Forest Hunt for Return to Form Against Foxes

A lot of people have been expressing their fears about this upcoming away fixture against Leicester. Following up with a home game against Burnley means we rally straight up against it this month, with our poor form. The immediate thought is following our bad performances against poor teams, we surely must therefore get battered against teams playing well.

This could be perfectly true of course.

That said, there were similar discussions about whether we went into this games complacent, especially against Bournemouth. Had we held on there and against Blackpool things would look a lot different.

Additionally there is the aspect of now that we are the underdog in these fixtures it is up to us to be the Bournemouth or Yeovil. Remember the of repeated mantra of the Championship is anyone can beat anyone on the day, and to so thoroughly write off our chances before he teams are announced is odd. It is also the Forest fans way. No doubt the usual harbingers of doom will be deciding we will lose (good old reliable Hannah keeps suggesting we will go down which perfectly illustrates just how much we listen to that particular loon) We could just as easily beat Leicester or draw as lose. Its how football is.

And Billy gets the best out of teams when the chips are down. Remember in his first spell when he first arrived he said he genuinely couldn’t see us getting much points in a run of fixtures that we went on to do exceptionally well in. Our seasons always fell apart just when we looked like confidence was high. Billy works best at getting players to believe, and that is key at the moment.
I don’t know, obviously, the inner machinations of the dressing room. How Billy deals with various situations throughout the season, but he definitely knows how to get under performing players performing, so with a team in a bad form, just as some people decided he’s not the man for the job is the perfect time for Billy to produce his magic.

What did make me laugh with my previous story is how many people commented on it without obviously reading it. The title was “Calls for the Managers Head.” Nowhere did I say in that we had to sack Billy. Yet people went off one demanding to know why I’d be as stupid as to demand he goes, and not read the article where I pretty much said the same thing. That said it was all from Facebook and you can’t even rely on people to react sanely and rationally on there.

We are a top 6 side facing two other top 6 sides. These should be big exciting fixtures. Yet many fans have already written off our chances. Pessimists yes? Realists? I say no. We all know this game, you win some, and you lose some. The odds are so often upset. We can do this. The season is not going badly. It’s time for some perspective to be taken from a lot of fans.

For me, the lack of media presence is now costing us. There’s no essence of positivity because it’s been mostly bad news lately, and with the lockdown there’s no chances for players to speak out, or the management to say we can do this. This is where the media lockdown fails us. Retaining people’s excitement and enthusiasm through bad patches.

So let’s keep our heads up. The season isn’t over, not by any stretch. We had good form before we can have good form again.


Here is an infographic that was produced by the good folk at Epiphany; it’s quite an interesting piece. Enjoy.

Provided by Sky Bet, Title Sponsor of the Football League.

Boro Defeat Ramps Up Pressure on Barnsley match

What was a run of mill league game on Saturday has a whole new load of pressure now. Following on from 2 defeats, W9which ironically as it follows our longest run undefeated of the season, now leads into our longest run with a win this season) means that the game has a new must win status.


For if we fail to win, and additionally everyone else picks up points our season would effectively be over. Should we win then we might find ourselves thrust back into the top 6 with everyone still on. The top of table is still that open.

The Middlesbrough defeat is frustrating for me because we are limping now. Boro have been in awful form in 2013 and had only won once since the turn of the year. Naturally they remember how to play versus us. But I identified this much on the forum saying this precisely the type of game we don’t want.

That crest of a wave we were on is now a wave that has broken. Now we risk drowning in our season and hopes. The Cardiff defeat always looked on. To be honest what we saw as triumphant late draws which symbolised that we just won’t be defeated were actual signs of the beginning of a down turn in form. Because we had been on that rich vein of form previously we didn’t see it like that, we were extending our great run, rather than embarking on what was the run of games without a win. The trouble is this seems to have been a change we didn’t notice.

As I said previously following the Cardiff defeat the international break was awful timing. I said it at the time of the break too, but [people shouted me down as being wrong. We were in fact going to be even better after a break. I couldn’t see the logic then, and now I laugh at it. “We will better after the rest, all the players invigorated” I was told. Well frankly why does that makes us more inclined to win? We weren’t the only team without a game; the whole division had the same so EVERYONE had a break. People couldn’t see this. They get so blinkered by Forest they only see the benefit to us. We will be rested, they will be rusty. Such theory is bonkers. As is the fact that people couldn’t see it breaking momentum.

