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S1 E51 - Cross Over with Forest
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In today's episode. Craig is joined by our friends at GSPN Forest as we talk about our trip to the City Ground.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Midlands Derby
00:00:00
Speaker
Every club, every day. The Global Sports Podcast Network. Hello and welcome to GSBN Daily Forest for our crossover episode ah ahead of the Midlands Derby or the Derby of the ex-European Cup winners, Forest V Villa on Saturday. Joining from joining me Stuart from the forest side, we have Marley. Marley, how are you doing? How's the TikTok series of your fair forest legends going?
00:00:30
Speaker
ah going very well each video is performing better than the last which is either because people are finding it or because I keep trying different things and they keep working better so hopefully by this series I know what works what doesn't and I'll be able to bring in more viewers to not just forest GSPM but the whole of GSPN through my TikTok series because I will be doing a lot more That's great. So trial and error and seeing what works. I think now maybe there's a lot of what Forrest had been doing last year, and I think we possibly have found what works.
Aston Villa's Progress with Unai Emery
00:00:59
Speaker
They're joining us to talk about his team, who've maybe, well, I'd be interested to hear, actually, if they have have peaked or whether it's just ah not as high as last year. We've got Craig joining us from the Daily Bill of Podcasts. Craig, how are you doing today? Doing very well. How about you guys?
00:01:15
Speaker
Yeah, all good. All good for us looking forward to the game and the city ground tomorrow, where, of course, Forest did win both our home games like against Villa in our in our two years since promotion. But despite that, Villa have certainly had the bed the better time but over the last two years. So talk to us, Greg, quickly about what it's like for you seeing the rise of Aston Villa, especially since Una Emery played Steven Gerrard.
00:01:46
Speaker
Yeah, we try not to mention Steven Gerrard's name on Daily Villa. It does create a very sour note and a bitter taste in the back of the throat, but it's been very good since then. um I'm actually very pleased with how we've gone and how we've dealt with our blip of form, I will say, because I feel like you watch Liverpool right now and you see Arne Slott is riding high, he's doing everything right
00:02:15
Speaker
the up, how a manager can deal with ah when things don't quite go right and we've experienced that recently we and I feel like we've come out a bit the other side ah stronger for those experiences to be perfectly honest. So it's been an up and down season but one that I was kind of expecting, I kind of used Newcastle as the previous year as our blueprint Obviously they got into the Champions League they were trying to compete on Championship Champions League form as well as Premier League form trying to deal with the PSR and everything like that so that was kind of our blueprint so I knew this year was going to be difficult but if we can finish again in Europe this season and as we are doing at the moment showing a good good run of form in the Champions League I think that would be a good progressive season.
Balancing European Competitions
00:03:05
Speaker
Yeah, it's really interesting because of the the difference in format, I guess, between the Champions League for Villa and for Newcastle. Of course, Newcastle had the old formats. They were into the old group of death. I think they had Dortmund, PSG.
00:03:18
Speaker
And if I'm not mistaken, Atlético Madrid, maybe. So certainly very tough games with Villa. They've had a nice mix. They've had the famous wins at home against Bayern Munich, during Juventus, and then some away trips as well. Marley, have you been watching any of Villa this season, either in the Champions League or the Premier League? And do you think there's been a drop-off? Or is it more like Craig has said, they've gone through the blip, but they've come out the other side, having learnt a lot more about themselves.
00:03:45
Speaker
ah Unfortunately, I haven't seen much of Aston Villa this season. i I should probably try and watch them a few more times. I don't think it's so much of a blip. I think it's more, as Craig said, with Newcastle having to try and balance both Premier League on the weekends and European nights in midweek. It can take its toll on players, especially when a club's not done it for so long or ever.
