Hello everyone. Welcome back to Garaboldi Red, a Nottingham Forest podcast brought to you by Nottinghamshire Live. I'm Max Sage, your host, and welcome to today's main episode as Forest pick up a point away on the road at the Vitality Stadium. Hudson Adoy with a beautifully struck strike gets Forest a valuable point on the road against Bournemouth. No stadium damage this time, although maybe a few dodgy refereeing decisions at a billing red card. To discuss all of this and more, joined by, first of all, Red's correspondence, Sarah Clapson. Sarah, how are you? How was Bournemouth yesterday?

It was a long way, but at least it was a game to watch. So that was the main thing.

Yes, at least you got down there and the game was on and wasn't caught off with.

We're never going to let that one go, are we?

No, we never are. So sorry to any Bournemouth fans listening or watching. And also joined by a commentator and broadcaster, Elliot Stockdale. Elliot, good to see you making your debut on I've already read. How are you?

I'm good. Thanks, mate. A little bit tired. Was working late last night, but really excited to be honest. So thanks for the invite.

Good. We will keep it fresh for a Monday morning and try and keep you awake. Although sometimes to be fair, talking about Forest can put you to sleep at times. Sarah, let's start with you. You made the long trip down, as you mentioned. What was it like from the press box? Watching on the TV just seemed like the first 10, 15 minutes. We just didn't really seem to get going. It was classic Forest again.

Yeah, the The start wasn't great. Going 1-0 down after five minutes or so was not the best way to get going. And then maybe 10 minutes or so after that, Forest just didn't get in the game. They didn't get a grip or a handle on things. And they looked a bit all over the place at the back and just the midfield wasn't anywhere to be seen. But after that, they settled down and they did begin to get into the game. They really grew into the game. Towards the end of the first half, they really started to get into it, created a few decent moments, a few positive for race forward, had a few half chances, deservedly back on level terms by the break. And then second half was just a bit scrappy, really, both sides. It never really got going. I think Forest will be a bit frustrated that they didn't get the win. A draw probably was about fair, I think. Point on the road, though, I don't think you can ever complain about that.

No, you can't really. Elliot, do you agree? It just seemed like it was classic Forest away from home again, really.

Yeah, it's a good point on the road for Forest. I think the fans should be relatively happy with it. The away record for the club over the last 18 months in the Premier League has been pretty terrible. So I think a point against a team that have really improved over the last couple of months and on a weekend where Luton, Burnley, and Everton all didn't lose. I think they should be relatively delighted, to be honest, even if the performance wasn't what we all wanted it to be after a bit of a disappointment in midweek or being against Arsenal. But yeah, I think it's a good point on the road.

Yeah. And I suppose, Sarah, when you look at teams around Forest that are still in this relegation mix and that bottom half Everton, Luton being just two of those, as Elliot mentioned. I mean, how important is it for Forest almost just to equal their points at the moment, given that we could have a point deduction in two or three months?

Yeah, I think keeping it ticking over is really key. It's building a bit of momentum and just keep picking up points, particularly on the road. It's so tight, isn't it, down at the bottom of the table? It's really, really close. And obviously the potential points deduction hanging over the club. It's that level of uncertainty and not knowing what's going to be needed. So all the players can do, all Nuno can do is just focus on getting results. Keep trying to improve the performances. He's still getting to know the players, still getting to know the squad, still trying to put his ideas across. It's just eking things out at the minute and hoping that the improvement is going to come. And then with that, results will come. Getting back to winning ways quickly will be key. A couple of big home games coming up. So that's going to be really important. But I think just keeping it ticking over is really crucial because you just want to try and build something, keep having something to build on, keep having positives to take and work on. So I think there is still a lot to take from the draw on Sunday.

A lot of positives, a lot still to improve. And it probably sums up where Forrest are in terms of Nuno's tenure at the minute.

Yeah, definitely. No, I agree. And Elliot, I suppose when you look at the game yesterday, again, 56 % possession, actually, for Forrest. I was looking at the stats after, which is a real rarity. And we really could have won it, really, in the last 10 minutes.

