Forest entertain Swansea this weekend in yet another promotion chasing fixture with just one league place & 5 points separating the two teams. The tough games just keep on coming for Forest but although they have suffered something of a wobble lately, the fortress city Ground still seems to be holding firm.
Vital Quotes:
I like Swansea, think I’ll have a weekend off though
Nottingham Forest Team News:
There are no new injury concerns at forest, Joel Lynch is still out & although Julian Bennett played a reserve game in midweek it is far to early for him to return. The bug that saw Paul Anderson pull out at half time v the foxes seems to have cleared up and the arrival of George Boyd will add much needed strength & creativity to the Forest midfield.
Player to watch: George Boyd
The on loan Peterborough winger will add goals and assists to Forest’s promotion push. He had played in all but one of the posh’s games this season scoring 9 times & adding a further 9 assists to their survival hopes.
Swansea City Team News:
The injury crisis just keeps getting worse for the Swans, Joe Allen and Andrea Orlandi are both ruled out of this game, Ferrie Bodde lasted just 32 minutes on his comeback before limping off with a reoccurrence of his ligament damage and needs another operation & former Forest target Darren Pratley was taken off in the same game after 23 minutes with a knock to his knee and is doubtful for this game. Gorka Pintado will miss this game as the third of a 3 match ban for attempting to snap Robbie Savage in half, shame as he would have got a terrific reception for the Forest fans.
Player to watch: Shefki Kuqi
Another one of those player who always seem to score against Forest. He joined the Swans at the end of January and has already scored twice in just 4 starts. Once again forest may need to score twice to win.
Match Facts & Stats
These two teams have now met 55 times in league competition with the most recent being Forest’s 0 – 1 win at the Liberty Stadium back in December where a David McGoldrick goal separated the two teams. In all those previous games Forest do hold a slight lead with 22 wins, Swansea though are not far behind with 20 and a further 13 games have been drawn. Those 55 league games have totalled 171 goals with Forest also holding a slight advantage there with 90 of them.
Although they have had a great season so far, Forest have yet to do the double over any Championship team. Swansea do offer them the chance to rectify this as do Preston, Barnsley, Peterborough, Newcastle, Plymouth & Scunthorpe. The only team left this season that can do the double over Forest is Blackpool. The Swans certainly wont make it easy on Forest though, they are currently on the longest unbeaten league run in the Championship (12 games) & the last team to take 3 points from Swansea was in fact Forest almost 3 months ago.
Forest are in scintillating form at home having won all of the previous 9 league fixtures at the City Ground, a run that has seen them concede just 4 goals and score 25. The unbeaten home run stretches a little further having drawn 1 & won 12 of the last 13 home games.
Ref Watch:
Colin Webster of Tyne & Wear will referee this fixture, he last took charge of a Forest game in the FA Cup way back in Nov 2007 when we were held to a 1 – 1 draw with Lincoln at Sincil Bank
Daniel Meeson of Staffordshire and Nigel Smith of Derbyshire
Fourth Official Carl Dunn of Staffordshire
Match Prediction:
Forest are in great from at home where they don’t concede many and Swansea don’t score many away, with the Boyd effect i expect to see Forest run out 2 – 0 victors with a confident performance.
Next Fixtures:
Saturday, 13 March 15:00
The Football League Championship
Preston v Nottm Forest
