Preston manager Alex Neil says that Nottingham Forest are the best side in the Championship, when it comes to hitting teams on the counter-attack.
Forest travel to Deepdale to face Preston on Saturday afternoon, looking to cement their position in the play-off places following their defeat at home to fellow top-six contenders Fulham in midweek.
Despite that setback, Neil – whose Preston side are still not entirely out of play-off contention themselves – is well aware of the threat that Forest will pose for his team, and believes that his side will not be able to be complacent in possession, because of Forest’s efficiency in games in which they may not dominate the ball.
Speaking about Forest ahead of the game, Neil was quoted by Nottinghamshire Live as saying: “They’ve been very strong. I think they’re number one in the league for counter-attacking goals. They’re not high for attacks or possession so they’re quite comfortable to not have the ball.
“I think the majority of games they’ve won they’ve had less possession than the opposition, and when they’ve had more possession their results have generally been poorer. So they’ve got certain telltale signs in terms of when they’ve been productive.
“I think they’re one of the least in the league as well in terms of positional attacks for when you’re trying to score against them, which means if they’re behind the ball and in their shape, it’s really difficult to break them down.”
Do you agree with Neil about Forest on the counter-attack?Yes
No
|
Indeed, it seems that is something that could impact Neil and Preston’s own approach to this game, as the North End boss concluded his assessment of Sabri Lamouchi’s side by adding: “So all those things will have a bearing on what we’re doing, but no more in terms of importance than any other game – it’s just another fact and stat we can try and use to our advantage.”
