East meets west in this midlands encounter on Saturday afternoon as Nottingham Forest entertain Birmingham City at the City Ground with both teams looking to enjoy a more successful campaign this time around in the Championship.
Nottingham Forest finished in 9th place last season but their inconsistency was once again their achilles heel and they found themselves 8 points off the pace of east midlands rivals, Derby County and the play-off pack.
Former club legend, Martin O’Neill became another of a string of Forest managers who have failed in their attempts to get the once-famous club back into the Premier League, with the job of promotion now falling in Sabri Lamouchi’s lap as he takes over the hot-seat at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest have gained just 1 point from their opening two matches of the new season, thanks to a 1-1 draw away at Leeds United, but they’d previously lost 2-1 at home to West Brom on the opening day of the season.
It’s been a mixed start for Forest this term as they got their first win under their belts with a midweek 1-0 home win against League One outfit, Fleetwood Town, in the League Cup.
Birmingham City have also produced a mixed start to their new season as The Blues were sent crashing out of the 1st round of the League Cup to League One side, Portsmouth, but in truth, the club’s ambitions lie elsewhere this season.
It looks like being another season of consolidation for Birmingham who parted ways with former manager, Gary Monk, in controversial and baffling circumstances, as well as selling their prize asset, striker Che Adams who was Birmingham’s top goalscorer last season, to Southampton.
To rub further salt into Birmingham’s ever-present wounds was the departure of playmaker, Jota, who chipped in with 11 assists last season, to nearby fierce rivals, Aston Villa.
The prospect of Birmingham City emulating their 5th highest number of goals away from home in the division this season in the Championship is therefore looking a tall order.
Instead, it looks like caretaker-manager, Pep Clotet, will employ the services of striker Jutkiewicz in a lone role up front, especially away from their St Andrews ground.
Incidentally, Birmingham have started well this season in the Championship, gaining 4 points from their opening two matches; a 1-0 win away at Brentford was followed by a point apiece against Bristol City in a 1-1 draw at St Andrews.
Focused on the first battle👊🏻.Let’s take the three points Blues ⚽️💙 #keepRightOn #BCFC #Dimoni———————————————-Concentrado para la primera batalla👊🏻.Vamos a por los tres puntos ⚽️💙#KeepRightOn #BCFC #Dimoni @BCFC pic.twitter.com/o5vrjFbmPg— Alvaro Gimenez (@alvarogimenez1) August 9, 2019
Focused on the first battle👊🏻.Let’s take the three points Blues ⚽️💙 #keepRightOn #BCFC #Dimoni———————————————-Concentrado para la primera batalla👊🏻.Vamos a por los tres puntos ⚽️💙#KeepRightOn #BCFC #Dimoni @BCFC pic.twitter.com/o5vrjFbmPg
A low-scoring game could be on the cards at the City Ground between two battling teams.