FOCUS ON: NOTTINGHAM FOREST
NOTTINGHAM Forest will play host to the Golden Boys this Saturday at the City Ground.
Forest, still in search of their first league win of the season, will be hoping to be the first side to breach Watford's miserly defence, who have now kept three consecutive clean sheets.
The newly promoted side have had a tough start to the league campaign with an encouraging 0-0 draw at home to Reading and a 3-1 away defeat to Swansea City, the only team to finish above Forest in League One last season.
Colin Calderwood's men were left ruing their luck when the final whistle blew last Saturday after a controversial penalty had marred a potential second half revival.
Forest will be looking to put the defeat firmly behind them by bouncing back against a Watford side riding high after a strong home performance against Charlton at the weekend.
This will be Forest's first season in England's second tier since the 2004/2005 season, a position that they will be looking to consolidate and build upon considering the club's illustrious history.
New faces include Nottingham-born marksman Andy Cole, signed on a free transfer from Sunderland this summer.
Cole, 36, has long harboured the ambition to play for his home-town club and will be hoping for a successful season as his playing career draws to a close.
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Local boy Andy Cole |
Cole bagged six goals in eight starts on loan for Burnley last season, which shows he is still very much sharp enough to play at this level.
Two loan signings to strengthen options in midfield, Paul Anderson and Lee Martin, have joined the club from Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.
Anderson enjoyed a successful loan spell with Swansea last season, scoring seven goals on the road to winning the League One title.
Calderwood has also had a considerable war-chest to delve into to help Forest to establish them as a force to be reckoned with once more.
Over £4million has been spent during the summer. Rob Earnshaw (£2.65m) signed from Derby, whilst Joe Garner (£1.14m) is a promising young striker from Carlisle and powerful French midfielder Guy Moussi (undisclosed) from SCO Angers also signed to significantly boost Forest's attacking options.
Increasing the firepower of the squad has been the top priority over the summer.
Earnshaw is expected to fill the gap left by Junior Agogo who joined Egyptian side El Zamalek for £565,000 over the summer.
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Boss Colin Calderwood |
Agogo's 20 league goals last term greatly contributed to Forest's promotion back to the Championship.
On the other hand Forest had by far the tightest defence in League One last season; they conceded a mere 32 goals in their 46 league games, six fewer than Leeds with the next best record.
Calderwood has taken the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it approach' leaving his defensive unit completely unchanged.
TEAM NEWS
Forest are currently trying to weather something of an injury crisis.
Arron Davies has been withdrawn from the Welsh squad for their friendly against Georgia with a calf injury and will be doubtful for this weekend's clash.
Cole is also yet to make his debut for the club as he is also struggling with a calf injury.
Nathan Tyson is still nursing a hamstring injury and is doubtful to return before the weekend.
New signing Garner was signed despite the fact the club knew all about his knee ligament injury and will not be able to make his debut for the club until October.
Loan signing Anderson underwent a scan of his troublesome thigh in pre-season. The results mean that he will not play for the club until the end of the month.
LAST TIME THE TEAMS MET
The last time the two teams met was back in March 2005 when both teams were involved in a relegation scrap.
Although Forest ran out 0-2 winners at Vicarage Road, it was the Hornets that stayed up and Forest who were relegated when all was said and done.
Watford had the better of the opening exchanges but failed to capitalise on their early dominance and fell prey to a brace from Kris Commons.
Commons unleashed a 25-yard belter, which swerved past the outstretched finger tips of the despairing Richard Lee to put the visitors ahead on the stroke of half-time.
The game was put to bed in the 79th minute when Commons bagged a second courtesy of some characteristically indecisive defending.
The ball rolled kindly to Gareth Taylor who threaded Darryl Powell through to the by-line who calmly squared for Commons to side foot home from two yards out.
The victory did not help Gary Megson's side avoid the drop in the end and Forest have since spent three-long seasons in League One.
Watford's defeat was the second in a run of seven defeats from eight games.
This dismal run of one point from a possible 24 saw Watford slide inexorably towards relegation.
There will be two survivors from the fixture on either side this Saturday, all of them defenders.
Forest's Wes Morgan and James Perch are likely to feature whilst the surviving Hornets are skipper Jay Demerit and full-back Lloyd Doyley.
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James Chambers in action last time the sides met |
HEAD TO HEAD
The two clubs have met on 36 occasions in their history.
Forest have enjoyed the better of the exchanges winning 13 games to the Watford's 10. The remaining 13 games ended all-square.
At the City Ground, Forest have won eight victories to Watford's five. Five games have ended in a draw.
However Forest have not beaten the Hornets at the City Ground since 1994. Watford have won three of their last five visits, drawing the other two.
Despite this, Watford's impressive recent record in Nottingham and Watford's stronger start to the season, Forest are currently slight favourites with the bookies.
HORNETSBET
Home win - 11/8
Draw - 9/4
Away win - 7/4
Scorecast - Rasiak to score first and Watford to win 2-1 - 51/1.
PLACE YOUR BET AND HELP THE CLUB
