So Forest are safe… Just… Although it really has not been a pleasurable campaign, far from it. The optimism that pretty much evaporated before the season start when a team one goal short of the playoffs last year was dismantled with twelve new summer signings IN and ten OUT… Before Sabri fell to the inevitable, picked up by Chris Hughton, rebuilt in his way, a conventional approach that is no better off to what we already had.
But credit Hughton, during sticky times, he stuck with his guns, and got us out of the mess we were in. With two games left of this season he can now relax and look forward to next, another rebuilding programme is my guess, centre forwards under 30 please…
Whilst Forest have hovered with one eye over their shoulder for the majority of the campaign, spare a thought for poor old Derby County, them from across the A52, the auld enemy, the team we love to hate, Wayne Rooney’s Derby County in fact, they have more than ‘hovered’ often ‘lingered’ above the relegation zone, and us Forest fans have loved every minute of them being worse than us.
So much so, we now as Forest fans find ourselves with a tricky dilemma this weekend as the Reds make the short trip to Hillsborough in front of the Sky cameras… To support our own club on Saturday afternoon, or to support instead, Sheffield Wednesday?
Football often sets up quite beautiful scenarios and on Saturday at 12:30pm, Forest will play the Owls who need to win to have a chance at staying in the division, if they do, they’ll face Derby County in the final match of the season who should they not beat Swansea City in their 3pm KO, will have everything and more to play for in a one off battle for survival the following week.
This possible conundrum has left many Forest fans wanting to lose in the lunch time kick against Wednesday, which will set up Derby County’s match at Swansea City with added pressure. Should the Owls beat the Reds, one point will separate them and Derby, how satisfying would it be for Forest fans knowing their team have ‘helped’ bridge that gap on the two sides thus potentially sending Derby down to League One.
I personally have a different stance on all this. I would love Forest to go beat Sheffield Wednesday and beat a team that regularly beats us at Hillsborough too, beat them well, send them and their ‘scabby chants’ down, and in doing so, in saving Derby County, it would mean we could never ever let them live it down.
After all there is nothing bigger than an East Midlands Derby in football, and to not have that to look forward to next season would be quite the depressing thought.
Regardless of how the Reds do business in Sheffield however, there is nothing to say that Rotherham United cannot trump them all? Currently sitting between both Derby & Wednesday in 22nd the Millers have three games remaining, two wins will give them a real fighting opportunity themselves.
Whatever happens this weekend though, whoever Reds fans side with for this one-off, feet well and firmly up and popcorn in hand, Nottingham Forest fans will for once, have joy of win or lose, still being able to sing the blues, whilst those fans of Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, and little old Derby County, well you’ll just have to wait and see because of the three teams involved, only one can survive.
*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).
*Main image @MailOnline Forest can have a say on the relegation race this weekend.