00:04:10
Speaker
So the players will have to try and find that fine tune and manage a lot to try and find a fine tune. The coaches, the physios and everyone will have to try to find a fine tune to balance it out a bit. And if you can qualify for Europe again next season, then I'm sure you'll be able to balance out a lot better. You'll learn how to best cope with having such a high volume of games and you'll be able to start pushing top four again more than you are this season.
Team Dynamics and Player Roles
00:04:34
Speaker
Probably the most.
00:04:35
Speaker
Interesting thing about Villa this season, certainly from a neutral point of view in terms of how often Villa are spoken about on the national podcast of searches, John Duran. So that seems like he's always a sub, almost always a sub. So it's not as if you've had Watkins in the league, Duran in and Europe. It's always been Watkins starting and Duran then coming on. How do you think that job share is working, Greg?
00:05:02
Speaker
I think at the beginning of the season, Duran um had conversations with Emery first when he was like venturing for leaving the club. and But I think he's basically been told like, by your time, you'll get your opportunities, which he has, and understand that at the moment, Ali's my number nine, my favourite, my go to.
00:05:24
Speaker
but you will get your opportunities and then obviously Ali's a doubt for this weekend, for example. This is a prime example if Duran gets the start that he's got to grab hold of it with both hands because one of the things that has been very exciting as a Villa fan this past season is the competition for places.
00:05:42
Speaker
We brought Ian Mattison in, for example, and it's done nothing but heighten Luca Dean to becoming one of, I think at the moment, in one of the best informed left backs in the country at the moment in the Premier League. And then you've also got like players like Duran, as we were talking about, who's pushing Ali all the way to the wire where it's very much a split decision with a lot of Villa fans calling for Duran to start. So this is a golden opportunity. Now, if he does get to the start of the city ground,
00:06:11
Speaker
to go out there and prove that he is the player that everyone expects him to be. So as Unai Emery, it sounds like he's successfully kept all these players happy then. You mentioned Ian Mattson as another who came in for big money, which actually resulted in us taking Alex Moreno on on loan from you because you had another um left back at the club. So how was the likes of Ian Mattson?
00:06:35
Speaker
or Urie Tealemans even, how have they reacted to being not in the team? Is there a bit of discontent or was everyone so fully ah involved and buying into Unai Emery that they understand their jobs? I think the majority of people have bought into it like you mentioned Urie Tealemans.
00:06:52
Speaker
He threw his dummy at the pram last year, for example, when we had Douglas Louise in the mix as well, because he wasn't getting enough minutes. And I think, again, he's had a conversation with Emory and said, like, now that Dougie's left, you will be considered more a starter. But you've got to take the ball by the horns. You've got to get out there and prove yourself. And he's another one, just like Luca Dean, that is thriving now under that management of Emory and One of the interesting things you said there was about successfully keeping players happy. I think it's not necessarily the word happy that I would use, but content and understanding is more that they're getting to the point now because
00:07:34
Speaker
i I'm actually one of those few fans that like if Duran gets pulled off the field and he starts punching the chair or anything like that. I'm one of those few fans that actually enjoys that because I don't want any one of my players to not want to be on the field. So I want that fight. I want that push to get everyone ready for that game. So I think it's just a case of they have to understand what he's buying and how we're selling it.
00:08:00
Speaker
Yeah, it's really interesting. um Would you say, Marley, that's almost been replicated at Forest? We saw Anthony Langa start most of the first 10-12 games of the season, and Jota Silva was the one waiting in the wings fighting his time. Do you think that approach has been working well for Forest? Yeah, I do, because I think the main thing that's working well at Forest at the minute is everyone knows that they have a job, everyone knows what their job is, and everyone is happy with their job.