The Middlesbrough game was the wrong match at the wrong time. We needed an easy home game (this Barnsley match) following the first defeat for Davies. But with a tricky away game, and question marks sneaking in came back to back wins. Now the challenge is to reinvigorate that morale. The players need picking up. If we don’t beat Barnsley, I don’t care about the point’s connotations, the morale will be spent. The players will have been defeated in mind and body. Should we win that game then the boost could carry us back up there. Even if we win and still remain outside the playoffs it would hopefully have gee'd us up to a point whereby we keep ourselves in with a chance going into that Leicester game.

I’ve said it, other bloggers have said, people on Twitter said it. To be where we were at the time was a victory itself, never mind had we made it by the last game. We really have no right to be in with a shout considering where we were, but lo and behold we made it to 5th. That said if we had no right, then Bolton are riding all their luck being in the top few as they were even further behind. Did we peak too soon? Possibly, but then the run of fixtures in late March early April would always be hard to maintain momentum over. Playing a number of teams chasing the dream was always a hard prospect. And so it proved. So I wouldn’t say we peaked too early, you can only do what you can against what’s put in front of you. It happened to be a run of out of sort’s teams, and teams struggling.

Considering our remaining away game is against Millwall whose season now they lost in the FA Cup semi final is over they have nothing to play for. Those teams can be dangerous. Playing with the shackles off, it is simply for fun. Bu tit can go the other way, how do you motivate players who had a Wembley performance recently and had the biggest game of their season at their feet and messed it up and have nothing else to play for? It is eminently winnable. And so we should. But it remains as I say tricky. Leicester have hard games so would easily slip up, and both Palace and Brighton are playing teams struggling against relegation. Those are notoriously hard games you want to avoid. Bolton’s looks the best run in, they play Cardiff who might well be in party mode and Middlesbrough and Blackpool who by then will have nothing to play for.

Last week I’d have said don’t look at other teams, we have fate in our hands, now we don’t, but we still just have to win our games and hope for the best. Remember when went up from League One? That was completely against the odds.

Another Chapter Looms in the Great Rivalry

Joe Kinnear described it as just another game, one of a number of errors he made at the club that bought about his downfall, amongst not being good enough, it is always one of the ones that stick out, the straw that broke the camel’s back, a back that had been quivering for weeks anyway.

It’s also a fixture that a very young me remembers not for what happened in the game, but the rivalry off it. I was 6 maybe 7 and Dad used to take us on the Bridgford End terrace. Next to where the away fans were. My Dad wasn’t traditionally a Forest fan, more has absorbed love for the club from his sons he took regularly, he grew up in Essex as a Spurs fan, so maybe he didn’t quite realise the terrace next to the away fans wasn’t a great idea, but for me it was. It was a steep learning curve in footballing hatred and rivalry.

We were showered with coins, which my elder brother thought was amazing as he scooped up all the loose change, which, let’s be honest, in the mid late 80’s could buy you a lot of 10p mixes. There was scrapping in the street outside, this I remember. The game, I could look up the score and look all wise and worldly but to be honest that I don’t remember in the slightest.

One of my darkest days as a Forest fan came in this fixture. Away, in I believe 1999, may have been 1998. Relegation season anyway I think. I believe it was also our first visit to Pride Park. My Dad had scored free tickets, off a work colleague, but in the home end. I’d only ever done this before at Mansfield Town, where half the fans in the home end were probably Forest when I saw them in the League Cup, again on free tickets. Anyway I’ll sum up the feeling and why it was so bad by merely pointing out Derby scored a very late winner which the crowd went wild for. Thanks Horacio Carbonari. It was horrible having to be stood trying to look happy as your fellow fans stand dejected a short distance away, whilst surrounded by ecstatic Derby fans. Even worse when same fans separated by a fence hurl abuse, with me wanting to point out, No I’m one of you.

