Three home games in a week ends with Forest

Alan Rogers

They ended the season with three successive victories against Ipswich, Wigan and West Brom, teams who all finished in the top ten.

So, a much better season in 2004/05 was forecast with some even suggesting that they could be right up there in the promotion race. Up to now though it hasn’t quite worked out like that and they find themselves next to bottom with just two victories, against West Ham and Wolves.

Kinnear brought in five new players during the close season to strengthen the squad but that included three players who had ended last season at the City Ground on loan. They were Leicester pair Andy Impey and Alan Rogers along with Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard.

Kevin James from Gillingham and Stoke’s Kris Commons were added. Commons arrived on a Bosman but because of his age, just 20 at the time, Forest had to pay £300,000.

The most notable departures were goalkeeper Darren Ward, who moved to Norwich, and midfielder Gareth Williams whose move to Leicester almost caused a war in the east midlands. Forest wanted a good few million for him but had to settle for a tribunal set £500,000.

Norwegian defender Jon-Olav Hjelde left in July for a career in South Korea but was back a month later, just a week into the season, whilst since then they have added to the squad with the capture of Adam Nowland from West Ham.

Nowland, who scored against the Clarets down at the Boleyn Ground earlier in the season, had a loan spell at Gillingham before Kinnear paid a quarter of a million for him last week.

Like the Clarets they drew too many games and with only the two victories to date have found themselves struggling at the bottom. They went out of the Carling Cup in midweek, losing 4-2 after extra time against Fulham at home, last Saturday they went down 2-1 to Wolves.

David Johnson, a familiar figure to Burnley fans, scored the Forest goal but they eventually succumbed to a goal form Dane Mikkel Bischoff who is on loan at Wolves from KKMC.

Click HERE to see all Forest’s results this season.

There have been changes at the City Ground this week with Mick Harford joining the coaching staff, it was reported he was to take over from Kinnear but that has been dispelled by the Forest board.

A new coach though has led to departures and two former Forest players, Ian Bowyer and Liam O’Kane have been shown the door.

There was almost a new player to add to the squad today when they tied up a deal with Crystal Palace to bring in Tommy Black on loan but the player changed his mind at the 11^th hour, preferring to stay in London.

He won’t be at the Turf tomorrow and neither will Nowland or Commons who miss the match with hamstring and thigh injuries respectively and Matthieu Louis_Jean who is suspended.

Gareth Taylor is back though, he played from half time in the Carling Cup tie after serving a ban for his second red card of the season and after initially being ruled out Johnson is thought to have a reasonable chance of playing.

Forest could line up: Paul Gerrard, James Perch, Wes Morgan, Michael Dawson, Alan Rogers, Eion Jess, Paul Evans, John Thompson, Andy Reid, Marlon King, David Johnson (or Gareth Taylor).

Things are not looking too much better for the Clarets than they were in midweek. James O’Connor can come back in, he was cup tied in midweek, but that might just about be it.

Graham Branch is struggling with illness to add to the woes. With all the others still rated doubtful there could though be one welcome return to the side when it is named tomorrow afternoon.

If not then, if Branchy is hopefully fit enough to play, the team will be:

Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Michael Duff, Gary Cahill, Mo Camara, Richard Duffy, Micah Hyde, Tony Grant, James O’Connor, Graham Branch, Robbie Blake. Subs: Paul Scott, Amadou Sanokho, Joel Pilkington, Matt O’Neill, Jean-Louis Valois.

Apart from Johnson and Taylor returning to the Turf there will be two familiar faces in the Burnley set up for Joe Kinnear. Both Steve Cotterill and Jean-Louis Valois played for the Forest manager when he was in charge at Wimbledon in Steve’s case and then at Luton.

Last season Forest came to Burnley and turned in an excellent performance, winning 3-0 and going second in the league. It is difficult to understand just how they have gone wrong since then but they have won just twelve of fifty-seven league games since.

Needless to say Taylor scored but the game had already been decided by the time he got their third, a performance inspired by Andy Reid on the left of midfield.

The teams were,

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche (Paul Weller 45), David May, Andy Todd, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Robbie Blake (Graham Branch 81), Tony Grant, Gareth Farrelly (Richard Chaplow 68), Luke Chadwick, Delroy Facey. Subs not used: Alan Moore, Matt O’Neill.