Nottingham Forest v Leicester – Q&A

Every friday from now on, I will ask a fan his/her thoughts on a chosen match, one from the Premier League and one from the Championship.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST – Vital Forest editor
1) This is a very big clash as 3rd faces 4th also the two clubs are rivals, how much do you want this win so you can leapfrog Leicester into 3rd?

We want to win and we want 3rd place. I think it’s fair to say Leicester fans view Forest as their main rival, whereas we view the Sheep as ours. Yes it’s a bit of a local derby, but it’s kind of hard to place any more emotion on it, than you would another game. I personally devote a lot of passion to disliking the boys at Prideless Park, there’s not a lot left for anyone else to be honest.

2) You are unbeaten in ten games, however Nottingham Forest were only able to get back to winning ways last Saturday after a run of draws, how important was that win against Doncaster?

True enough we had a few draws, but they were against some of the stiffest opposition in the division. Nothing like a win to build confidence though and the 4-1 mauling of Rovers will do that just nicely.

3) Nicky Shorey has recently joined Forest on loan; do you think the left-back can revive his career with the East Midlands club?

He was brilliant for Reading and despite going on to make a couple of England appearances, things never really worked out for him at Villa Park. He’s the sort of player we’ve been lacking for some time, great getting forward and capable of delivering a decent cross. We all hopes it works out for him here.

4) The club signed plenty of players back in the summer transfer window, who has been the best signing so far?

In my opinion Paul McKenna has been the most consistent and important to us. He’s your typical defensive midfielder, but young Radoslaw Majewski has caught the eye with some spectacular goals.

5) Lastly the all important score prediction?

It’s got score draw written all over it, but I’m going for a 2-1 home win, Billy Davies’ tactical nous to win the day for the Reds.

LEICESTER CITY – Vital Leicester editor
1) Leicester is currently 3rd in the Championship, how pleased are you with the progress the Foxes have made?

It’s difficult to be anything other than delighted with the start we’ve made. We’ve definitely suprised a lot of people (including our very own fans) with the way we’ve gone about this campaign so far, especially when you look at the struggles of Peterborough and Scunthorpe who came up with us. Whether or not we can mount a serious promotion bid remains to be seen, but for now we should be content with what we have and hope that we can build from here.

2) Do you think Nigel Pearson is the best manager in the Coca Cola Championship?

I’d say that’s a bit of a bold statement to make as there are several extremely  talented managers in the Championship, but I don’t think it would be unfair to say he’s one of the best at least. There’s no doubt Pearson has done a fine job with the club so far with the resources provided to him, and it really is a testament to him that we are performing so well this season. His transfers have, for the most part, been impeccable, which is exactly where his predecessors went wrong. Naturally he may not be perfect, but I’d be confident in saying he’s better than most and that we should be grateful to have him at the club.

3) Martyn Waghorn loan is up in January, he has been one of the better Leicester players this season, how gutted will you be to seem him leave the Foxes?

I’d be bitterly disappointed to see him go back to Sunderland. Personally I would go as far to say he is technically our best striker, despite all of Fryatt’s goals. Pace, strong and an eye for goal, he has performed excellenty alongside Fryatt this season. I do still believe that there’s a possibility we might be able to extend the loan, as the chances of him getting ahead of Bent, Jones and Campbell in the pecking order at Sunderland are slim. Whatever happens I wish him the best of luck, and I have high hopes that he will make it one day in the Premier League.

4) From your point of view, who do you think has been the best player for Leicester so far this season?

I’ve been impressed mainly with Weale, Berner and Wellens in particular so far from our regular starters, but I think Weale just shades it above the rest. In my opinion he is Pearson’s most astute signing to date, plucked from Bristol City reserve team football to becoming first choice here. I’ve been really impressed with him this season, and he’s unquestionably contributed to our good campaign thus far.

5) Lastly the all important score prediction?

I do worry about Forest going into this one, but i’m confident enough that our boys can bring home something from the game, Nottingham Forest 1-1 Leicester City.