2005/2006 Season Preview - Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest: Nottinghamshire. Stadium: City Ground. 30,602 (all-seated) Nickname: Forest, The Reds Hate: Derby County, Leicester City Last Meeting: 14th May 1983 DIV1 Nottingham Forest H L 0-3 The fixtures that most League 1 clubs and supporters will be looking forward to this season are the games against Forest. Over the past 25 years, if you found yourself in the same league as Nottingham Forest, it was a sign that you're club had made it, a sign of real progress to be competing at the same level as a club who've won as many European Cups as Man Utd. As it turns out though, the fact that League 1's collection of waifs, strays wannabees and has-beens are facing Forest next season is more down to the disintegration of Nottingham's finest than anything on our part, their relegation last season giving them the dubious honour of being the first European champion to make the drop to the third tier of their national league. Last season was an unmitigated disaster for Forest, which saw them lose their best (or at least their most valuble) players, Michael Dawson and Andy Reid in the January transfer window, appoint a new manager when it was too late and suffer stories of players out on the razzle before crucial games late in the season. Oh, and relegation. The death of legendary manager Brain Clough in September only served to heap the misery on the club. The re-telling of his achievements with the club helped put the decline of the club in recent years into sharper focus. Football fans are a resilient lot though, and the coming season will surely be an opportunity to build some upwards momentum for the first time in a number of years. I'm sure a cheesy phrase such as 'Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward' is appropriate here. Swansea City one season wonder Des Lyttle was sold to then Premiership Notts Forest for £375,000 in 1993, and went on to enjoy his best days at the club, making over 300 appearances and winning a Division 1 winners medal during his time there. Another defender, Welshman Christian Edwards also made a big money move to Nottingham Forest from the Swans, moving to the City ground for £275,00 in 1998, but was only used fleetingly and is currently with Bristol Rovers. A less than successful transfer in the opposite direction saw Irish winger Brian Cash come to the swans on loan during our relegation fight in 2003. Forest manager Gary Megson admitted his side would struggle in League 1 with the 17 man squad left over from last season, and there should be plenty of new faces in the Forest line-up come August 6th and the opening game against Huddersfield. Megson's first signing on the season was midfielder Nicky Southall from Gillingham. Forest have been linked with a number of players, including Southend hot-shot Freddy Eastwood, who did his chances no good by claiming a move to Forest was not a step-up from Roots Hall. Other additions to the Forest squad this summer include two players from Premiership new boys Wigan, full-back Nicky Eaden signing on a free transfer and central defender Ian Breckin for £350,000. Megson has also signed 32-year-old Scotland international Gary 'Three Lungs' Holt from Norwich in a swap deal involving Forest right-back Mathieu Louis-Jean. Forest were also interested in Cardiff left-back Chris Barker, but the Ninian Park Circus realised that they had sold so many players this summer that they only had two defenders left on the books, so they wisely refused to sell him. Forest instead signed QPR left-back Gino Padula on a free-transfer. If they can keep hold of him, Forest's star man for next season will be Kris Commons. His excellent performances in the latter half of the season, especially in the FA Cup games against Spurs, brought the youngster to national attention. A highly skilful attacker, Commons has been linked with a £700,000 move to Norwich, but as things stand he remains a Forest player, and he has publicly stated his desire to stay with the club. With a highly rated and well-organised manager of the calibre of Gary Megson in charge, it's hard to believe that forest will not be competing at the top of the division next season. The signings they have made are of the highest quality, with most of the players they have signed being established Championship players. Central defender Breckin for example was a virtual ever present in the Wigan team that won promotion to the Premiership last season. Forest will no doubt have to deal with opposing teams raising their game when they play them, and could well struggle early on in the season adjusting to League 1 as Man City did when they dropped down, but jackarmy.net predicts a strong second-half of the season and a place back in the Championship at the first attempt. They will finish: 2nd.

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