[jjamez]

     

Solid former England full back Chris Powell and his resurgent Huddersfield Town team play host to solid former England full back Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce and his side Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Forest began the season very well, topping the league for a number of weeks and looked like a decent bet for promotion. However, recent results have slowed the sides progress down, with the side at time struggling to score goals for love nor money. Although they still sit nicely placed in the league and have made one new signing recently in the form of Tom Ince, a quality addition to their side, as well as having made numerous big name (both senses of the word) signings during the summer interval. Such players as Antonio from the Piggys and Brit Assombalonga from posh. Both of whom have started the season very well for the reds, both being up amongst the leading scorers in the league.



Obviously we have met before in the League Cup this season, with Forest coming out on top of that fixture, with help from Jimmy V and they faced up against Tottingham Hotspurs but came a close second. However, a lot has changed since then. Town have appointed a new  manager and gone on to record good results barring the shakey start to his tenure, added to that the signing of former forest player Grant Holt (a big striker that was often played as a left winger by manager colin calderwood! before being released to shrewsbury and then going onto bigger things)  also the signing of Mark Hudson from Cardiff, who in no doubt has sured up the backline no end and then you can also put the reformation of one Sean Scannell in there too, as there is no questioning that the new lease of life he has found has seen some of the best performances from him in a town shirt.

In the Forest perspective, they have lost Andy Reid until at least next year, and since he has gone, so has their form. They have had david vaughan, Henri Lansbury and Kelvin Wilson return to a consistent state of fitness, however question marks do still linger over how long that will last. Additionally none of the midfield players aforementioned are similar to Reid and instead offer a different style of play.



As has been mentioned before, Grant Holt has played for both sides and saturday will see a couple of other players too, Jack Hunt for one, came through the town ranks, as we all know! and in our back line we have Joel Lynch who was at forest for a few years, playing as centre half, left back and on occasion taking up the left wing role. Huddersfield also have radi majewski on loan from forest, so he will be unable to take part in saturdays fixture due to the arrangements.

Other players to have represented both sides include,

Joe Garner- didnt enjoy the best of spells at either club, but has found his calling a Preston, which is good for the lad, as his debut wasn't exactly terrible.
Lee Peltier- had a spell at the city ground at the back end of last season, the versitile player took up a holding midfield role, one that he has taken up once or twice during this season, however, we are still searching for his prime position.
Johnny Quigley- A midfielder who signed for town from forest, however, this was a wee bit before my time, so i cant really say what sort of midfielder he was!



Obviously there will be many many more, but they currently have no position in my head!

Forest have also been in the news recently away from the pitch, with them apparantly failing to meet the ffp rules or something along them lines, the punishment that has been branded around suggests that they will be placed under an embargo during the january transfer window.

Anyway, lets get onto Saturdays game, Town go into it with no new injury worries, Jimmy V has been at St Georges Park, for a change of scenary in his recovery from a surprising injury, whilst Mpatz and gez have continued their recovery from injury, expect one of them to be on the bench on saturday.

As for forest, Reid is definately out, whilst Ince will go straight into the side. Pearce has been giving a few of their younger lads such as Osborne a place on the bench, meaning the likes of halford have missed out. Jamie Paterson has also been unable to make it into the starting line up this season and has had to settle for bench appearances.

I expect Town to revert to the formation that has done well at home recently,

smithies in goal- has looked to have made some improvements, maybe the challenge from murphy has helped, still prone to an error or two, but his confidence is returning.

smith (rb)- has formed a nice partnership with Scanz down the right and has looked a lot more solid, compared to what he showed against Middlesborough.

Hudson and Lynch (cb)- again formed a decent partnership in the middle of defence, which is good to see as a town fan, considering what we have seen before!

Dixon (lb)- seen more of him than robinson, and what i saw of robinson wasnt to write home about, so i've shoved dicko there.

Hogg, Buttercup, coady (cm)- each of them know the other twos game and as such have worked well together, one holds, one advances the other hassles and it is working for town.

scanz (rw)- reborn in a town shirt is the common view of the man, striking fear into defences with his pace, starting to provide assists and goals, add to that he his doing his defensive duties well too.

Bunn (lw)- this years surprise package so far, pace and dynamic, another who strikes fear into the full back, full of twists and turns, assists are still lacking per say, but who cares when he is scoring? means someone else is assisting...it is a team game!

holt (cf)- the big man is that experienced head up top, not just a bulk, but has the link up play too, has had a few chances to score and will certainly build on his one goal, but he is definately doing one of the jobs he has been brought in to do.

subs- Murphy, wallace, ward, mpatz, wells, pelts, lolleypop

As for forest

Darlow- on loan from newcy, good keeper but fiddles with his hair too much...

hunt- on loan from palarse- we know his qualities both attaking and defending!
wilson- injury prone, but pearce likes him, used to be quick, not sure now.
mancienne- current captain, former chelski and hamburger defender, little bit shakey recently, will be interesting to see him on saturday
lichaj- expect him to return to the XI, calls have been made for Klingsman to bring him into the US squad, so I guess he is doing well...

Vaughan, tesche- ones a welsh sideways passer, the other is a german engine, guess which is which... the two will keep the ball well, but what they do with it is another question

antonio- will play wide left and cut in, scored a few goals, some with his head, a different proposition for smith et al on the town right

lansbury- will play in the middle of an advanced middle three, not really the reid esque spark, but very much capable to produce goals and assists

burke- wide right, often the tormentor of town in recent years, not pacey, but tricky and a clever player. Again a different task for the town left to deal with.

assombalonga- goals-check. pace-check. strength- surprisingly check. not THE strongest of centre forwards, but strong enough to be a handful. Has a nack of getting into the right areas so lynch and hudson will have to be careful, he is nearly a rhodes esque player.

subs- De Vries, Lascells, paterson, fryatt, fox, osbourne, blackstock

forest are a team with a plethora of attacking options so we will have to defend very well, they are on a down at the moment, but always be weary of the wounded animal!

dicussssss