Yeah, I think overall, that's where the disappointment's come from from Forest fans, is that after, especially when they went down to 10 men, Forest pushed and should have won it. We had the chances. With the attacking players coming back for Forest, we've got really no excuse going forward. A one year was an absolute force yesterday. Again, just making himself a nuisance. Yes, he didn't score, but just putting himself about there, having that option back is massive for Forest. So, yeah, I think they'll be a little bit disappointed that they didn't get the three points, but at the same time, shows that the ability and the quality is there. And if there is a bit of patience, it will eventually come. Those wins will start to flow.

Yeah. And I suppose, Elliot, just touching on that point you mentioned there as well about Taewoe obviously being back and he scored on his returning game against Arsenal. But he still didn't look that 100 % But even when he doesn't look 100%, he's still, like you said, he's a handful in the box and he can offer so much for Forest and just shows how crucial he is, really, leading that attacking line.

Yeah, absolutely. Like you say, he's not 100% fit yet. I'm a little bit worried with the potential injury to Chris Wood. Does that mean we're going to be rushing at one year back? I'm right in saying that you played the full game, didn't he? Yeah. Maybe against Bristol City in midweek, they'll rest him and give this new lad a go. If they're starting him, then maybe I'm a little bit worried that the same things are going to happen where they've rushed him back too early and he's not getting up to 100% match fit. But even a 75% fit, Tyler, one year, is a force to be reckoned with and something that the fans should be very excited to have back in the team.

Yes, definitely. I suppose, Sarah, as well, you look at Forest's team yesterday, and it was a strong team, the likes of Alanger as well, and so many players that will come back for Forest and the more after Afcon as well. But I think one player I actually wanted to touch on and just read in my notes here, I made a big point about, was Ryan Yates yesterday. I've seen some criticism of him on Twitter yesterday, but I just thought, again, he puts his body on the line. He gives absolutely everything. And it seems like whenever there's a foul or whenever there's anything, Ryan Yates is the first to get up, go to the referee. He's always there. And I just think that shows what a real leader he is to Forest. And potentially, players like him will be crucial given the huge games coming up and given this possible points deduction. You need players like him to lead the line, really, don't you?

Yeah, definitely. You need players like him to rally the dressing room as well, rally the troops, if you like. He does what Ryan Yates does. That's his game. He might not be as glamorous as some of the midfielders. He might not offer the same technically or quality as some of the others. But you can't coach what he offers. It's that extra little bit that he gives, and it can make a difference. I'll be honest, I'm not completely convinced by the partnership between him and Dominguez. It took a while to get going, and certainly early on, Forrest, the midfield just didn't have a grip on the game. They did get better, and they did get a handle on things, but it did take a while to settle down. And midfield is so important, particularly the way that Nuno sets the team up now. When Sangari comes back from AFCOM, I think he'll go straight back into the starting 11. Nuno really likes him. He really rates him. And he offers something a bit different as well. The absence of Mangala leaves a bit of a hole, and it's who fills it. I guess you could look back and say, well, or I'll miss the two big wins.

He wasn't involved early on in Nuno's reign, but I still think he is a big loss. So you need other players to step up. Ryan Yates does that, and he can be a nuisance. Opposition teams hate facing him. And that offers its own quality, if you like, because you rile the opposition up, you try and get stuck in, you maybe draw a few fouls, and that gets opposition players frustrated. I think you just can't replace what Ryan Yates brings. It's just something a bit different and you need different options.

Yeah. No, you do. And I think the criticism towards him It's just so unfair and I just don't see where it's coming from. Do you agree with that, Elia? I mean, I find that Yates is often scapegoated a little bit amongst the fan base, and he's criticized. And I just don't understand it from someone that's watched Forest for a long He comes on the pitch, and okay, he might make the odd mistake, but what professional footballer doesn't?

To be honest with you, it feels like he's been the scapegoat even in the Championship. For all these years that he's been at Forest, he's never really been everyone's favorite, but he's never let the club down. He always steps up to the plate. He's really taken to a duct of water, really, with the Premier League, I feel, over the last 18 months. Like you say, he's made a few mistakes here and there, but everyone has. It's been a really tricky last 18 months in the Premier League, and I think he's been really, really fantastic over the last couple of weeks, stepping up to the plate. He just does things that go unnoticed. Yesterday, he just kept drawing in fouls in defensive There is shielding the ball, winning free kicks, just offering that respite for the rest of the team, just giving them that extra 10 or 15 seconds to just have a breather, get back in position, and go again and start building attacks. Especially now with Warrall, Obviously, the club captain going off to Turkey, he is now essentially our captain. He's got to step up even more with a couple of new players coming in as well.

