HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday's game by delving into their forums.

Springtime is a time in football when fear and optimism run riot. While Leicester fans have been fearful of losing the top six position which they have chased all season, Forest supporters up the road are planning a raid.

“I think 73 points may be enough for a play-off spot". Forest are on a charge since Billy Davies returned in early February, and are stalking the top six. Middlesbrough, Brighton and Palace are seen as the weakest gazelles in the herd and their results are keenly watched on match days.

The need for wins

“We should be attacking and trying to win”, “Every game is a must win game in we want the play-offs”. With no relegation threat, there is a sense from fans that Forest should be going for it in games, as a defeat is little worse than a draw: “A point is not good enough due to the McLeish era.”

A Tale of Three Managers

“A man of real integrity. He has a great ethos on football which underpins his decisions on how to run a club. Best of luck to him.”

Sean O’Driscoll is highly respected as a person for his brief time by the Trent. The footballing assessment was more diffident: “We were quite dour under him – a plodding mid-table side.” We were “far too busy sitting back on leads under O’Driscoll”.

The end of Alex McLeish’s brief tenure coincided with the non-transfer of George Boyd from Posh over a failed eye test, but the reality was that he was hated by their supporters:“Players clearly aren’t playing for him. It’s a disaster!” “This is so bad.” “He is the only man to finish third in a two horse race.” These comments are from early January before the Boyd transfer saga happened.

“The transformation of players under Davies is staggering”, ”The thing with Palace and Brighton is that they don’t have a Billy Davies”, “Billy is back and we are a different team”, This is a real honeymoon period", “It’s amazing the effect a manager can have on the same group of players who looked pretty average so far this season”.

“What Billy did (against Charlton) was push our full-backs forward to give us width. Under his watch, his team are playing a high tempo, high pressure and a faster passing game.”

There has been a return to the style that characterised his first period in charge at the City Ground: “We have had 50 shots on goal in three games.”

This new style has highlighted shortcomings, however: “The squad lacks pace. He (Davies) used to be able to send on Nathan Tyson or Ando (Paul Anderson) in the last 20 minutes to stretch defenders” (in his first managerial spell). This lack of pace terrified Forest fans late in the game on Saturday, as the Owls really went for an equaliser.

Defence

“We still need to defend better, and that has to be where there is a signing. The players we have don’t seem to be organisable”, “Our defence are still vulnerable to pace and can be caught out. Their strikers can get behind our defence with a simple pass or cross.”

“When was the last time we had the same back four for three games running?”. There is “stability at the back under Davies.” It is evident that the manager is looking doing the basics in Forest’s weakest area.

In goal, 22-year old newcomer Karl Darlow carries much goodwill from fans. He was praised for keeping out a late Sheffield Wednesday onslaught on Saturday evening. “A star in the making,” one fan wondered. “How was Camp number one for so long?”

“Darlow’s mental game looks strong. He is composed, makes good decisions and is vocal when distributing. He has not had time to learn fear and doubt yet”, “Thank God for Darlow. I don’t think we’d have kept them (Wednesday) out with(Lee) Camp.”

Greg Halford is suspended after picking up his 10th yellow card this season at Charlton and there is anxiety that our former loanee Danny Collins will partner Elliott Ward at centre-half. Ward is on loan from the Budgies, and there was very little comment about him.

“If the Owls hang around Danny Collins long enough [on Saturday], the goals will start streaming their way”, “Collins to be CB, unfortunately”.

There is little confidence in the former Stoke defender. On Saturday, one fan said that “he was all over the place but showed his courage in the battle as the game carried on”.

At right back, Chilean international Gonzalo Jara Reyes is highly regarded: “A beautiful full-back”, “A killer first touch”, “Utter class”, “Superb vision, he always looks up for a pass”.

On loan from the Baggies, the player is less effective when pinned back. “I feel sorry for Jara when he gets the ball, and looks up with no-one in front of him. There is usually never an outlet when he is deep in his own half.”

Chris Cohen is the current left-back. “His energy levels make him a great asset on the left-hand side”, “Defensively he could come unstuck against better wingers”.

Against the Owls, he was “brilliant going forward but still a bit shaky defensively”. There is a suspicion that he is a squad player at best and all praise is usually qualified.