Couple that with mostly horrible defeats. The Cup defeat from a 2-0 winning position. The worst aspect is that at 2-2 my friend said he had a bad feeling about the Pukka Pies advertising hoarding next to the pitch in front of the Derby fans. I scoffed, it’s merely an advert. But lo and behold, when Derby scored the winner, and there was Kris Commons, much derided Kris Commons celebrating where? In front of the Pukka Pies advert. Poetic maybe for a chubster to be there. But not at the time.

I wasn’t at such events as the infamous Kenco Coffee cup moment, nor did I manage to get to the happy win we had there, our first win at Pride Park, when Earnshaw scored, Savage whinged and flounced and Moxey got sent off. I also missed the Tyson flag incident. But these events all live in the psyche of both sets of fans. It gets under the skin in a way that fixtures against anyone else don’t. I don’t recall trivialities about other fixtures in the same way, and I don’t regard myself as being vehemently anti Derby. I don’t hate for hates sake. I like to beat them, but the sheer vitriol and pure dislike you see in the eyes of some fans during the game is not an extreme of emotions I share.

That said last year, at around the same time, the last home defeat still hurts. This is a game that needs to be exorcised. The demons of that day live on. How much will we have to hear “we only had 10 men” or this week’s news that it’s not sold out yet (I anticipate by now it has) so Derby fans mock our attendance. This from a club who swell numbers with free tickets to students and children, and give away tickets with Mobile phones. That’s an irony right there.

But that day does need forgetting, and stamping a new identity. The a5-2 joke had lived quite long, but it was replaced by a new identity. Each derby game seems to have that. Something that identifies it. The Kenco game, The A5-2, the 10 men game, Tyson’s flag, it’s become almost a cult of what will happen next.

The strong connections have mostly faded, Tyson remains one, and the fear with him almost being a comedy figure in Forest fans eyes now that he might score. Or that they will use Kieron Freeman against us. It’s funny how they used that signing as a banner that they can still put one over us. Our third choice right back, really?

Derby’s sole ambition each season is to just  to be, they don’t seem to have any delusions of threatening promotion, and neither do they seem to float to the bottom. A void of ambition other than to beat us. Seeing as us and Leicester have both dallied in the Third division, maybe it’s time they dropped there too. Just so they can all understand. We now have ambitions of Premier League with money to be spent. So in that regard we’re in danger of being their cup final. That they want to use our wealth against us and beat us, mock that our wealth can’t bring success against them. The fact is that wealth will hopefully take us away from and end this fixture. Derby won’t go up any time soon, we possibly might. The fixture list will be a lot worse place for this game not being there.

And I got all the way through without mentioning Brian Clough or Billy Davies......

Derby Day Win Essential

So first off, I know there is no report from the Southampton game, I was working and unable to listen to the game. Sounds like we played well though and good old lady luck stopped us winning. Just adds fuel to the fire of the fans ire.

However, there are a lot of positives to take going into one of the biggest games of the season.Not just a big game because of the opponent and the fans need and desire for a win against hated rivals. The fact we are starting to flounder, we need to address this and get a home win under the belt and start the long hard process of grinding our way up that table.

We had a similar start last season,though it didn't feel like morale was as low last season. Additionally, it feels like we don;t know what the best side is yet, this was also a feeling we had this time last season. McGugan was only just about to begin his amazing purple patch of form. There were still people wanting Majewski to start ahead of him, even myself. Thats feeling different this year.

Another thing this season to consider is that Tyson looks like being fit for the game and is probably likely to start. Normally this wouldn't worry me, Tyson is one of the worst finishers we have had for awhile and is prone to being useless.However, put him in an opposing shirt, with a point to prove and hes liable to have a blinder. In a way that Commons always came good against us. It worries me no end.

We are starting to get a few goals around the team though, Derbyshire has opened his account, Findley has a couple,so that's a positive to take. We need to rectify defensive errors and its a good job Hulse isn't still at Derby as this exactly the type of striker who would batter us at the moment.With the defensive frailties suddenly appearing, I worry that confidence at the back has bottomed out. Camp looks like another man to last season, and thats a huge negative.