I really do not understand the criticism behind it. I think, especially yesterday, he had a fantastic game. I think we should be really fortunate and feel lucky to have him, not just as a player, but also just as a role model for the football club. He wears his heart on his sleeve as the saying goes. Yeah.

Yeah. No, totally agree. And we'll touch on Joe leaving or expected to leave shortly. Sarah, do you think that Nuno will turn to Ryan Yates? And you think Ryan Yates will become the main captain? Nothing's come out about it yet, has it?

No, he was vice captain anyway, and he captained the side when Joe wasn't in it. So I think it's just going to be business as usual for him. And he does play a big role in the dressing room. And you And I often see him, the way he interacts with his teammates, I think he's really telling of the person and player that he is. He communicates well. He really goes out of his way to make sure any new players coming in, he tries to help them settle. Some of the younger players as well. The link with the academy, obviously, he is the role model now of players wanting to break through. And he does try to set the example. He's just an all-around good professional, I think. And the leadership side of it, I think he does that anyway, whether he wears the armband or not. But Forrest have a few players like that. Morgan gives why. I've been really impressed with him in terms of his leadership role. He was part of the leadership group when Steve Cooper was there. I think Nuno probably rates him in the same... Or holds him in the same regard, really, because he, again, just naturally helps to try to gee players up.

I saw him yesterday before it went one-nil down. He was there trying to get everybody going again, same as Ryan Yates was. You need players like that. You need leaders. There's been a lot of change in the dressing room. There's younger players. It's players like Ryan Yates, like Morgan Gibbs-White, that offers that bit of continuity and helps the new players adapt to settle in, to find their feet. It's It's a really important role because it's not easy for anybody just to come straight in and expect to hit the ground running, especially if it's a new league, new division. It is difficult. I think sometimes we underestimate that side of things and you just think players can walk straight into a new team and immediately pick it up. And it's not always the case. It does take time and you need players like that to help.

Yeah, it does. And I think you need those crucial players. And Morgan and Ryan in the dressing room will certainly do that. Just wanted to touch on, Elliot, before we move on from the Bournemouth game and look ahead and single out more players and more key players for Forest. I often feel a sense of when Forest go away from home, that we sometimes give teams too much respect. I noticed that yesterday. I just feel like Forest should have been maybe going to Bournemouth and not showing them that much respect, whereas it seemed like Forest, especially in that first 20 minutes spell, let them have so much of the ball, the amount of corners given away. I just don't understand it. And then Forrest can quickly change and look really threatening towards the end of the first half.

I think it's a confidence thing as well. Amongst the fans, especially, any time Forrest go away from home, nobody's expecting even a point, never mind a win. And I think that translates onto the pitch. I think the players must be thinking at the back of their minds, they've only won two, three away games in the last two years now. That's got to affect things. And when you're going there, it doesn't matter where, be it Old Trafford or the vitality, you know that you're going to be against it against however many fans are there. So I feel Forrest just, I don't know, maybe carry away for the first 15 minutes of the game, first 20 minutes of the game, because then when they come out of their shell, all of a sudden, they're playing good football, going forward well, looking good on the break. But it's about starting the game that way. And I think that's a really important thing for Nuno and the staff to get ingrained in the players coming into the second half of the season now is when we go to away games, we've got to get ourselves in the mentality of we can win here.

Yes, our record away might not be great, but we're a good enough team. We now need to show that within the first 20 minutes, not in the last 70.

I think part of that is also that the team keeps changing. So you You had, again, a different goalkeeper yesterday. You had a different midfield pair. The team has changed so much that it takes time then in games for everybody to get together and to know their roles, know their positions. Nicolas Dominguez, again, back in a midfield role. Previously, he was playing out on the wing. So it's establishing those partnerships and those connections is so important. And you get that by playing the same line of team and building up through minutes. And Forest just haven't had that yet. And that takes time.

Yeah, totally agree. My Forest away record isn't great. I think the last league game I saw Forest win away from home was, well, it depends if you count Sheffield United in the Championship playoff first leg or you count Peterborough, which was towards the end of the season because I wasn't at Newcastle, I wasn't at Chelsea, I wasn't at Southampton. So to be honest, I'm surprised it doesn't mean some petition to stop me going. Let's touch on the red card, Sarah. I mean, awful foul. I mean, clever could have been sent off a bit earlier as well. Lots to talk about the referee. But I thought just that foul from Billing, and I've seen Bournemouth fans disagree with it, which shocked me. But that's a real Achilles breaker. And I just thought that that was a straight red, and he deserved to be off the pitch instantly, really.