Danny Collins was replaced by 19-year-old Jamaal Lascelles late in the game on Saturday. It prompted this remarkable assessment: “Lascelles is an absolutely beautiful man. Look at him! He strode on there, with a face like Agamemnon carved in granite. Confident and towering and not in the mood for bullsh*t,” he was “all lean and majestic”.

Midfield

“Midfield is where we win games". If Forest are suspect at the back, they are widely praised for the strength of their midfield. They operate a diamond system in which “the midfield is flexible with players regularly swapping positions during the game”.

“There is no Forest without (Adlene) Guedioura”. The Algerian international is “tough tackling and immense. (Against Charlton) he played like a quarterback and pulled strings.”

The 27-year-old former Wolves player plays in a holding role. “Energetic,” he was described as “the one player in our squad who could slip into a Premiership outfit without a problem”.

However, in thread after thread, praise is always balanced with, “Made a couple of errors”, “He’ll do one silly thing in every game”, “He got himself into trouble (against Charlton)” and (against the Owls) “Well Ged with his typical botch right there”. There is “Always a WTF moment, but he works his a*se off to make up for it”.

“King Billy is back, and Raddy is on fire”, “His technique cannot be underestimated. He is a superbly talented footballer playing with confidence".

Radoslaw Majewski “struggled under O’Driscoll, but is rejuvenated under Billy Davies,", "He is now Raddy 2.0".

The Polish international has added balance to the midfield. “He plays slightly deeper, helping the defence a lot more and looks totally comfortable with it. He gets the ball from a deeper position and has more influence”, “He can get muscled a bit, but not usually when he has a big lad alongside him like Guedioura”.

Majewski scored against the Owls on Saturday, and he is combining very effectively with the strikers. He is “on fire at the moment”, “The important thing is that he's consistently in the right position to be having the chances”, “At least he gets in the right positions to have lots of chances. That's much easier said than done.”

There is a thread running called ‘The Renaissance of Andy Reid'. “Is there a better playmaker in the Championship?”. Against the Owls “the crucial attacking moments of the game all went through Reid”. They did get a bit carried away at times: “Reid the playmaker genuinely looks like Xavi in the last few games. It has been ridiculous.”

The former Sunderland player is in his second spell art the City Ground, and is “flourishing with a more central role” in their flexible diamond. He is “amazing. I don’t think we’d have half the goals we’ve had if he wasn’t on the field".

However, late in the game against the Owls, as Forest were under pressure, one fan noted “Reidy’s disappeared”. “Reid drifted out of the game as we were pushed further back”, “The Chunky Irishman” and his “man boobs” were discussed, although he has lost weight. “Just think what the nation would be like if everyone lost two stone. National productivity would sky rocket.”

There was very little comment at all on 22-year old Henri (Angela) Lansbury, apart from one comment saying that he was ”hungry and playing well".

Strikers

“Do we even need strikers because it’s our midfield doing all the work?”. Most Forest fans see their midfield as being at least as dangerous as their strikers under Billy Davies.

“His style reminded me of Dirk Kuyt”, “He comes deeper for the ball and plays it forward”, “He has a lot of strength holding the ball up”. Simon Cox is highly regarded for his wider role in attack for Forest.

“Playing a high pressure game like we are under Billy, Cox must start every game. I don’t care about his goal tally. He brings so much to the side.”

“He’s got a brain, this lad. He beats a defender and has a decent angle for a shot, but unselfishly gives it to Raddy to finish off (against Sheffield Wednesday)”, “He has football intelligence and his awareness of play around him is great. He is playing like a Teddy Sheringham”. This is high praise for the Republic of Ireland international.

“Billy Sharp is in his pre-season phase with us.” “It is unlikely the Billy Sharp will be playing in a Forest shirt next season.” “Cox and Sharp are too similar in style.” The player, on loan from Southampton, is widely dismissed by Forest supporters. “WMD (Billy Davies) will only want fully committed players in his team.”

“I’m worried about Dex. He strolls around like he’s just smoked a bifta” [which obviously he hasn't - Legal Ed]. Dexter Blackstock, the former QPR striker is "trying hard, but his confidence seems low after missing a number of easy chances at crucial times in games.”

“Blackstock is a better all-round player, but Hendo can do a job”. Darius Henderson is a “big lump”, “not very mobile”, “Dominant in the air, but proper slow”, “McLeish set the team up to hoof it up to Henderson,” but the former Millwall striker is “used as a Dele Adebola option in a Billy Davies squad”.