One vital thing is for the fans to stay with the team and not get on their backs. If the jeering comes it never inspires the team to come good.I can;t think of it ever happening, that's for sure. In this game, the fans will hopefully stick with the side, and really get behind the boys. For a change though it sounds like it won't be a sell out, unless there is a late rush on tickets whether that's a sign of the times,with austerity being a key word,or whether its fans being disgruntled is unclear. I have seen many people on twitter saying such things as "I won't be going again." Well good, your not the type of fan we want, fair weathers who just moan. Get behind the team, and we beat Derby. They aren't a very strong side in my opinion and should be there for the taking.

One thing is for certain, we will be here to report on the fall out, whether good or bad afterwards

Views from the Away End – West Ham United

In light of the build up to today's big game, Forest24-7 took the time to ask West Ham fan, Stephen Bradley, a few questions.

1. First things first then, how do you rate West Ham and your chances of promotion this season? Do you buy in to the hype of being favourites?

I think we have a fantastic chance. You look at our squad and we have the likes of Green, Cole, Nolan and Parker – for now at least – at our disposal. Without wanting to be too arrogant we have a Premiership team of players for this league and it should work in our favour.

2. What do you think to Big Sam? Was he the right choice?

I think he definitely was the best available. He got Bolton out this league almost ten years ago and stabilised them. That’s what we were desperate for.

Avram Grant had taken this club to the pits and had we signed the players Big Sam has done in January with him at the helm, I’d argue we maybe wouldn’t have gone down. The football might not be pretty but it’ll sure as hell get results.

3. West Ham has a magnificent squad at the moment for this division – one I’d argue would have kept you up last season. Who’s the man to look out for tomorrow?

Without a doubt Scott Parker! He’s become an England regular and we’re fortunate to still have him at the club. Obviously its look like he’ll be Spurs bound by this time next week but if he plays today, he’ll run the show.

4. If you could have any Forest player at West Ham, who would it be and why?

I’ll surprise you and say Chris Gunter. He’s one of few players when I see them who rarely plays badly and is by far the best fullback in the division. You guys are lucky to have someone of that class at your disposal.

5. West Ham has won both their away games upto now and have yet to concede on the road. Can you see this run continuing tomorrow?

Who knows? In my honest opinion no as we’re playing a side with a home record who’ve only lost twice in two years.

6. Apart from yourselves, which team do you consider to be the biggest threat in this league?

There are a few sides. Leicester is the biggest threat along with Forest. I also think Middlesbrough are the dark horse. So long as we’re in one of the three promotion spots by May, I don’t mind who else is up there with us.

7. Steve McClaren divides many opinions among Forest fans. As a fan of another club, how do you rate him as a manager?

If you had asked me this question 4 years ago, the answer would have been less than complimentary!

I think Steve is a great manager who, like Big Sam, has the experience of turning a club around and stabilising them in the Premiership. From what I’ve seen of Forest so far, you’re like us in regards to finding your feet with the new regime and players that have been put in place.

Stick by Stevie, I think you’ll be ok and any doubters should look at his CV as a manager.

8. Lastly, what do you reckon the score will be?

Gonna go with 1-1.

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.

No Game for Derbyshire

Matt Derbyshire won't be travelling with the team tomorrow as his fitness isn't quite up to scratch yet. That's not hearsay,thats direct from the players Twitter, as well the fact he is looking for places to live. This might be a front to fool Millwall but I doubt that very much



What will be interesting to see is who we go with up front. Findley after all played 120 mins in his first start in longer than he probably cares to remember. Whether this see's Garner or Tudgay starts remains to be seen. I Can't see a recall for McGoldrick to be honest. I could be wrong. I often am.



Apart from that Camp will return as will Gunter. There may be juggles in the midfield too after a number of players went the distance. McGugan was of course taken off so should be fresh,but Majewski may not be. What will be interesting is what happens with Anderson after he was dragged off on Tuesday.

Seconds Out...Round 2

So the first leg has come and gone, and though we all feel we should have done better, we are in this tie.

Those fans of other teams who enjoy attempting to wind up Forest, they say that was our best chance and we will get turned over. But lets remember that second legs and Forest in the playoffs don't go to plan. They don't follow form books. And they don't make sense.