Yeah, when I saw it, to begin with, to be honest, I the red card was a little bit harsh. And then you see the replays and you think, yeah, no, it's not. He hobbled off Callum Hudson a day afterwards, and he looked in real pain. He looked in real discomfort. He did try to continue, but you just hope it hasn't done any damage. I think looking back on it, you can't really have any complaints about the red card. For us, frustration will be perhaps that they didn't make the most of that man advantage, but it was quite late on in the game. And by that point, I know you've already mentioned it, but Tyro was blowing a bit and it was just getting towards the final minute. So the time they had really to make an impact on it, it wasn't long. So perhaps it was a little bit of frustration, but I think you can understand it.

Yeah, definitely. And that's... Elliot, this is a bit of an interesting question, and I don't know how you feel about this, but it seems like Forest fans are often quick to blame the referee, potentially, if If something goes wrong. And I know a lot of football fans are, and they'll blame VAR, and they'll do all that. But I just feel Forest, more than often, we've written letters to the PGA, M-O-L, but I just feel like yesterday, rather than people saying, Well, Bournemouth should have maybe had nine or more. Maybe Forrest should have capitalized on Bournemouth having 10 men.

Yeah, we were speaking about earlier about Ryan Yates being the scapegoat. It's almost like the referees are week in, week out for Forrest. It's always the referees' fault. Just move on. Yes, decisions are not going to go your way. It's just the way of life. Look at what happened with Liverpool earlier on this season against Tottenham. Went down to nine men. Yes, it didn't go to plan, but they've cried about it for a couple of days and then moved on. And then look at them now, they're in a title race. You just got to dust yourself down and go again. There's no point in writing letter after letter after letter. Yes, we have VAR and we're all frustrated with it. And yes, the standard of officiating in this country isn't what it should But just get on and play football. It's as simple as that. There's no point in moaning and yorping on Twitter about the game. Yesterday, Forest came up against, I'd say, a dogged form of team. They did okay. Maybe they should have won once the Bournemouth went down to 10 men, but you just got to look at the positives. I find it a real frustration after the game.

When I go on Twitter now, instead of just seeing comments about either how we played Well, be it good or bad, it's just constantly about the referee. And admittedly, yesterday, I was frustrated with the refereeing performance from both sides. But I think overall, we as a fan base need to dial back a little bit in terms of complaining about referees and just focus more on how the performance has been from the Forest players, either good or bad.

Yeah, totally agree. I suppose when we look at more key players, Sarah, as well, I wanted to touch on Murillo and Oma Baladele, who have seen to form this huge partnership, this brilliant partnership that's developing, saying that Niakate isn't back, saying that Boli isn't back yet. And they handled Solanke really well yesterday. He was really quiet, considering he always seems to score against Forest. I mean, he scored what a hat-trick. Was it when they played as at the start of the season?

Yeah, they did a great job of keeping tabs on him. I don't think he really got a look in at all. They're forming a really solid partnership, those two. For two centre-backs who are really young and who don't have a great deal of experience, they've looked really solid, really good, really promising. I think Niocato was on the bench yesterday. I think he's going to have a fight on his hands to get back into the team. Same with Boli when he comes back, because at the minute, Omabamadele and Marillo, it's their places to lose. They've got the shirts. And again, it's that continuity and playing together and developing a relationship and a connection. And over the last few games, they felt the benefits of that. I think as a defense, generally, Forest have been fairly solid. They have been leaking goals. But the Arsenal game previously, for the most part, they did pretty well. It was just a couple of individual errors that proved massively costly. It's cutting those errors out that are key. The goal wasn't a great one to concede against Bournemouth. But other than that, I can't remember Sels having a save to make.

I think maybe they had two shots on target all game. It was a pretty well disciplined performance again. There's a lot of positives to take from that because that was such a priority for Nuno to come in and tighten things up at the back and stop leaking goals. There's still a lot of work to do on that, but I think there's a really good base there, and those two are brilliant. And they're also really good on the ball. And that's something, again, that Nuno is really keen on. Same as Steve Cooper was before. Players that can bring it out, that can pick a pass, that can then get going in the opposite direction. And those two offer that.