Forest Fans Views on ITFC and the Game

“Mick has been concentrating on sorting his defence out. They did for us at their ground and I think they will be targeting the draw or hoping to snatch a breakaway victory”. They think that this game, plus Saturday’s at home to Wolves are “easily winnable”.

There is little detailed opinion on ITFC yet on Forest sites, but two former players have been mentioned in connection with our Leicester game. “Anyone see Chambers's error that let Wood in? Hope everyone boos Chambers on Tuesday”, “He’s bound to assist us towards some goals - that fist pumping buffoon!”.

“Goldie has actually done something for Forest!”, “Great lad Goldie! Taking three points away from them” and, sarcastically “Ipswich have a pacy young striker who could definitely do a job for us”.

David McGoldrick’s goal was well received, but there was some sarcasm: “Is there a clause in his contract which states that he cannot play against us?”, “I’d imagine the clause in his contract states that he must play against us.”

Other Points

“My theory is that the attacks were constructed and implemented by the US Government.”

The George Boyd conspiracy theory is a much discussed topic. If Forest had not had such a renaissance under Davies, it all could have gone the way of that Scottish striker now at Blackburn who we like to discuss.

“See Boyd banging them in for Hull today - still think he would have made a good signing. Of course last time he was here Billy wouldn't play him. Wonder if al-Hasawi (the owner) had already sounded out Billy (Davies) on transfer deadline day hence the Boyd move being called off?” This is a very popular theory. “The ginger numpty was already on his way".

In a sign of the times, one of the forums carries a translation of the Kuwaiti owner’s tweets. The best website I found was Lost That Loving Feeling and there was some additional feedback on vitalfootball.forest.co.uk.

Arthur added 20:15 - Mar 3 Wow HFB very comprehensive ..... Thanks But will the score be?
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Edmunds5 added 20:23 - Mar 3 Great read, I enjoy these articles. I think it will be a case of keep it tight and try and take the opportunities that come as far as our set up is concerned, understandable as we still need points. A couple of things that concern me, firstly I think if Forest score early we may have to change things and with the lack of creativity in midfield I think we could find it difficult to get back in it, and secondly, after watching the highlights against Sheff Wed its clear Davies has got Forest playing some free-flowing stuff and as we're not the quickest side i think we may struggle to cope, a bit like the game against Watford not so long back. We have every reason to feel confident and If we put in the same effort we did against Leicester I'm sure we've got a chance of getting something.

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Guthrum added 21:45 - Mar 3 Good digest, thanks for that.
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DanLyles added 09:52 - Mar 4 Keep up the great work. Interesting to read about a midfield with an abundance of creativity and goals, I'm sure MM has a few of these type of players earmarked for Town this summer. Should be an interesting game, sounds like Hyam and N'Daw will once again need to stop these types of midfielders from playing. Other key battles for me: Jara v Martin: if the former is weak defensively then this is a great opportunity for Martin to run inside him from the left and open Forest up. Collins v Chopra or McGoldrick: both our strikers are beginning to look sharp again and Collins is error prone at the moment. Chambers v Cox: I would envisage Smith picking up Blackstock so Chambers will have to be at his best against Cox, knowing when to pick him up when he drops deep. He is also very strong physically so Chambers mustn't get 'rolled'

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Premierbluez added 18:23 - Mar 4 DanLyles McGoldrick cannot play as he is on loan from Forest. Personally I would take a draw given Nottingham Forest's improvement under Davies.
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DanLyles added 09:05 - Mar 5 realised that after I posted it
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Michael11 added 12:33 - Mar 5 Loads of quotes but who were saying them?
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HarryfromBath added 12:56 - Mar 5 Many thanks for all you kind comments and feedback. I think that we really have a chance if Hyam and N'Daw can keep Reid and Majewski quiet. In that sense, we are well set up to deal with any threat they pose. If Chopra can get isolated one-on-one with either centre back, we can score handily enough.The game could be perfect for JET to make an impression, as Forest are not strong out wide with their diamond. Here is hoping - they are due a poor game after their winning run. On small footnote. Michael11, I don't attribute quotes as it would make the notes quite clunky and ruin the flow of the narrative. Most posters names are incidental as we don't know who they are. A quick click on the forum links will take you to the source information. I am very careful to create as accurate a picture of opponents views. For example, there were a stack of similar quotes abour Guedioura's error proneness or Billy Sharp's lethargy. I am looking for patterns of feedback, and the notes aim to reflect this.

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