We have to go for it, there's no two ways about that, but we still have to be careful. Had we had a lead I fear we would simply have tried to defend it. And if we did that and invited Swansea onto us, well we would probably get stuffed.

No-one gives us a hope outside of the club. That's fine with me. I'm used to being wound up now with a taunt of "Nottingham Forest F***ed it up again. at least time we have never had that period of ascendancy.

The pressure is off. At half time it is all to play for. We know very well we can beat anyone on our day, and if we have Moussi and Findley back that could be something to tip the balance. Findley is largely an unknown quantity still to us,so never mind opposing defences. I think it would certainly be worth the risk should he be passed fit. What we have been told and what I saw at the World Cup is that he has frightening pace. Added to the fact Earnshaw has been terrible of late,with some awful finishing or greedy play when passing might be better than shooting.

Swansea may freeze a little, nervous that everything is expected of them. They will be confident. At the moment it is unsure whether Taylor will be back. The man who was sent off correctly, is having his red card appealed. To the Welsh FA. How is this fair, of course they will push it through. Borini may be out with the injury that forced him off. That would be good as he his a dangerous striker.

What we have to remember is that there are 90 minutes, maybe 120 to play. It is all to play for

Forest Missing 6 for Crunch Palace Tie

Forest will be missing a number of players for tomorrows big game with Palace, which of course is live on Sky Sports.

Earnshaw is suspended, for having the audacity of taking a free kick, as we all know. Wilson is "injured" still, and Findley, Tyson and Lynch all have knocks and of course Dexter Blackstock is long term injured.

Paul Konchesky's loan has now expired so he has gone back to Liverpool, opening up the left back spot for Gunter to move over and allow in Maloney, or Julian Bennett to play the team he sent the first half the season on loan at. Another option is of course Chris Cohen at left back, but this is the least likely option in my opinion.

The rest of the team should pretty much pick it self. Boyd scoring for fun should keep him self in the side. The only real selection head ache is to see what happens in midfield, whether Moussi gets himself back into the team, and whether McKenna keeps his place. It could be that Davies has decided its all but decided and rests people.

That again is unlikely, as Davies has said we need to concentrate on our game rather than look at what Leeds are doing against QPR.

Findley In Line to Start Forest Career

Robbie Findley could be unleashed tomorrow by the Reds as anew secret weapon. The pacey American has been injured since signing for the club, but not the relatively unknown quantity might be ready to at least be on the bench for Reds.

Reds fans might finally get to see what their new man is all about. Until now allwehave had were Youtube videos and memories of him destroying Carragher against England in the World Cup for the United States.

In other team news Kris Boyd may well have shrugged the injury off he sustained against Norwich, but Lynch still looks set to miss out, and couple with with Koncheky's suspension. This will see defensive reshuffles for the Reds, with the likeliest set up being Gunter at left back and Moloney at right back. Cohen is also a possibility at left back with his return from his suspension.

So Forest only have one or two people missing out, for a change we are looking fairly strong. Lets hope it results in victory

Moussi and Konch MAY Be Back

Word on the street is Moussi may well be back for Saturday. However,what with him only just returning to fitness after a long term injury lay off, it remains to be seen if he will be in a position to start the game.

Konchesky may well be ready to come back, however Lynch at least offers a good back up, whereas in the case of Moussi, thee is no one else to cover in the central midfield.

Earnshaw and Tyson might well be in positions to start. However the bad nes is that Anderson may well be out for longer than previously thought. Anderson might well be out for the rest of the season rather than the previously hoped few days.

In the hunt for a return to form, Forest need to have players returning to the team now. Baring in mind Moussi takes a while to return to form on previous evidence that might not be any time soon. We still have to see anything of Findley, who was out for 2-3 months back at the start of February.Hopefully he is approaching a return to the team.

None of them played for the reserves the other night, which would have been perfect to bring up their match fitness. So it is hard to tell if these players are close. What is obvious is we have very limited holding midfield options. We can't play a midfield without one despite what I have seen some misguided fools think on various Forums

Konchesky to Return

Paul Konchesky is set to make his return on saturday for Forest against Hull, easing a selection headache at left back.

