Forest Vs Southampton this weekend signals The Reds’ first away game of the season. It’s not only a test of the team’s away performance but, combining last week’s disappointing result against Bournemouth, and the next home game against Wolves, these first three games can present a good indicator for the rest of the season.
It’s early days but after three games, against relatively mediocre Premiership League sides, we should have a better idea of how Forest will fare this season.
I still vividly remember the 1979 League Cup final against Southampton when a hungover Forest team managed to pull off another Wembley victory with a 3-2 win.
It was a year of 2nd replays – yes, teams actually played more than one replay in those days following two draws – and Forest went behind to Laurie McMenemy’s (yes, he’s still alive!) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrie_McMenemy – newly promoted Saints until a Garry Birtles’ brace was capped with an eighty-third-minute winner from Eastwood boy, Tony Woodcock.
Nick Holmes reduced the deficit in the 88th minute but it was too late for Southampton to recover against a team that won their first European Cup, two months later.
The calm before the storm
The waters looked calm early on with an optimistic mid-table forecast but I still fear that Forest will be caught in a high-pressure system following a barrage of stormy encounters.
The Bournemouth game was an opportunity to make for plain sailing but it was very choppy in the second half, allowing Bournemouth to equalize in the last 5 minutes.
It was no surprise that Bournemouth equalised, we could all see it coming. It wasn’t a Pearl Harbour moment for Forest fans, it was more like the Time Magazine cover story in ’97 when Ellen Degeneres came out. It was inevitable and everyone could sense it happening.
And it is moments like these that make me doubt Nuno’s ability to steer us clear of the rocky horizon and sustain a position of relative safety this season. December and January are tough fixtures for Forest and I hope we don’t regret the loss of two points later in the season.
The first away game – Southampton.
The first away game of the season sees us up against Southampton and Brereton Diaz. The former Forest forward has an abysmal goal ratio, scoring just eight times in two years for Forest but, as inevitable as Jermaine Jenas’ sleaze admission, you just know he is going to cause us problems with a goal and an arrogant celebration in front of the travelling fans, a la Sheffield United.
I’m going to be interested in seeing the lineup for the first away game of the season. I’d like to see Milenković come in at the back for this one but, after a solid performance last Saturday, you can’t drop Boly. He was my Man of the Match against Bournemouth, and he could’ve won it for us with that header.
It’s evident that a new striker hasn’t been decided upon yet and the suspense of the transfer window’s final days will play out and provide us with an answer after the first away game.
Until that arrival – Nketiah? – I imagine Chris Wood will take the helm and hopefully provide us with another one of his clinical finishes.
Tree Season Prediction: DRAW – 2-2.
I was confident of a Forest victory about a fortnight ago but Southampton’s performance against Newcastle United and our misdemeanours against Bournemouth lead me to believe that we might have to settle for a point, unless Forest can throw some creativity into the mix, get MGW running on all cylinders, and pull off a surprise with a new signing or two.
Obviously, due to Danilo’s unfortunate injury, there is an immediate change required in midfield. Despite his positive introduction against Boring-mouth, I hesitate to believe that Ryan is our man to partner Sangaré in this game. I feel that Sangaré needs someone more dynamic going forward and I suspect that Dominguez or Elliot Anderson might be a better alternative.
Southampton will be up for this one. It’s their first home game back in the top flight of English football and they must feel confident after their tenacious display against Newcastle last week.
Either way, it is warming up to be an interesting encounter. COYR!
