Nottingham Forest v Cardiff Match Thread

From the highs of beating 6th to the lows of losing to 23rd. In a way we are the perfect championship club. When will us Red Dogs see our day again...even if it's just a cheap time with the Premier League as opposed to a two year affair with a European goddess.

Losing was bad enough, but Hildeberto reminded us of his unpredictable genius, Mills is (also) suspended and Carayol and Vaughan join Bendtner, Cash, Fryatt and Pinillos in the thankfully refurbished treatment room. Well, Pinillos just misses the staff.

Just as it seemed we were getting somewhere squad wise, we are faced with the possibility of an underperforming Kasami, a solid if uninspiring Traore and a choice of either Dumitru or Lica on the right wing.....hmmmm....not feeling confident, especially with the Warnock factor. I hate that bloke and of course, he has started predictably well, just before they face us.

Plus, it doesn't end there. We have another CB pairing to look forward to!!

It's hard to talk about form as we clearly have none. We look like play-off material one week and relegation fodder the next. Recently, more of the fodder.

We clearly have the quality, just not the numbers to back us up. I see us lining up like this:

Stojkovic
Lichaj Perquis Mancienne Traore
Lansbury Cohen Kasami
Lica Vellios Osborn

Henderson, Fox, Lam, Grant, Dumitru, Assombalonga, Brereton

It's not all doom and gloom though...injuries and suspensions should force another youngster on the bench. Hopefully Carayol and Vaughan recover, but even if they do, they are unlikely to be risked. Assombalonga should feature. Personally I'd play to our strengths with that squad and play two up front...but there is little to no chance of that.

This is a big game for Monty. Lose and we could be 21st in the table with Reading away and QPR at home to follow. Lose or draw this and lose at Reading and the international break could see a new manager come in. It's not what I want and I don't think it's what we need but realistically we have a tough December. If he doesn't pull up his tricolour Paul Smith socks it will be the Derby game at the latest.

How are we going to do it then? To save Monty and save our seasons hopes with this creaking squad.

We can't rotate, we have no one left! Bring more youngsters in? Ban sad-sack Fawaz from the changing rooms? More cheese?

I don't know the answer other than play your best 11. That would involve a front two, as Assombalonga and Vellios together are a better option than having Dumitru or Lica on the pitch as well as all the other enforced changes.

The no emergency loan system seems at odds to FFP and what it is trying to achieve. It creates a rudderless ship, where no outside help is permitted. If you didn't provision adequately then the rocks of relegation are soon on the horizon. Plus, it leaves fringe and returning players on the sidelines when they could be playing football.


The above are problems all teams face, we just seem to have our fair share of them. Warnock isn't the messiah, he will have his fair share of problems too.

So, despite the team news and the grim reality of our form I predict a 2-1 win. Largely because getting up at 3.30 and watching us lose is unimaginable, but partly because our Home form is good and with Beaky the crowd should be vocal. 1-1 and Britt to come on and net the winner. Or Gomis to get his first start and he scores all four goals in the four goal thriller