00:08:28
Speaker
currently using the Elanga Jota situation that you've just mentioned as my example. Elanga's known from the start of the season, his job is simply to start on the wing and to deliver, to give everything he can on that wing, quick down the wing, getting behind, cross the ball in, chipping with a goal. Jota has known that his job is that impact sub off the bench to bring pace, bring creativity. And he's also known if Elanga's performances do start to drop off and he's showing enough off the bench and in training, his job will be to come in,
00:08:57
Speaker
take that starting spot off him and put in the good performances that we've been needing. And I think that's what happened to Langer's performances did take a small dip. Jota has been put in and Jota has more than proved his worth in that wing position for that starting role. And I don't see a Langer getting it back anytime soon, but I don't think a Langer will be too annoyed about that. Cause he knows he's still got a job and a role in the team as does all all the players and all the substitutes. Yeah. So I think with everything just about coming together, I know that we,
00:09:27
Speaker
Forrest as well had a mini blip, but it this is fifth against sixth in the table tomorrow.
European Competitions: Benefits and Challenges
00:09:33
Speaker
Just before Craig, we take our first ad break. Mark at the start of our season and on the Daily Forrest podcast, he said that had a sneaky feeling Forrest might even make the conference league. ah So that's obviouslyly something you at Villa experienced last year. And now you're in the Champions League. So from you and and the fan and the rest of the fan base, how did you embrace the conference league? Is that something we should be looking forward to having we not been in Europe for a while, um or would you say it's more hassle than it's worth almost? When the conference league was announced, I actually thought it was absolute nonsense where it was like, how can you get into Europe finishing seventh or eighth depending on co-efficiency? And then when the tournament actually got going when West Ham won it the first year,
00:10:18
Speaker
I was actually transfixed in the fact that now there was a chance for teams like ah Forest of Villa or West Ham that can actually experience those European ties and experience that environment, um which everyone craves. Like obviously your cities, your man's cities, United, they've experienced it for years. So it's been um it's been really interesting to see those smaller clubs be able to highlight that that that environment. and So I was actually a massive fan when we started playing it. I think it's a great opportunity for the fans and for a club like Villa, who were on the rise and a club like Forest, who I feel that just similar to Villa, obviously weren't in the championship too long ago. I've risen dramatically and are having an exceptionally good season right now. If you guys can get into Europe and get that added income coming in to help with PSR,
00:11:13
Speaker
um and everything like that, I feel that's a really good stepping stone to build because now we, even though it's now Champions League for us, that conference night really helped us get an understanding of playing on a, was then a Thursday and then again on a Sunday or now a Tuesday, Wednesday and then again on the weekend. So it really gets, um it's a good stepping stone for a club, I believe.
00:11:38
Speaker
Yeah, I completely agree. But I think, Marley, you'd raised on one of our previous episodes that being in the conference league would almost then distract Forrest from the league next season. But again, Villa have certainly shown that you can balance playing in the conference league with pushing on the league to get in the fourth position. Are you turned by the conference league, Marley, or do you still rather consolidate the finished ninth this season to then be stronger, even more stronger in the league only next season?
00:12:06
Speaker
I do like the idea of finishing conference league this season because not only does it give us that magical experience of playing in Europe but it also as Craig says gives us that experience of playing in Europe so that if we do go and push on to finishing higher up competitions we're not still getting used to having to play twice a week every week like we did in the championship even though we've not got those players left. It's also a case of I'd rather qualify for you Conference League than Champions League or UEFA Europa League because we might actually get far in a Conference League, maybe even a final, possibly even win it. Whereas in the Europa League or Champions League, we'd be lucky to make it out of the league phase. So it would be more of a magical journey for us. Yeah, know definitely. It's all about the experience of IFRS have been missing European night. So even if you're in a lesser competition, you'll get further. So yeah by definition, there should be
00:13:01
Speaker
more more European nights. So we'll play our first advert now and then Craig, I'd be really interested to hear more specifically your thoughts about Forest as an observer and how you think the match tomorrow will will go.
Strategies for Forest vs Villa Match
00:13:43
Speaker
And so Craig, you were telling me before we went online that you are becoming a Zengaster customer almost in your own own private podcasting. So it's good to hear that. Who you're experiencing the Global Sports Podcast Network has been it's been a good one. So amongst you and your Villa supporting friends, what's the feeling? Are you seeing this as a tricky tie by the banks of the trend? Or are you looking to get another win here to continue your to pushup back to the top four?
