At this time last week, we were getting ready for a massive promotion clash with Derby. We have drawn both of our games since then as another East Midlands side head to Carrow Road. This time it is Dougie Freedman’s Nottingham Forest who make the trek out to East Anglia. Here are five things to look out for on Saturday afternoon.
1. High Energy Matchup
Dougie Freedman has been in charge for ten matches at The City Ground, and Nottingham Forest have 23 out of a possible 30 points in that time. That run has them just eight points off of the playoffs with a hope of returning to the Premier League that would never have existed under Stuart Pearce. They will be eager to score early and extend that run. Norwich are also looking to bounce back from a 2-2 draw at Huddersfield, but will also being excited after snatching a point. It’s a big promotion clash with one side in great form, and another trying to get back on track. That usually leads to a high tempo early on, and I think Nathan Redmond’s pace could be key.
2. Physical Midfielders
This match will feature two players that are tied atop the Championship for the most yellow cards. Both Alexander Tettey and Henri Lansbury have 11 yellow cards this season and play very aggressive styles. These two players are ones that are not afraid to stick their foot in, and often times command the midfield. The Lansbury vs. Tettey matchup could be one that we highlight at the end of the match as a key tipping point.
3. Closing Down Attackers
Last season, we saw lots of goals just flying in at us from areas just outside of the penalty area. That was a direct cause of us not closing down attackers, and it was a big reason that we went down. Not a lot of clubs in the Championship have the quality to exploit that, but we will be tested in that regard Saturday. Six out of the eight goals for Nottingham Forest this month (plus February 28th) have come from outside the box. Yes, you read that right, six out of eight. Many of these goals have come in the exact areas we conceded from last season, so we will need to be closing down attackers quickly. Martin and Bassong have a job on their hands.
4. Play A Full Game
We all remember Nottingham Forest scoring twice in the final five minutes to knick a win against us last time. They have a habit of doing that this season. They have been scoring in the final five minutes of both halves a lot. They scored in the 43rd and 45th minute on Wednesday, a 92nd minute winner vs. Derby, and a 94th minute equalizer vs. Ipswich just to name a few. When we see the stoppage time board go up, we can’t have another crazy time period like we did at Huddersfield. When you are facing a side with a lot of belief right now, and have experience in late matches it is never over. I know that this is true in every match, but especially against these guys. We need to play a complete match from start to finish, and we can’t ever let our foot off the gas.
5. Who Will Be The Hero?
The last six meetings between Norwich and Nottingham Forest have all been separated by one goal or less dating back to 2003. Even the 2013 youth cup match between the two sides went to penalties. It has been well established that both teams have had some drama this season, and I think this one could be another heart attack for Norwich fans. Will it be an unsung hero like Jamar Loza? A man that has stepped up time and time again like Bradley Johnson? Could Henri Lansbury come back to his old stomping grounds and get Forest a result? There are so many players that have come up big for their sides lately. It will be fun to see who will be the hero and who will be the goat on Saturday.
Those are five things to watch against Nottingham Forest. Can you think of more? Leave a comment below if you have another thing to look out for or a score prediction. Get ready yellow army, it’s going to be a massive weekend. OTBC!
