[SHEP_HTAFC]

NOTTINGHAM FOREST v HUDDERSFIELD TOWN......SAT 11th APRIL.....K.O 15:00

SEASON SO FAR

This game is dangerously close to being a "means nowt to either team" game....or a nothing to play for game in other words.

Forest sit 13 points off the last play off position, with only 15 points to play for. Town sit 12 points clear of the last relegation position, with only a possible 18 points available to Millwall. However with only 8 wins all season, Millwall would need to win at least 4 of the remaining 6 games to stand any chance.


So it sounds like this is a meaningless game..... for the supporters. 
But you'd be wrong for the managers and players of both clubs to think the same. 

The Forest manager Dougie Freedman is close to signing a new contract extension, and will want to finish as strongly as possible for the remaining games this season. He has some tough choices to make in the summer as Forest need to trim their squad due to their wage bill - a whopping £24M. So players will be fighting for their place next season which is further complicated by the fact they will only be able to sign free transfers and loan players due to being naughty with FFP.

And for Town's manager Chris Powell, this is a chance to blood a few of the youngsters, try different attacking formations away from home, and generally see where he needs to make improvements for next season.
We all know we need additions to our squad, but where? Who else might go in the summer after the mass exodus in January?

Town come into this game after a fantastic performance and result against a promotion chasing Ipswich on Easter Monday. A deserved 2-1 home victory was gained with goals from Wells and Vaughan. This followed a game only 48 hours previously away at Sheff Wed, a creditable 1-1 draw with Miller getting Towns' goal. 

Forest come into this game after a dodgy recent set of results. Their last 7 games has only resulted in 2 wins, however one of those was an impressive home win v Middlesborough

CHRIS POWELL comments

On injuries, he says: "Jonathan Hogg has trained for the first time with the group today and he has done a lot of work with the fitness guys. He is a bit of a Duracell and he looks fine which is pleasing"

Powell on games left: "We are still not mathematically right but those four points will help us in our quest to survive.

"It is huge for the strikers because they know they are judged on it but for all three of them to score and play the way they did.
"James and Nahki can play together. Ishmael is a different type, he wants to carry the ball and be positive so the Easter period was very good.

Powell on Oscar Gobern: "He is in my plans right now because I have had 17 senior players and adding young Duane Holmes so we are smaller as a squad, we know that.

"When I first came in, we had a bigger number but you want them to contribute so you need a bit of a balance.
"Oscar has done very well for me, he has had some cameos and has looked good, he has balance, good stature and is not afraid to make a tackle.
"I understand it hasn't worked for him here and I allowed him to go out on loan but moving forward it is up for debate and it is something we will discuss, like a few other players."

Powell on the younger players: "I have to initially because some previous games did not go our way.
"I have had to get round them and be positive and my skipper has led from the front, on one hand you can put a young player in because they won't feel the pressure but the timing has to be right.
"We have two away games and we want to get as many points as we can but we have two good home games but I am sure there will be a time when I will be able to look at one or two of those players."

Powell says he is Huddersfield Town manager and is planning for next year.
"I am trying to make us consistent, I am settled in the area but no I can't stop them saying things on there but I can categorically say I am here and have pre-season more or less sewn up.
"I want us to change and next year will be even tougher with the three sides coming down and Bristol City, Preston and maybe Sheffield United coming up, so it will be harder for us."

Powell says he is planning for the transfer window and hopes to get plans laid in place with regards to potential signings before the season ends.

SHEP's TEAM

Town almost have a fully fit squad to choose from. Ishmael Miller is available, as is Hogg. 

Bunn is still not available however.

You can't change a winning team though. Stick with the side that impressively beat Ipswich:-

SMITHIES

SMITH  LYNCH  HUDSON  JAMES

SCANNELL  COADY  GOBERN  BUTTERFIELD  

WELLS  VAUGHAN

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, Shep.
County's pitch looks terrible on that picture. 

[theo_luddite]

Now renamed as Mud-heap Lane Snoots?

Shep

Powell seems to have cut the bs thread on DATM off at the pass with his comments today. If he was going to leave at the end of the season he wouldn't have been doing today's press conference. Lillis would have been back in charge to the end of the season at the very least.

Freedman has turned Forest around around from the misfiring misfits that they suddenly became under Psycho after a great start but I still fancy us to take something from this game. Powell thought Monday's performance was the best of the season but I say it was the home match v Forest. We played them off the pitch that day, setting a standard that we have only come close to reaching against some other top sides and being very average or worse against some lower to middlin' clubs that came and parked the bus. Hence a frustrating season in the bottom half of the division when we could and should have been in the top 10 with more consistency.

They've got to cut their wage bill for next season. Powell will hopefully be given a few more quid to spend next year. Be interesting to see where we both are this time next season (apart from in the same division).

[ARTERRIER]

Making the trip tomorrow, hoping to see us 'go for it' and play with some attacking intent. Nowt to play for either team, Forest can't get in the play offs and we won't go down, so hoping for an open attacking and entertaining game.

[theo_luddite]

Brighton 0-2 Bornmuff, love it when a plan comes together. Keep it there boys.

[theo_luddite]

Fulham 2-2 Wigan, just gets better.

[MNTerrier]

i think the last 2 relegation places arent going to change much , and if Millwall go down it would mean that both teams that beat us in the playoffs have both been relegated back to division 1

[theo_luddite]

http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/artic...er-league/
In case anyone is still under the illusion that we are on a level playing field with Bornmuff.
I'll credit UTG on t'other 606 site for the original link which was a critique of us and Powell. http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/artic...-has-gone/

[jjamez]

Edgar or hogg in for gobern me thinks maybe even nahki

[EastLondonTerrier]

Love the secret footballer articles. Honest, articulate and very enlightening. Pretty sure most people think it's Dave Kitson but has he only ever played once at our ground when he was at cambridge back when we were in league two?