More Than Local Pride at Stake


Tomorrow will see Forest face their lesser hated local rival. Although Leicester like to think we hate them loads, they are but amild irritation next to Derby. Hell I probably dislike Sheffield United more for personal reasons.

This match though might well take on more than just another East Midlands derby vibe though as both teams haven't played exactly as well as they might have liked so far this season. Forest have essentially a new strike force trying to bed in,as well a rather unsettled midfield right now. Leicester have lots of new faces, largely players we targeted first and have already lost twice. Fans booed them off against Bristol City.

Added to this is the master and apprentice feel of Sven and McLaren, and interesting to see two former England managers battling it out in the second tier.How the mighty fall. So there is the battle of wills of Sven and Schteve.

So both teams have something to prove. Although its too early in the season to suggest this has everything at stake, it would go along way to settling either sets of fans nerves in the jittery early games, whereby people have already made their mind sup with 5 games played how the season will play out, and ignore the fact that really nothing even looks remotely like a final league table to at least Christmas.

No doubt if we lose the game, the usual array of loons and wrist slitter will be calling Matchline to decry all chances of promotion before the transfer window hasveen closed and how McClreen, Arthur, Doughty, Pleat, the tea-lady (delete as applicable) is to blame for this and how said blamee should get out the club sharpish.

By the same token if we do win, then morale will rocket Trentside and we will already be planning our Sat Navs for routes to Anfield and Old Trafford for the latter half of 2012.

But all this said, it is a litmus test for the season, see how we go against a fancied big spending team, and how the midfield settles in, how the left back issue looks,and can any of the striker actually score a goal!!

I'd like to see Ishmael Miller in there, with perhaps Matt Derbyshire, however this goes against the structure Schteve seems to prefer, and with McGugan rested,perhaps primed for Leicester. I think the Majewski experiment might have run its course, and I can't thinking trying to play McGoldrick into form could be risky. We need to build a head of steam, not stutter whilst players off form lurch their way round the pitch. As I said this is a good litmus test for the season ahead.

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