Nottm Forest 6/1 - Build Up & Match Thread

[The Bear]

Wolves:
Injured: Toti, Sarabia, Traore
Doubts: Andre, Lemina
Suspended: Cunha

Forest:
Injured: Danilo, Sangare
Doubts: Murillo, Hudson-Odoi
Suspended: None


You'd expect Hwang to come in for Cunha. Hopefully Andre is ok to play. Maybe it wouldn't be too surprising to see Doyle start instead of Guedes to really take control of that CM area. Andre to sit and do his thing, with Doyle and Gomes given license to get further forwards through the middle, allowing Hwang to make a two up front with Larsen.


................................ Sa

............ Doherty - Bueno - Dawson

Semedo - Doyle - Andre - Gomes - RAN

..................... Larsen - Hwang

 

[Alan]

Wasn’t hugely impressed with Doyle against Spurs tbh. He looks a step behind where he needs to be in speed of thought.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Wasn’t hugely impressed with Doyle against Spurs tbh. He looks a step behind where he needs to be in speed of thought.

Conversely the part he played in the 2nd against United was superb.

 

[NicholasG1973]

Doyle is most useful in home matches, where we have more of the ball and when we play three CM’s.

No doubting the quality of his ball retention and passing - he’s learned the Guardiola way and he’s great in possession when he has a little time.

He can’t play in a two, especially with a team that presses high and fast - I think we all know that pace is not his greatest attribute and teams will run through him in a four man midfield.

 

[Alan]

It’s actually his ball retention that worries me!

 

[lemonjelly]

We know the script here.
Nuno will set forest up to hit us on the counter.
They will allow us to have possession, and will press in our weaker areas to regain it, and hit us on the counter. They will break at speed, and with numbers.
They will allow us to retain possession in areas we are unlikely to harm them.
They will set up to contain.
Wood will probably score. MGW will be up for it, and eager to score the winner.

 

[WVWolf]

Quite a strange side, Forest.

I've seen them on a few occasions and they haven't been great. Brighton (A), Newcastle (H) and even United (A). They were second best for large parts and Onana handed them the win.

Yet, that was the first in a five-game winning run and you watch the highlights and they look very impressive, barely giving anything away. Then you see stats and they're doing this on 30-35% possession a lot of the time, so the games must be pretty boring for the neutrals!

I expect this:

Sa
Doherty, Bueno, Dawson
Semedo, Andre, Gomes, Ait-Nouri
Guedes, Larsen, Hwang

I don't like how we match up for this to be honest.

Elanga, MGW and Hudson-Odoi, particularly the wingers, against that back three is a massive concern, and Wood's record against us is fantastic.

They're brilliant from set-plays, and we're missing our best player by a mile. If we concede first we may as well pack up.

The only hope is that this feels like the first time people are really taking them seriously, which brings a different pressure, but I do get Leicester vibes from how they play and how it's all clicking, although thankfully they won't win the league.

 

[Jinky]

Will definitely be having a fiver on a Chris Wood goal. Hopefully I lose it!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Quite a strange side, Forest.

I've seen them on a few occasions and they haven't been great. Brighton (A), Newcastle (H) and even United (A). They were second best for large parts and Onana handed them the win.

Yet, that was the first in a five-game winning run and you watch the highlights and they look very impressive, barely giving anything away. Then you see stats and they're doing this on 30-35% possession a lot of the time, so the games must be pretty boring for the neutrals!

You do realise that this was also Nuno's Wolves?

 

[Lupo]

Andre is back home in Brazil following the birth of his son but is expected to be back for the game

 

[Alan]

Put a fiver on André scoring and doing the silly belly-bump celebration.

 

[The Bear]

Sounds like Murillo and Hudson-Odoi will be available for them.

 

[Sniffer]

Put a fiver on André scoring and doing the silly belly-bump celebration.

It'll be the cradle rocking one - the bump will be on its way down.

 

[WVWolf]

You do realise that this was also Nuno's Wolves?

Yeah to a degree. I think they are more powerful and direct, but I do see the similarities.

I also think he's overachieving with them in comparison to us. We had a better side on paper IMO.

 

[Alan]

It'll be the cradle rocking one - the bump will be on its way down.

Touché!

 

[Dinowolf]

We should play Lemina, if fit, for his intercepting skill.

 

[Jolemai]

We should play Lemina, if fit, for his intercepting skill.

Unavailable, apparently.

 

[Tony Towner]

Unavailable, apparently.

Too much smoke now for me, I think he's off

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Forest average 40% possession this season. Need to be patient and not give them too many opportunities to break. Nuno’s Wolves often struggled against teams that sat deep and whilst we shouldn’t be too negative we need to avoid leaving our defence too exposed.

 

[lemonjelly]

Too much smoke now for me, I think he's off

in principle I agree, though he has been on some of the dressing room footage, and has appeared positive?