00:14:12
Speaker
um I always feel Forest is a tough game because even though we're not local rivals, there always has been that kind of like history ah between the two clubs. So I think it's always a game that both sets of fans are up for. um This season in particular, Forest look like a very strong team. I've been very impressed with how organized you guys are from um from every aspect of play, whether you were in possession or out of possession,
00:14:41
Speaker
I love the way you guys defending a mid block where it's kind of like a four to four when pressing from the front as you as the team progresses through the field you slip. Very convenient needs like a four four two we've organization i feel like you're one of those few teams that play out from the back.
00:15:00
Speaker
but understand the difference between when to go short, when to go direct, and very rarely get caught in possession, as opposed to like Southampton, who we played recently, for example. So I think Nuno's got you guys ticking. I think one of you guys, I think Marley said it earlier, just very organised and a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the team. So yeah, I would say this game is a very tricky game going into this weekend.
00:15:30
Speaker
And I honestly see this being a draw written all over it. So Marley, what's your take on the Craig's quite in-depth scouting report? It seems he's certainly a c seen a lot of us. Yeah, ah quite accurate, really. is That is how we've been playing. And my personal opinion on the game itself is, what I'm going to say is I just don't see us losing because I think we're in a unique position where we would be the happier team with a point, believe it or not, being at home. We're a position above you on the table. You were more expectant to be up here than we were. And we've just ended what was a little dip in our form. So I think coming into this game, we are happier with a point. So you'll be more needing to go at us. We'll be happier. Just sit back, let you come at us, catch you committing too many men forward and snatch all three points.
00:16:28
Speaker
And in terms of Villa worrying me, your backup striker worries me more than your starting striker. That is weird. And um the other thing that worries me a lot is Moreno not being able to play, but Nico has been holding his own. I think the only two mistakes for his mate usually are either committing to being caught, committing too many men forward and being caught quickly on the break, or we'll switch defensive too early, which massively worries me tomorrow because I think if we go 1-0 and then 75 minutes on the clock, we switch to a back five, hold out defend, it won't work against Aston Villa ah because they have the super subs, they have the opportunity to turn it around and they will. We need a two goal lead before we do that. um But my honest opinion is we'll snip it 1-0. I think I completely agree, Marley, that
00:17:23
Speaker
a draw would be probably what we'd go into tomorrow playing with, even though yeah it's this weird juxtaposition that we're at home, we're both better in the table, but we can't disrespect Villa. They are a Champions League team. They are a team in Europe for a reason, which is yeah a why I think that when we looked at this run of fixtures, so after the last international break up until Spurs at home on on Boxing Day, I think we all did our a points tally and we thought due to the difficulty of the run, it might only be five or six points from the seven games. And because we've got the three points, it depends on what your thoughts are on how well Amirim has done. Three points unexpectedly away at United. It takes the pressure off again for for Villa tomorrow, which is why I think we could
00:18:06
Speaker
maybe even, we've spoke talked about it a long time, see that back three from the start to see a Marato trusted in the start. So Craig, I'll take your predicted lineup first and then Marley, I'll hear yours. I'll be interested to see Marley. You'd quickly change your mind based on what Craig says about what the Villas 11 will be. Yeah, I think there's not going to be many changes from our game midweek. um I expect Martin S to start in goal with a back line of um Kanza, ah Torres, Luca Deen and Diego Carlos. I expect a former player of yours, Maddy Cash, to continue his run at right midfield with a midfield of Tillamans and Kamara. Potentially O'Nana could get a start, but I think he'll end up on the bench. I would then go with McGinn on the left and Morgan Rogers, and I believe Obidran will start at the weekend.
