Former Nottingham Forest man, David Prutton, has given his take on the upcoming East Midlands Derby at the City Ground this weekend.
Prutton, 38, recently wrote his column on Sky Sports and talked about what promises to be a spicy affair in Nottingham.
He wrote: “Is this the season Nottingham Forest finally put together a run at the top six? It has been far too long since a club of their stature seriously challenged for promotion after all.
“Derby were thumped by their rivals in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, and it really has been a difficult start for Phillip Cocu, both on and off the pitch. He can’t really afford a big loss here but I don’t think they will get anything either.”
Its 5th against 15th
Sabri Lamouchi’s men currently find themselves in fifth place in the Championship, after having finished ninth in the league last season. They ended up eight points behind Derby, who had secured the last play-off spot by finishing sixth.
Phillip Cocu’s men, though, are now 15th in the league and have won only five games so far this term. They had managed to win only a single game in their first eight games, but they have won three of their last five games.
As far as Forest go, they have lost only three games. They had lost only one of their first 11 games of the campaign. Lamouchi’s side have managed to win only two games in their last five, losing two of them and drawing one.
TIF Tactics
Forest are the third-best defensive side in the league this season, having conceded only 13 goals – as many as Brentford. They are a tough side to beat because of how well they defend and how well drilled they are, even though the recent form hasn’t been the best.
Cocu’s men are still getting used to the Dutchman’s methods and they will eventually stumble upon his style. But Forest look like a better team on paper and in reality. They should get a win in the East Midlands Derby at the weekend.