Joel Lynch injured himself on Tuesday in the draw at Middlesbrough and it looked like either Gunter or Cohen may have to fill in the left back berth, but Konchesky has declared himself fit and able to play against the Tigers.

The first fears when he was injured against Preston was a 2 or 3 week lay off, but his return less than 2weeks after that match will be a welcome boost to the Reds.

Of the other injured players, none of those appear set to return, Moussi and Findley will still be out for a while.

Hull will be without Brad Guzan whose loan has expired and has returned to Aston Villa

Forest Looking to Bounce Back

Forest will be looking to bounce back from the Scunthorpe defeat tomorrow in crunch match versus Cardiff. Forest hoped to go into this game with their unbeaten run intact but unfortunately must face Cardiff with a loss as their most recent stat.

Forest have lot lost two games in a row since last March, and with a highly enviable home run of form will be trying to make sure that stat remains the same. Forest of course sprang a surprise win at Cardiff away in November.

Of course Forest still minus Moussi, Blackstock and Findley through injury,and also Majewski to suspension. However many of the problems with the Scunthorpe loss were based on the very poor pitch being a great leveller. With the better surface of City Ground, Forest will be looking to get playing good football and sweep to victory.

Cardiff are dangerous opposition. They have a couple of extra players since the November game, notably our former loanee Aaron Ramsey. The likes of Bothroyd, Chopra and Bellamy need no introduction. There are still questions over Cardiff's back line howevr, and ex Bluebird Earnshaw will look to exploit that

McKenna Set to Return

Paul McKenna looks set to return to the Forest side ahead of the visit of Watford tomorrow. McKenna hasn't started a league game for the Reds since November, but now with injury to Moussi,the skipper will be likely to feature.

Robbie Findley is also unavailable after being injured in training, the full extent is still not known of this injury. Nathan Tyson also remain a doubt with his back injury.

These injuries limit the options available to Billy Davies, which was evident with the appearance of Niall Rodney on the bench against West Ham.
Its the start of a big couple of months for the Reds, who face several promotion rivals. QPR and Cardiff are both coming up, and tomorrows opponents are also in the mix in the top section of the table. Watford have been one of this seasons surprise packages, and will be more than a tricky opponent for the in-form Reds.

The Reds have amazing home form, which they hope will carry them through this potential banana skin. Watford after a good run in December have slipped in January, and will want to bounce back into the top 6.

West Ham Ripe for the Picking

I can't think of a time I have looked at us playing opposition from the division above, least of all the Premier League and felt so confident we can get a result, if not bring them back to our place.
West Ham have just been dumped out in the League Cup Semi-Final,after leading the tie on aggregate, then capitulated and allowed Birmingham to come back and eliminate them. Hopefully destroying confidence at the same time. I do concede it maybe a rallying call for them to perform in what is the only thing that could save their season, an FA Cup run.They did go to extra time mid week, which will have further tired players.
West Ham also of course look doomed, the team is not playing well, struggling against relegation with constant rumours of Avram Grant being sacked imminently.
Forest as we all know are flying, beating anyone we play at the moment, 5 wins on the bounce, with 3 clean sheets. Impressive stuff. Even more impressive is the turn around in away fortunes. 3 away wins on the bounce, 4 out of the last 5 more so, including that very impressive win at Cardiff. So therefore we shouldn't fear going to another teams manor any more, as we did for virtually all of 2010.
West Ham will be welcoming new striker Ba to the fold, after signing on loan from Hoffenheim in Germany, it remains to be seen if he will be involved.
It has to be said, Rob Green and Matthew Upson apart, their back line particularly shaky. Whether Billy will implement the speed strategy of Tyson, or go with Earnshaw as varying options. As is the fact we have a another game on Tuesday and the Cup is a mere distraction. Davies may decide to rotate to keep people fresh for the Coventry game, this might see the likes of Bennett come in for Lynch, McGoldrick might get a start up front also.
Whatever line up we do choose though, this game has been mentioned by many as a potential upset, more than most of the games TV has chosen to show, which shows the way West Ham have fallen out of favour, TV only wants to show the big boys fail, not relegation candidates. I am sure there will be streams online for this game, so I hope to be watching from my sofa.

Come On You Forest Men