00:19:05
Speaker
It was interesting for me that Matti Cash is back in midfield because he started off as ah as a midfielder initially. Then he was converted into that flying right back for our one year under Sabri Lamucci, which got him his his big move for Villa. But I've always heard he was maybe not quite as defensively up to it in the Premier League. So definitely it's interesting that he's now got his spot back into midfield, which is where he started off. So Marley, how would you counter counter that team that craigs Craig suggested?
00:19:33
Speaker
For me, it's just a case of put out our strongest line-up and try not to get beat. So I would personally pretty much not change the team. I'd start with Matt's sales in goal. He's been rock-solid recently, made a good save against Man United to tip a Bruno Fernandez free kick onto the crossbar. Back four, picks itself again. Nico Williams and Ollana at full back because Moreno can't play due to being on loan from Villa.
00:20:00
Speaker
And both of these fallbacks have just been solid in their own right this season. Ola Ina has been one of the best in the Premier League, I'd go as far as saying. And and obviously, Murillo and Milankovic back in the centre back pairing for another game. They've been outstanding this season and and ah can't see us ever conceding three goals again with those two as our centre back pairing.
00:20:21
Speaker
Midfield, I think I'd go for Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez. Obviously, I'd be tempted to go for Elliott Anderson, but I think against Aston Villa, we'd just be way too open with him instead of Dominguez. So I'd bring back Dominguez to add a bit more defensive solidity in that midfield and keep Morgan Gibbs white in a 10-roll. And my front three would stay as Chris Wood through the middle with Hudson Doy and Jota Silva to each side of him.
00:20:47
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I sort of mentioned the back three only to the devil, but they never good almost purely because I do really rate Morato, who is our closer or who's our finisher off the bench, but he's still yet to make a Premier League start. And we mentioned players being content at the start of the episode. I'm sure he understands why he's only at a finisher at the moment, but I'm sure he's content in this. He will slowly be ebbing away as he gets into December of his first season and he has yet to He had to make a first start, but I had the rest of the team with Pierre Dominguez in for Anderson. Again, I agree with that as well to give that more energy and work rate to the midfield too. And it puts Elliott Anderson on the bench, which along with Elanga, Thao and E, it's a very, we've certainly got our options if they are are tiring after the exertions in Leipzig midweek. So what's your thoughts Craig? Just before we take another short break,
00:21:39
Speaker
On that first team, I mean, Chris Wood is what third or fourth top scorer in the league. Is he someone that worries you or do you think you have the the right profile of defenders to to cope with him? I think his form worries me. I didn't expect him to be so successful this season. And I am actually more concerned about Gibbs White. I think Gibbs White for me is one of those players when he plays for you, you love him. When he's on the other team, you absolutely hate him.
00:22:06
Speaker
um I think he's a very big handful. I think he's got the same sort of players and Morgan Rogers likes to draw players out of position, which is like Chris Woods is benefiting from attacking the half space and so on. So I think if we get caught on the counter, I think that's going to be our biggest worry. We've noticed that it goes against Liverpool, against Leverkusen because we play such a high line and because our defence has been in and out all season with multiple injuries. I think that that could be an issue for us, especially against a forest team playing a gun in front of a lively city crowd. If they hit us on the break, I think that could be a very dangerous for the below. Yeah, certainly will be opportunities there. I think we were showing each other there a lot of respect, which is I think we we should. We are clubs slightly similar. You guys may be a few years ahead of us in our development, but
00:23:04
Speaker
We've both had that experience of being in the EFL, having dodgy owners at first, but then being ah rescued by but better ones. So we'll take another short break, then we'll talk again a bit about the nostalgia side of the forest and the villa.
