been in the spotlight after he was linked with the Celtic job before Neil Lennon got the nod on a permanent basis.

The former Preston and Derby boss also revealed in April that he would make a decision over his role at the City Ground once the season ended, saying: “In the summer I will sit down and I will discuss with my advisors and representatives the way the situation is with regard to the future and we will look at the future and we’ll make decisions.”

However, speculation resurfaced after he admitted right-back James Perch was sold to long-time suitors Newcastle last week without his knowledge.

But Forest chief executive Mark Arthur has played down any suggestion of a breakdown in the relationship between manager and board.

He told the Evening Post: “The chairman had informed Billy on three separate occasions that, should we get another offer for James Perch from Newcastle that was acceptable to the business of the club, then we would not stand in his way.

“Newcastle had also offered to quadruple Perch’s salary and therefore, with our reluctance to offer him a new contract, it would have been wrong to stand in his way.

“When an offer came through that was acceptable to the board I phoned Billy to tell him of the offer and his response was ‘that is the board’s decision and so be it’.”

Davies himself added: “I have two years left on my contract and I will continue to do my job to the best of my ability until somebody else decides otherwise.”

Along with Forest, Middlesbrough are also 8/1 to win the Championship next season with QPR (10/1), Cardiff, Burnley and Reading (all 11/1) also among the frontrunners.

Forest kick off their campaign with a trip to relegated Burnley on August 7 (Clarets 11/10, draw 11/5, Forest 21/10 – 90 minutes).

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Davies sets Forest terms

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Billy DaviesBoss Billy Davies admits he does not want a repeat of his Premier League experience with Derby if he manages to restore Nottingham Forest’s top-flight status later in the month (Forest 5/2 Promotion).

The Scot got the Rams promoted via the play-offs three years ago but arguably it was too much, too soon for the Pride Park outfit who tasted victory on just one occasion in their 38 games.

Davies will try to repeat the feat with Forest this season and says he is “desperate” to pit his wits against the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger again.

“I want to get back there with a club that will financially support its manager, a club that wants to compete at that level and doesn’t want to change owners,” Davies told the BBC.

“That’s my biggest challenge.”

Forest, who play Scunthorpe on Sunday at Glanford Park, have guaranteed themselves a home second leg in the play-off semi-finals. They realistically need just a point to secure third place although they cannot finish lower than fourth spot (Scunthorpe 9/5, draw 12/5, Forest 7/5).

Cardiff can still overhaul them but their preparations for the final game of the regular season and the play-offs have been overshadowed by developments over the future of chairman Peter Ridsdale.

The former Leeds chairman will stand down at the end of the month although he has refused to elaborate further, with a Far East consortium set to invest in the club in the summer.

A statement confirmed: “Peter leaves therefore with the best wishes and thanks of the board of directors and the shareholders of the company for his energy, commitment and success in completing the tasks that were set for him.”

Cardiff (13/5 Promotion) face a trip to Derby on Sunday (Rams 6/4, draw 23/10, Bluebirds 7/4).

The final play-off place tomorrow is Blackpool’s to lose ahead of the Tangerines’ home clash against Bristol City, with seventh-placed Swansea needing to win against Doncaster at the Liberty Stadium given their vastly inferior goal difference. The Swans then need a favour off the Robins.

There is also guaranteed drama at Hillsborough when Crystal Palace head up the M1 in search of the point that will preserve their Championship status and send Sheffield Wednesday down.

The Eagles (5/4 Relegation) lost 10 points after entering administration but will stay up if they avoid defeat against the Owls (4/7) who occupy the final relegation place with just 90 minutes of their season left to play.

Palace boss Paul Hart, who kept Portsmouth in the Premier League last season, admits he will send his side out to win the game.

“I don’t think it would be wise to pop up to Hillsborough and park outside their 18-yard box for 90 minutes,” he said.

“We have to think we can win the game and we have to go up there with that attitude.”

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