Simon Grayson and Billy Davies come to face-to-face tomorrow in a clash which promises to leave absolutely no prisoners between Davies’ Nottingham Forest and Grayson’s Leeds United. Both these two sides suffered opening day defeats and may well be reeling still, but Leeds found the winning track in midweek, and in some style, smashing Lincoln 4-0 in the Carling Cup. The same couldn’t be said for Forest, who were sent packing following an extra-time loss at Bradford City. So will it be Leeds who continue to march forwards or will Forest drag them back and notch up their first win of the campaign?
We’re leaning towards the latter if truth be told. Billy Davies worked wonders with Forest last season and like a well breded stallion, primed and ready for the big time, they were pipped on the line by the rank outsider, which in this instance was Blackpool. By like Horse Racing form, Blackpool backed up their promotion form by leathering Wigan Athletic 4-0 away from home on Saturday, meaning Forest were beaten by a progressive sort. But Davies has retained his biggest performers from last season; Paul McKenna, Robert Earnshaw and Nathan Tyson, and were only narrowely beaten by one of the promotion favourites on the opening weekend, falling to a 1-0 defeat away at Burnley. Granted they didn’t began with the same confident swagger they played in throhghout the majority of last season, but they were the better side in the second half. Davies rotated his squad during their midweek defeat to Bradford, so cast that disappintment to one side if you would.
Despite regaining their composure to beat League Two Lincoln during the week, Leeds were outfought and outplayed at Elland Road by Derby County, who were then beaten 2-1 at home to Cardiff City yesterday to do their opening day victory over Leeds an injustice. Simon Grayson could only watch on as his team were ripped to pieces at the back whislt ensuring almost every mistake Derby made would go unpunished. It was evident that Leeds recently made the step up from League One and the gulf in class appeared far greater than it should of, seeing as Derby County aren’t a team we rate a great deal in this company. Plus, the Leeds manager had little option but to wave goodbye to his most prolific forward asset during pre-season, with Jermain Beckford, the player which knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup last season before later forcing Tottenham into a replay at Elland Road, leaving for pastures new with Everton in the Premier League. In fairness, the club did remarkably well to keep the player, now apparently of Premiership calibre, but they’re now reliant on Lucciano Becchio and Billy Paynter to score the goals to keep them in the division, which while they should do so doesn’t mean they will against the better equipped and more talented sides in the division, with Forest certainly entering into that category.
Considering Leeds were ousted at home last weekend by Derby County, Simon Grayson will need to rally his troops something wild in order to get them playing to the standard of Forest, who were more than a match for Burnley last Saturday for the most part. And Davies will welcome back a whole host of individuals which didn’t play in the Carling Cup during midweek, with Robert Earnshaw, Chris Gunter, Ryan Bertrand and Radi Majewski all returning from international duty, raring to go and desperate to taste that winning feeling once again. Forest are favourites tomorrow, and rightly so, they play far better team football than Leeds United and have more quality in the final to put away their chances, unlike Leeds. The 5/6 on offer with Bet365 may look a little slim but we think it’s a delightful quote for a team which will take on the beating on Sunday afternoon.
Matt’s Tip: Nottingham Forest to WIN – 5/6 (1.83) Bet365