Villa's Growth from Championship to Champions League
00:23:49
Speaker
So it went viral this week, the Premier League table from positions 5th to 10th, with the joke that this is the Championship table 2017. So it was Forest Villa, Fulham Brighton and Bournemouth. So the jokes were 11th, Bristol City, 12th, Preston. That could be just ah a Championship League table. um As well as the three years in the Championship like for you, Craig, there's the famous 5-5 draw between the two of us. For you guys, was it, let's get out of here as soon as possible? Or was there a bit of enjoyment and a bit of prior to seeing the likes of Jack Grealish blossom in in that team? I think it was a sense of relief um at first. Because when we went down, I think we were the the most gracious team to go get relegated. There was not a tear in the crowd. We basically is held signs up that no one should be crying. We're going to go down with a party. Because we knew we really didn't belong at that time in the Premier League. We were being beaten handsomely.
00:24:48
Speaker
um We flirted with relegation for three to four years prior to that. um As you mentioned, like bad ownership, bad direction, and bad management, ah just everything in its time was there. And when we got relegated, it was nice, I'll be honest, as a villa fan to start experiencing some success. And then we were saved by our owners, but we were also saved by Dean Smith.
00:25:15
Speaker
Dean Smith is a ah folk hero at the Villa now for what he did for us to get us back into the Premier League. And if you would have asked me like three or four years ago, like when we were down in the old rooms, if there was a chance we could ever get to where we are now, I would have said absolutely not. ah Not for like 10, 15 plus years. I didn't personally think I would see um Villa in the Champions League till my kids were grown up.
00:25:43
Speaker
So and now I've got a 13-year-old, a 10-year-old and a three-year-old. So
Managerial Changes and Their Impact
00:25:49
Speaker
thankfully they've they've been able to see Villa back at the heights of professional football. Yeah, it's definitely great for them, great for you as a family that you're able to enjoy it and it's something they will, maybe not the three-year-old but certainly the 30 and the 10-year-old, they'll enjoy the first time they saw Villa in the Champions League and hopefully not not the only time. But Marley, I think the comparison that Craig mentioned of Be forever thankful for Dean Smith. So Dean Smith is Villa's Steve Cooper, guesses out the Premier League, keeps them in the Premier League the first time, but then gets replaced by a more progressive manager. Okay. You had the unmentionable Craig, but let's say he went straight from Dean Smith to Emory. That'd be the equivalent of us going from Steve Cooper to Nuno. Thanks for everything you did, Steve Cooper, but Nuno has got it from here. Yeah. It's, um, it's been quite magical and,
00:26:39
Speaker
I do have a theory which I'm not going to get into on a crossover episode. It's better left for ah another episode, which many Forest fans will disagree with at first, but they'll they'll see the light eventually. And that's that there should be a third manager in that conversation. But yeah, ah newnoer Nuno from Cooper is, yeah, Cooper was a fan favorite and he did so well with our club, but it' feel like his time it does feel like his time was up. He'd take us as far as he could take us.
00:27:09
Speaker
And Nuno's really taken over in the best possible way. He's coming to a team that the fans aren't turning toxic or anything. We're not turning against the club, against the current manager. The fans have been ready to accept him in, and he's just taken in his stride. And after a preseason, he's is just working a dream, working a tree. And I think us not turning sour when things weren't going our way really, really is the the epitome of what brought us as far as well because noo didn't have to try and turn a crowd back on his side he already had the crowd back in i'm not sure he felt the same when
00:27:44
Speaker
emy took over ah craig but i guess would like to have a say on that yeah it's ah For the majority of Villa fans, um we understand the process and where we've come from. But I'm sure it's the same with every club, including Forest. We've got that like small handful of fans that are very loud on social media. And that's why we refer to them as being very fickle. We've got a bunch of Villa fans that even after a couple of losses, they were calling for Emory's head, ah which is ridiculous. Whereas the most level headed fans and like the fans that we have on our podcast,
00:28:21
Speaker
understand that it's going to be ah a target peaks and troughs, as simple as that. But thankfully, there's been a lot more peaks under Emery and we hope for those to continue because he's our manager. um We haven't quite built the statue yet, but there's definitely planning permission. So I think if i the rumors are true, Emery turned down by Munich in the summer. um So based on his negative experiences at Arsenal and PSG,
00:28:51
Speaker
Do you think at Villa he's found his permanent home and when we're doing the Forest Villa crossover ah cross over episode in two years time, five years time, we'll still be talking about Emery as your current manager, or is there a worry he might might be tempted into one last big move or is Villa big enough for him? I think it's more a case that he's got more control out of Villa than he would anywhere else. I think there's certain, like when he was at Arsenal, for example, there's a lot of restrictions there.