Yes, they do. Totally agree. It's nice to see actually a bit of a partnership forming between those two. And Oma Balladele, who never really got a look in when Cooper was here, and now that's completely changed. Elliot, got to put it to you, is it a concern that Forest have played against 10 men? It's five times this season Forest have played against 10 men and have failed to score from open play. Do you think that's a concern?

Well, now you've said that, yeah, I do think it's a bit of a concern. I didn't realize it was that concerning, really. Yeah, I think Forest just needs to learn to break teams down in open play a bit more, quite clearly. How they do that, I'm not too sure. That's obviously down to Nuno on the training ground. I think things maybe just need to start clicking a little bit more on the attack, try and get the ball out the feet a little bit quicker. I think Hudson Adoy, while he's shown glimpses of how good he can be, especially, yes, sometimes he's a little bit too slow to get the ball out. Gibbs-white sometimes tries a little bit too much. I think maybe that's what Forest is going to focus on on the training pitch. But yeah, I think quite clearly Forest needs to do a little bit more work on, like you said, breaking down what clearly are low blocks when teams do go down to 10 man.

Yeah, definitely. Right. Let's move on and we'll chat about Joe Orrell and the Bristol City game in a minute. But I know you mentioned him a little bit, Sarah, but I just wanted to touch on Matt Sels again. He came in. He's obviously going to be the number one now. Turner is going to be the number two. It was odd to see another keeper on the bench, but again, probably due to availability for Nuno. I thought Sels played well. Like you said, he didn't really have much to do, but it will be difficult for him, won't it? Coming in and basically slotting in to that number one position straight away and replacing Turner. It must be probably quite awkward in the dressing room, I can imagine.

Yeah, I mean, you'd like to think that they're a group of professionals. Matt Turner has been in and out of the team anyway because they did swap between Blackadimus and Turner. He'll be disappointed, I'm sure. But You have to look at the greater picture, the bigger picture. I thought Sels did pretty well. Difficult to judge, really. First game, again, didn't have too many saves to make, but looked Confident, looked fairly composed, was good at coming for the ball, really good at communicating with his defense, didn't have any problems with his feet, with kicking it or with possession, particularly. So So it was a decent start. It was encouraging, I think. Again, it's going to take time. He's coming to a new team. Goalkeeper is a funny position. It's so specialized. And you're coming straight in, almost cold. You're coming straight into a team, almost cold. And you have to quickly get to know your teammates, get to know how they like to take the ball, how things work, how the manager likes to play. And it's not like outfield players where you can ease your way in, maybe play half like Gio Reina did, maybe play a few minutes here and there, find your feet, goalkeeper, you're in and that's it.

You have to go straight from the off and try and make your mark early on. I think he did that. I think he looked okay. It was certainly encouraging.

Yeah, definitely. Hopefully, fingers crossed, a solid keeper for Forest in what will be the next crucial few moments. Elliot, let's touch on Joe Warrall in Turkey, set for a low move to Bechik Hattas. Apologies if that pronunciation is wrong. Is that a good move for him, given that he's not getting the play in time and given lots of media speculation and reports about his relationship almost breaking down at the club recently.

I think it's an interesting move, similar to Scott McKenner. He's obviously gone off elsewhere in Europe. I think it's disappointing the way that Wharrell's career is seemingly over now at Forest. Of course, maybe the door's still open if Forest do maybe go back down to the Championship next season. But there's been so many rumors circulating on social media about what happened with Wharrell and Steve Cooper and the club overall. But I think for a player that is given so much to the club, he's a Nottingham lad, captain as well, for him to go off without even a goodbye, I think he's just pretty sad, to be honest, overall. He was always one of my favorite players, personally, over the years. So I wish him all the best of luck over in Turkey. Hopefully, turns into a good move for him as well. It's certainly been an experience for him, completely different to playing away at Rove Room United on a Tuesday. Kalatasla, I away. It's going to be interesting for him. But maybe Forest, like I say, the worst does happen, and Forrest do go down. Maybe that loan move will be Again, the making of him is similar to how that loan move at Ranges worked for NBA.

It wasn't amazing on the pitch, but he came back a different player and was just ever present for Forest after that.

