Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Watson has given his verdict on the East Midlands Derby at the upcoming weekend.
Watson’s Forest side will host Phillip Cocu’s Derby at the City Ground at the weekend and, while talking to the club’s official website, the former Wigan man said:
“The main aim is to try and stay calm, but the nature of the game means you will be fired up. Normally, in these games, whoever keeps the calmest on the pitch comes out on top.
“We know this is a big game, for the fans it is the biggest of the season. As players and as a team, we go out there having to treat it as a normal game so that we don’t get too excited and keep our heads. Whichever side that does that normally comes out on top at the end of the 90 minutes.”
Watson is key to the game
The 34-year-old midfielder has been an important player for Forest this season, having appeared 14 times in the Championship for Sabri Lamouchi’s side.
The club is currently fifth in the Championship table, just five points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion. They have lost only four games so far, winning as many as seven games in the league.
Watson, on the other hand, has scored two times this season. He has also assisted once for the club. Both of his goals came in 1-0 wins over Barnsley and Brentford at home.
The midfielder joined the club in February 2018 from Watford after his contract at the Hertfordshire-based club ran out. He is remembered for scoring Wigan’s late winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup final of 2013.
TIF Tactics
Watson has played at the base of a 4-1-4-1 shape at Forest. He has played behind Tiago Silva and Alfa Semedo but has also played in a midfield three in a 4-3-3 shape for Lamouchi’s men.
Forest go into the game not in the best of form as they have won only two of their last five Championship games. They have lost two games, drawing one. Watson’s former club, Wigan, have beaten them, so have Hull.
But they have won their previous game, beating newly-promoted Luton Town away from home. Derby, on the other hand, beat Middlesbrough in their previous game. They have won three out of their last five games, losing two.
Forest boast of the fourth-best defence in the league. That will be key, considering they will play at home. Derby have scored the tenth lowest number of goals in the league, 18. Forest’s stout defence should give them the win at the weekend.