Sky Bet Championship
Venue: Falmer Amex Stadium
Date: Friday 7 August
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen online and on BBC local radio; live text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Sky Sports 5 HD (19:00), Sky Sports 1 HD (19:00)
http://www.forest-stream.net/
The Football League season this year begins on the South coast as Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Nottingham Forest to The Amex on Friday night.
Both sides had underwhelming campaigns last term and will be keen to kick start their 2015-16 term with a win.
BRIGHTON
Brighton had it good for six years, making constant improvement and moving up through the leagues before last season's disappointing 20th-placed finish.
It didn't work out for ex-Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia in his first managerial job back in England and it was left to Chris Hughton to keep the Seagulls' second-tier status intact.
The former Norwich boss managed to do so, but there were plenty of problems, especially in attack. After the sale of Leonardo Ulloa to Leicester City, the South coast club's forwards scored just 16 of their 44 goals, while their defenders netted 15.
That has led to the arrival of Tomer Hemed and the return of Bobby Zamora, while Sam Baldock will be expected to find the net with more regularity after finding the net just four times in his debut Seagulls season.
After not winning any of their final seven league matches to end last season, Brighton have suffered just one defeat in pre-season and on Sunday rounded off their summer friendlies with a 1-0 win over Europa League champions Sevilla.
The Seagulls' recent form on the opening day of the season is poor - they've lost their curtain-raiser the last three years.
Pre-season form: DWWLWW
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
It was going so well for Forest under club legend Stuart Pearce at the start of last season. They went 12 games unbeaten before a nosedive in form that led to the end of Pearce in January.
Another former player, Dougie Freedman, came in and he, like Pearce, got off to a flying start, winning six of his first seven games to give supporters faint hope of a late charge back into the top six.
However, a run of nine games without a win to end the campaign saw Forest drop into the bottom half as they finished 14th and 19 points adrift of the playoff places.
A transfer embargo has restricted their summer business, but they have still been able to bring in solid free transfers in Jamie Ward, Matt Mills & Daniel Pinillos without losing any key players like Henri Lansbury or Michail Antonio. Yet.
One thing Forest did show last season was that they can recover from being behind - the Tricky Trees salvaged more points from losing positions than any other Championship side last season (27).
While Brighton have struggled in recent times on the first weekend of the campaign, Forest have won their last three season-openers.
The East Midlands side also have one of the most watertight defences on the opening day - they've conceded just one goal in their last nine games.
Pre-season form: DLWDDD
Injury-hit Forest are without strikers Britt Assombalonga (knee) and Matty Fryatt (Achilles), skipper Chris Cohen (knee) and playmaker Andy Reid (groin). Ben Hamer is still to return from Leicester as "technical issues" have hit his loan move.
Brighton vs Forest Match Thread
posted on 8/8/15
Passing was poor throughout the team and Fox was one of many who were unable to get to where they needed to be soon enough. Like Vaughan, Tesche, Blackstock, and Ward he is simply not fit enough, although they are probably as fit as they can be.
One more example of our lack of fitness/energy was that every time Antonio received the ball two or three Brighton players were queuing up to have a go at him. Whereas their wide players often had a one v one.
posted on 8/8/15
The problem seemed to be the same as last season where the defence have the ball but the midfield either aren't close enough or not making themselves available by finding space. Ball goes to Fox or other defend and they put a hopeful direct ball up to Antonio or Dex with the hope they can kick off a move from there.
This is why we are relying on Antonio too much and are playing a long ball game a lot of the time. We need a link between defence and midfield but none of the options we try seem to suit. I personally though Tesche may have been worth a shout there but he was further forward and we've lost him for a few months now.
Mancience doesn't suit that role or left back, I don't know why DF can't play him in his best position. We may as well have put him on the transfer list
posted on 8/8/15
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posted on 8/8/15
Correct Rev, Walker had a couple of chances in his brief stint but got a bit excited and fluffed them both. To be honest I can't see him making it but he deserves to be in the team the way we are playing right now
posted on 8/8/15
I think Walker is an excellent prospect. Spoke to him a few months ago and his head appears screwed on right. I'm pretty certain this will be his breakthrough season and he will find his feet and start burying those types of chances he rushed last night.
posted on 9/8/15
Redfor not saying Walker will or won't make it but to write off an 18 year old who has not yet even started a game is a bit premature.
posted on 9/8/15
I'm just worried Forest will make the same mistake with Walker that they did with Bamford. Frustrate him to the point he decides to chance his arm elsewhere.
posted on 9/8/15
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posted on 9/8/15
The situations are really different Will. It is not very often you see these developing players dropped in as a regular immediately bar injury situations etc. He is already a member of the first team and is regularly being thrown in there so I don't see the comparison.
Bamford got less than 10 minutes first team side and Billy was the manager at the time, one that didn't seem keen to support the youth academy and at loggerheads with the owner. The same owner who happens to have been quite close to PB's family and actually his God Father. So by the point we sold him, we needed the cash and his God Father had stepped back from the club. So you can see why in panned out that way, sadly
posted on 9/8/15
Not to overly excuse Billy but we were doing pretty well before he was sacked first time, he could not have easily dropped Chris Boyd or Earnshaw. We were woeful under McClaren and for long periods Cotterill yet they persisted with the likes of Miller, Tudgay and Derbyshire despite going (I think) eight games without a goal.