Let’s face it, unfortunately Forest are a total shambles at the moment.
They have no manager, an owner who wants out, the team are struggling in the league and to cap it all, there’s going to be a protest.
Which all in all means I’m sure I’m not alone in having a lot of sympathy for their fans.
We’ve been there, after all.
So it should be a simple task of out-playing them, out-scoring them and back on the bus in time for a few celebratory beers back at whichever nightclub, shouldn’t it?
Hah!
I’ve been looking at what side I think Bruce will play and I’ll tell you what, I’ve found it decidedly tricky.
The back four maybe picks itself, unless you’re of a mind to stick our new full backs straight in. I’m not convinced you want to throw the whole lot in, in one fell swoop, but if you are, who am I to argue?
I’m just not convinced Bruce will do it, although I’d expect the new lads to get minutes.
After the way Brentford apparently ran and passed through us with ease, the obvious thought would be to stick Jedinak in as the holding mid, but he’s injured (again), so that’s that thought straight out of the window.
I’ve seen it mentioned that Gardner is the next best option and indeed that would be my thought (although Lansbury is supposed to be able to play the role, even if he looked poor the other night).
But I don’t see how you can fit him in, given that Lansbury and Hourihane are certain to start.
Green and Adomah were apparently our best bets going forward against Brentford, so I don’t see how it would be fair to drop either of them.
Which all means that if we’re going two up front, we’re trying to fit five players in four spaces.
Why two up front?
Well Bruce has said that’s how he wants to play and there’s no way I see Scott Hogan not starting.
You could harshly drop Green and play Kodjia on the left, I suppose, to accommodate Gardner in the middle, but wouldn’t we be going down the same road of leaving the lone striker isolated?
If that happens, I don’t think I’ll be best impressed.
No, it has to be a 4-4-2 (or a 4-4-1-1 if you like) against a team in Forest’s present state.
They’ve actually won their last two games, but I’m sure you know what I mean. We’ve just pinched their best midfielder and McCormack can’t play this one, after all.
No, there’s no excuse now.
Bruce has the tools required and we have to go at them from the off.
Sod this sitting deep stuff; we should press and play a high line.
Most of all, we need to see some serious movement from the players and they need to be creating space for our undoubted quality (at this level) players to pass into.
Of course, it might well be that things don’t work out.
The team might not click. In fact there’s every chance it won’t.
But there’s no excuse now to not show some proper attacking intent. You might as well lose fighting and threatening as trying to play safe and hope for something and yet still lose, in my opinion.
If we play as well as I believe this side is easily capable of, I can see a 3-1 win, no problem.
But if we see the rubbish we’ve been accustomed too over the last few months, I can’t see past yet another away defeat.
And a fall into yet more abject doom and gloom, as we slide further down the table.
The pressure’s on, Mr Bruce.
No excuses, you have to get the players performing and I want to see you on the touchline ordering the players to get at them.
Oh, in other news, Gabby has done his hamstring, which strikes me as quite convenient. No matter though, as I don’t think anyone, including the manager, cares. His days as a Villa player are surely numbered.
Villa to lose 1-2.