Yeah, it's a very good point, actually, about it being maybe similar to the Ranges' loan move, which really did him good. And he'd been a great servant for the club, really, ever since that. Sarah, was there any real truth to any of the media speculation and things on Twitter that came out? I suppose also it's a real shame how it's worked out for him as Elliot touched on there, no real goodbye.

Yeah, I mean, not even been able to get on the pitch against Arsenal, I think was a real shame for him. I'm sure he would have liked that and a chance to, particularly if he had been at the city ground, a chance to properly say his bowels, albeit it is just a low move. I think he'll probably feel a bit frustrated and disappointed at how it's all panned out. Obviously, he's not been playing. He wants to play. He wants to gain time. I think ideally he would have liked to stay in this country. But as we've said, a move abroad, it's a different experience. And I hope he looks at it that way as a chance to broaden your horizons, it's such a cliché, but broaden your horizons a bit, experience a different type of football, a different type of living culture, And use it to develop and then build when you get back and see what happens in the summer. Because he's really passionate, Joe Warrall, and And I'm sure the way that this season has gone will have hurt because he wants to be out on the pitch. He showed that at Chelsea.

I think it's easy to forget, really, that he's had a bit of a tough time. But that Chelsea game, he was absolutely immense in really difficult personal circumstances with the death of his uncle. And he just played brilliantly. It's just he's got other players ahead of him now. And we've seen Amma Bindelli and Marillo develop their partnership and really come on. So getting a way back into the team was going to be difficult. But he's such a leader. He's such a great character. And I think this is an opportunity for him to just go out and try something new, different, and then see what happens in the summer.

Did Nuno say anything yesterday about it, Sarah, in the postmatch press conference?

No, he didn't. Hopefully we'll speak to him today and we'll be able to give a bit more insight. Obviously, when we spoke to him last, just after Deadline Day had finished, the move to Sheffield United had obviously not gone through. And Joe was still part of the group then. It was just a case of looking at the windows that were still open because obviously a few around the world were still. Forrest wanted to trim numbers. And I guess it was just finding the right move. And hopefully this does prove to be a good move for him.

Yeah, fingers crossed. I think as both of you have touched on, he's been a great servant for the club, similar to Yates. He has done so much. I just think it's a shame how it's worked out for him, really. And surprised that more Championship clubs weren't in for him, because for me, he's probably a playoff Championship. He could probably walk into a playoff in the Championship. Elliot, let's touch on Bristol City. Another replay this week. We've got to put the tie to bed, surely, and get through to the next round, which sets up a nice clash against Man United at the city ground.

Yeah, it'd be nice to get through in the FA Cup. I feel like everyone's always split in terms of when you're still in the Cup and you're in a relegation battle, is it a welcome distraction or do you just want to get out of the Cup so you can focus on the League? Personally, I love a Cup run. I think fans love a Cup run as well, especially even now we're in the Premier League, it's still great to have any of the bigger teams come down to the city ground. So I think the fans will be right behind the team on Wednesday, really hoping they can get through and set up, like you say, that clash against United. It won't be an easy game against Bristol City. They're still starting to find their feet under Liam Manning, but they've got some really dangerous players. Hopefully, it's a better game than it was at Ashton Gate, because that was absolutely dross on a Friday night. It really wasn't an interesting game at all. But yeah, work to do for Forest. I'm expecting changes, as I'm sure you two are as well. What those changes will be, I'm not too sure, but I think it'll be intriguing to see because I think whoever plays that game, if they impress, could be in for starting against Newcastle on Saturday.

Yeah, you agree with that, Sarah. I suppose, again, another Cup game, another replay, as we touched on last week with Steve, actually, we talked about him being a bit of a blessing in disguise about how it will give Nuno a chance to have a look at his team and really single out those players that can play in the league against Newcastle, which is a crucial game.

Yeah, he wants to do well in FA Cup. He's made that really clear. He wants to progress and to go on a really good Cup run because he knows what it's like. He knows how important the competition is, and it means a lot to him as well. So he wants to get through. He's gone pretty strong with his team so far. I think he'll probably try to do the same again, but that Newcastle game quickly coming on the horizon and a few difficulties, I guess, in terms of players being unavailable, it's going to be interesting to see how he sets up, but he'll be going out there to win, I'm sure. Bristol City are a good side. I know we didn't see that particularly in the first game, but they are a threat, so it isn't going to be an easy game at all. Forest are going to have to be really switched on to that. But I knew no one wanted to really go for it. It's just getting going, I think, and getting off to a good start would be key. Hopefully, get an early goal that would really get the city ground up and go in and get the crowd going and have something to build on.

