Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds Utd - Match Debate

[1964white]

If Ayling is selected as one of our centre-backs, we could easily lose this game

When will our coaches learn, Luke is not a CB?

[GreennWhite]

Surely the only reason he would play Ayling at CB is if Coops isnt fit and he doesnt want to play Firpo at LB. Wants to play Pascal at LB play Rasmus at RB and then has no other option than to play Ayling in there with Wober. Not good playing Ayling there.

[The Subhuman]

Hope none of you guys are giving the team talk before the game on Sunday

It is a game that could make or break our season though. Fingers crossed we at least get 1 point from it, but in reality we need all 3

I think you can be assured of that... I will believe we can win, I always do, but common sense tells us we're underdogs. We're the away team, the home team, in roughly the same position league wise, has the better form. We have the better players so I think if we go into the game thinking we're under dogs, that we need to play well to surprise, then we should get the result ...

Don't underestimate the Trees

[andrewjohnsmith]

I'm pleased Gibbs-White will be missing, I rate him.
Our defence is even more of a worry with our first choice right sided CB missing. I think he'll go with Ayling and play Kristensen at RB.
I predict it will be

Meslier
Kristensen
Ayling
Wober
Struijk
Rutter
Adams
Roca
Harrison
Bamford
Gnonto

Subs
Robles
Firpo
Mckennie
Greenwood
Summerville
Sinisterra
Joseph
Perkins
Aaronson

All this depends on whether Cooper is fit obviously.

He didn't mention Cooper in the press conference. My guess is Cooper and Wober at the back (Wober on the right)

[The Subhuman]

If Ayling is selected as one of our centre-backs, we could easily lose this game

When will our coaches learn, Luke is not a CB?

I think he started a centre back and would probably be fine if that's where he played for us regularly.. The problem comes when we shift him from one to the other. Right back to centre back and vice versa...

[andrewjohnsmith]

Tough call on the line up

Meslier
Ayling
Wober
Cooper
Firpo

Adams
McKennie
Roca

Sinisterra
Bamford
Gnonto

That's probably my line up too

Harrison hasn't signed a new deal yet though. Maybe they need to start him until he signe

I could see an alternative of Harrison for Roca, with the two Americans in the holding roles and Harrison in the 10. But personally I'd go with your line up

[andrewjohnsmith]

Forest have the 11th best home record, we have the 19th worst away record.

We have 0 wins in 6.

They have 3 wins and 2 draws and only 1 defeat.

This is definitely not going to be easy and Brennan Johnson must be licking his lips at the thought of exploiting Struijk down our left.

They're higher than us in the table and have picked up way more points since the WC. Shows that while they were struggling pre-WC, they've been a decent side as they've had more time to gel

[The Subhuman]

One thing is for sure, it's going to be the most interesting team selection of the season, less the choice of striker unfortunately but still a lot of decisions to be made and indicators of what is to come

Home game and I think the team is riskier but away we might see Rutter and McKennie held back till the second half if needed (I say if needed the likelihood is JM pencils in his substitutions pre game

Meslier
Ayling
Struijk
Adams
Wober
Cooper
Aaronson
Roca
Bamford
Gnonto
Harrison


is very possible

[The Subhuman]

That's probably my line up too

Harrison hasn't signed a new deal yet though. Maybe they need to start him until he signe

I could see an alternative of Harrison for Roca, with the two Americans in the holding roles and Harrison in the 10. But personally I'd go with your line up

That would be mine, I doubt it's JM's

[andrewjohnsmith]

If Ayling is selected as one of our centre-backs, we could easily lose this game

When will our coaches learn, Luke is not a CB?

Would have to be Cooper and Wober at the back. But if Cooper is out, it has to be Ayling. Can't see him moving Strujik there after his recent performances at CB and Firpo on the left.

[andrewjohnsmith]

Hope none of you guys are giving the team talk before the game on Sunday

It is a game that could make or break our season though. Fingers crossed we at least get 1 point from it, but in reality we need all 3

I can definitively assure you that I have not been invited to give the team talk

[mentalcase]

If LA is CH I flaming despair, we have more than enough cover to start putting SPIRH again.

[Kennyb41]

Les Mes
Ayling - Cooper - Wober - Pascal
McKennie - Adams
Rooter - Jack - Gnonto
Bamford

[hector]

If LA is CH I flaming despair, we have more than enough cover to start putting SPIRH again.

It's like a secret code isn't it ??

[Mountain]

Can just about override my pessimism on this one. It’s a game we can win and I expect us to do it - they are a team of mercenaries with little cohesion. We have a good day and it could be 0-3

Exactly.

Forest have had a bizarre January. A good run, but continuing the scatter gun approach to purchases, which could easily unsettle a team that finally looked settled. Think Leeds have been a lot calmer in transfers, and think we'll win.

[White Riot]

If Ayling is selected as one of our centre-backs, we could easily lose this game

When will our coaches learn, Luke is not a CB?

Letting Llorente go, has left us short at RCB. I would rather play a LCB.

For me:
RB Kristensen
RCB Wober
LCB Struijk
LB Firpo

Ayling at CB will be disastrous. We desperately need our defence sorted in the summer. Dross needs discarded. We need a new RB, RCB and LB, if we want to end the goal glut.

Apart from Koch and Struijk our defensive recruits have bee very underwhelming since we came back to the EPL.

You're probably going back to Kelly and Harte since we had two good full backs, 20 years ago. But partially a result of us being out of the top flight for so long.

[White Riot]

I can definitively assure you that I have not been invited to give the team talk

Still time Andrew, keep an eye on your inbox

[VinnysTattoo]

Not looking forward to this, but that’s been the case for more than a year.

I just hope our attacking players are on it.

More hope than expectation I’m afraid. Much like every game now.

[Jaydog]

Haven’t won away at Forest since 1971
Promising.
We always beat newly promoted sides though. Or at least we definitely used to

[WestgateRun]

If we get 3pts at Forest we would be 12th, with a game in hand.
That's about as good as you could hope for, when you compare our squad to others in the Premier League.