After their side beat Bristol City for a first Championship win since 2 December, supporters await with trepidation the return of owner Fawaz al-HasawiFawaz al-Hasawi is expected to return to Nottingham this week, with the whiff of sulphur from the flares of Saturday’s protest against him still hanging in the air on the banks of the Trent. Nottingham Forest fans want him out of the club he purchased four and a half years ago but the Kuwaiti, who has performed more three-point turns than a learner driver, does not appear willing to leave and his motives for remaining become less clear by the minute.Not long after the shrieks of relief at Ben Osborn’s creative flair, which brought a first victory...
Plymouth’s defence was classy and defiant, Ndidi excelled on Leicester debut, Batshuayi proved little and Stourbridge showed romance is alive, even in defeatThe triumphant celebrations after Plymouth Argyle’s 0-0 draw at Anfield were further confirmation that giant-equalling is the new giantkilling. In the modern world of the FA Cup, it is enough for David to draw with Goliath – especially as it means a second payday for clubs often in need of such a financial boost. For Plymouth’s players, it was about more than that. It’s easy to be sniffy about their ultra-defensive approach against the youngest team in Liverpool’s history, but most League Two teams would not have been good enough to pull it off. Plymouth defended with such...
‘Communication is difficult,’ say Morecambe of contacting their Brazilian owner, who disappeared within a few months of taking over, but more and more clubs seem to have problemsIf we are going to be generous, it is fair to assume Diego Lemos must have a few stories that have been passed down through the family. His father, Luisinho Tombo, was the leading scorer in the Rio State League of Brazil on two separate occasions, the most prolific striker in the history of his first club, America, with 311 goals, and played alongside Zico at Flamengo. One uncle, Caio Cambalhota, was at Flamengo and another, César Maluco, was part of Brazil’s 1974 World Cup squad because of his performances for Palmeiras.Whether that makes...
It is 12 years since Brian Clough died and his philosophy of giving youth a chance is being maintained at the City Ground by Philippe MontanierIt is probably a reflection of Nottingham Forest’s difficulties in the modern era that when they renew acquaintances with Arsenal on Tuesday it will be the first time in the 21st century they have encountered the club who wear the same colours because it was Forest, 130 years ago, who donated a red strip to help set them up.The last occasion the two sides met was in January 1999 when Ron Atkinson had just been appointed as Forest’s manager and infamously began his short, undistinguished spell more like Rowan Atkinson by climbing into the wrong...