00:29:17
Speaker
ah People forget how Wally did it like PSG and Villa Real and so on. So I feel the difference with that Villa, he's been able to work with the owners, work with the recruitment, really get his hand in every deal in within the club and got that control. Like a lot of people aren't aware that um he He has like his own club that are connected with Villa now as well. His son plays for the Villa. He's definitely fully invested in staying with a Villa. So um I think the future is very bright and I think it's it's under Emery all the way. It's almost an old fashioned way then if he is able to have that power to be the manager controlling everything rather than just the head coach that seems to be very popular these days, Marley.
Potential for European Dominance Again
00:30:06
Speaker
Yeah, take a look at the clock. This might be my last take of the episode, but I just want to say that tomorrow I think could be an easily be a ah take of what's to come in for us for the villa over the next five, 10 years, because just like you don't see Emory going anywhere anytime soon. I don't see Nuno going anywhere anytime soon. He's, he seems invested in the club. The fans love him. He's, uh, doing really well with forest. I honestly think he's going to be the first manager to, I know we would have said this about Sabri would have said it about Steve Cooper.
00:30:36
Speaker
I think he's going to be the manager to finally stay with Forest us for years to come. And it'll still be Emery versus Nuno in five years time. And honestly, I think Forest and Villa are going to become very similar teams again now. Obviously we were playing each other the championship. It was the, I'd say the biggest game the championship's ever seen with three European cups in it. And I honestly think it's, we're going to go back to being giants of Europe soon. Not as big as we once were, but we'll both be in Europe regularly. So.
Final Predictions for Forest vs Villa
00:31:05
Speaker
Please be an entertaining game because I'd love to see more crackers like the 5-5 at Villa Park. I don't know if my heart would take another 5-5 though, to be honest. What's a realistic prediction? So none of us are going for 5-5. Let's finish off with score predictions, Greg. I'm going to go for 1-1. I hope I'm wrong. I hope we can snatch a win. But I do respect Forest. I think their season is really good. And I don't think a draw away from home would be a terrible result for the Villa.
00:31:36
Speaker
ah And the last two seasons, the results have been 1-1 at the city ground, 2-0 at Villa Park, 2-0 at the city ground and 4-2 at Villa Park. and So there's no real pattern of whether there's a lot of goals. The only patterns were both unbeaten at home to each other. I don't see that changing tomorrow, as I've said, and so I'm going to stick with my sneaky 1-0 win prediction.
00:32:05
Speaker
I'll finish up with 2-0. At the start of the episode, I said Forrest had won both games. I completely forgot that I remember the Dennis goal. That was part of a 1-1, not a 1-0. So I misremembered a Forrest win at the beginning of the episode.
00:32:21
Speaker
um I think we were at my prediction for tomorrow instead. um So we were going to talk about Forestly Aston Villa in the 90s, which is my first ever game. But I think we've enjoyed you having having you on so much, Craig, that we can save it for but for for next time. There's lots of interesting names and in both both team sheets. So we'll watch this space and we'll talk about that next time. um So Marley, Craig, any any final words ahead of the game game tomorrow? That should be enjoyable, guys.
00:32:48
Speaker
whatso Good morning, Rez. Thanks all for listening. You can follow the rest of Marley's TikTok challenge on our TikTok at gspnforest4, as well as all his updates live from the game. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back soon.