Hopefully it doesn't go to extra time, but we've been there before, so we'll see What happens?

Yeah, we have been there before. We never, ever make it easy, do we? Just finally, Elliot, after Bristol City, look ahead to New Castle. Big game, again, in front of the TV cameras. Plenty of people watching at the city grounds. Hopefully a better atmosphere than Arsenal because it was very quiet for that game. But again, a game that Forest could be targeted, Newcastle aren't on the best form at the minute either.

No, absolutely. I actually watched the game on Saturday of Newcastle versus Luton. That was just absolutely mental. But Newcastle defensively were appalling. And I think Forest can really tackle that with the pace of Anthony Langer against Dan Burn. That is It got to be something that there must be targeting in training. But you mentioned there about the atmosphere. We mentioned that on the commentary, actually, against Arsenal. Felt really flat, and that was really unusual for Forest, especially under the light. Usually, that place is We've seen. Hopefully, it will be against Newcastle. I think, obviously, if Forest win against Bristol City, that will transfer on to Saturday. The fans will start believing again. They'll be a little bit happier in that frame of mind. But like you say, Newcastle, they're in such rocky form, but they can score goals. And I think that's the danger. The first goal will be crucial on Saturday against them. But if they can, like I say, target either side, Tripie and Dan Burn, neither of them are blessed for pace. I think Forest could surprise a few.

Yeah, fingers crossed. Just actually touching on that point that Elliot said, Sarah, about the atmosphere being flat. Do you think that's maybe because almost the whole novelty worn off this season with Forest, that your big clubs come into the city ground. It just doesn't feel the same as it did last season. Elliot actually mentions about Dan Burns' base there. I can remember having a chat with Dan Burns at Five Live, and he was saying that often your newly promoted teams in the second season, the atmosphere is not as good because the novelty is just worn off.

I hope not. I hope that's not the case. We always talk about second season syndrome, and I guess that maybe applies to on and off the pitch. It is a difficult season, and particularly the way that it's panning out at the minute. It's a real fight down there again. And I think it's the game Saturday where the city ground can come into its own. Newcastle, Saturday evening, big games, a lot riding on it at the end of a really big week. I think the city ground will be really up for that, particularly if the FA Cup game goes well on Wednesday. It's just It's one of those games that you really look forward to. I'm sure the players will be looking forward to it. Maybe not a Chris Wood hat-trick this time, unfortunately. But having Tyro back is just huge. He makes such a massive difference. Forest look a different team when he plays, and you always feel that he's going to get a chance and that he can score. So I think that's going to make a massive difference as well. He just adds something. And again, the pace of Elanga that we've mentioned.

I hope that Callum Hudson-Adoy's goal on Sunday gives him a real lift because he's got so much quality. He just needs a bit more belief in himself. And to do that thing more often, to take players on, to have a go, hopefully that kickstarts him because he's got so much talent. He's just getting going again, really. He's a bit of a rotten time, injury-wise, earlier in his career, and he showed so much potential early on. It's just getting... But he's so young. He's still got so much more to give and so much more to come. So I think there's a lot to get excited about for Saturday.

Yeah, for sure. And that goal will do his confidence. The world of good. I suppose maybe Chris Wood could tell Tywe what to eat maybe before the Newcastle game. Leftover Christmas dinner or something on Boxing Day, which fired him up and made him score three away for a moment. And I wasn't there to see it. So the away record I think that does us nicely. Elliot, thank you very much. Much appreciated.

Thank you. Thank you very much for having me on.

No, it's been good to chat. And Sarah, thank you as always. Fingers crossed, it won't be that cold for the Bristol City.

I hope we've got past the really cold spell. Spring is on its way.

It is. Let's be positive. The nights are getting lighter and the forest will be all right. Fingers crossed. We'll see you next week for a bit of a chat, actually, after the Bristol City game. But as always, if you've enjoyed this episode, like, share, and subscribe on YouTube. Follow us across Spotify and Apple podcasts. Leave us a review if you do enjoy. Have a great rest of your week and we'll see you next time. Take care.