Nottingham Forest make the short trip across the midlands this evening to face Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena. The Reds got back to winning ways on Saturday, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 thanks to Dexter Blackstock’s brace.

The victory was a much needed antidote for the doom and gloom around the City Ground following the previous week’s defeat at the hands of local rivals Derby County and it means Forest have still lost only once in 21 league games.

The side that faced Wednesday was one expected to graft – Guy Moussi partnered Paul McKenna in the centre, giving Forest a slightly unfamiliar workmanlike appearance in the centre of the pitch. Moussi’s introduction also meant that Radoslaw Majewski dropped to the bench. King Billy revealed the reason behind this was that Raddy had ‘lost his head over the contract situation’. What that actually means is open to interpretation, but one thing is for sure, we lack creativity in the centre when the young Pole is missing.

Forest team news

Billy Davies won’t be forced into any changes since the side that played on Saturday came through unscathed but, knowing Davies, you can bet the team that lines up at the Ricoh is a different one to the weekend.

Paul Anderson will be looking to start and many fans will be hoping to see Majewski reinstated to the starting line-up. Lewis McGugan will also be pushing for a start after missing out in Raddy’s absence on Saturday.

A lot depends on Forest’s formation as to who plays. Go with a 4-4-2 and we could see a rare start for David McGoldrick and Dele Adebola. However, 4-2-3-1 and Dex could be the lone target-man.

Davies will be hoping that whichever side he chooses plays to their potential. The previous two games have seen a sluggish, laboured performance rather than the ‘champagne football’ on show at The Hawthornes and at home to QPR.

I think we can be sure that Lee Camp will continue in goal and that Chris Gunter, Wes Morgan and Kelvin Wilson will line-up in defence. Other than that, though, everything is a mystery. Billy said post-match on Saturday that he has asked Chris Cohen to play at left-back and the midfielder is unwilling, but it remains to be seen whether the feisty Scot will get his way on Tuesday.

If I had to say what I think Davies will go with, I’d probably say this:

Camp; Gunter Morgan, Wilson, Cohen; Anderson, McKenna, Majewski, McCleary; Adebola, McGoldrick

Subs from: Smith, Chambers, Lynch, Perch, Tyson, McGugan, Garner, Moussi, Earnshaw, Blackstock.

The latest on Coventry City

Chris Coleman’s side earned a draw at Bristol City on Saturday. David Bell’s goal gave them the lead shortly after half time, but they succumbed to relentless attacks from the home team as David Clarkson equalised with less than ten minutes to go.

Three-time Forest target Leon Best left the Sky Blues during the January transfer window (what’s that?) for the heights of the Championship as he joined Newcastle for a fee rumoured to be around the £1m-mark.

One thing to note is ex-Forest midfielder Sammy ‘sideways’ Clingan. The Northern Ireland international has scored four-times as many goals for the Sky Blues in 18 games as he did in two years at Forest.

Cov currently sit in 15^th place and will be looking to pick up their first win since January 9^th when they beat Barnsley 3-1 at the Ricoh. Wins have been fairly hard to come by in the league – Coventry have won only four times since the end of September.

Coventry v Forest in history

The last six fixtures between these two sides in Coventry has seen two wins for each side and two draws. Last season, Forest took four points from the two games against Coventry.

At the Ricoh Arena, Elliot Ward gave the Sky Blues an early lead – so early that numerous Forest fans were still making their way into the ground, me included – before Rob Earnshaw pulled one pack for the Reds. However, any joy was shortlived as Clinton Morrison put the home side ahead again just two minutes later. Joe Garner had the last laugh, though, as he struck the equaliser on the hour mark for Forest.

That is the only time Forest have been to the Ricoh in the league and the previous time we went away to Coventry, Dele Adebola and last season’s loanee Gary McSheffrey scored to give them a 2-0 win.

I have fond memories of Highfield Road, if only for the reason that the two times I went there, we won. The first as the opening game of the 1996/97 season when Kevin Campbell’s hat-trick gave us a 3-0 victory. Shame that any hopes for that season went out of the window as we were relegated from the Premier League.

When people talk about sides that should be in the Premiership and sides that shouldn’t, Coventry are one of the teams I consider to be ‘bigger’ than the Wigans, Hulls, Boltons, Fulhams and Burnleys of the world. As a youngster, they were constantly there. And they seemed to constantly manage to avoid relegation at the death, too.

In fact, they stayed up by just one point in the 96/97 season, pipping Sunderland to safety to follow the previous season’s heroics when they survived on goal difference alone.

The Ricoh Arena

A standard ‘bowl-like’ structure from the outside and a bizarre wall on the inside which bears the word ‘RICOH’ in tribute to the club’s stadium sponsor means that one side of the pitch houses a ‘stand’ which is half the size of the other three.

You’re unlikely to witness the stadium anywhere near full on Tuesday night – The Ricoh holds 32,609, but Coventry’s average attendance so far this season has been a rather disappointing 17,409. Their highest of the season still falls some 10,000 short of capacity.

Opened in 2005, the stadium is located on the edge of a retail park and houses an exhibition centre and a casino for those amongst us who enjoy a flutter.

Who’s boss?

Ex-Fulham manager Chris Coleman has been in charge at the Ricoh for almost two years and joined the club from Spanish side Real Sociedad.

Coleman seems to be a no-nonsense type of manager who likes to speak his mind and let people know exactly how he feels.

In his first season at the club, he saved them from relegation before improving last season when they placed in 17^th.

Coventry team news

Coleman made two changes for the visit to Bristol, bringing in Clinton Morrison and Freddy Eastwood up front in place of Carl Baker and the departed Leon Best.

He can also choose from the same squad ahead of Tuesday’s game as no injuries occurred on Saturday.

Possible team: Westwood; Wright, McPake, Wood, Cranie; Bell, Clingan, Gunnarsson, McIndoe; Eastwood, Morrison.

Subs from: Grandison, Konstantopoulos, Deegan, Hussey, Jeffers, Barnett, Baker, Ward, Hall, Turner, Ireland, Quirke, Blackwell, Cameron, Grogan, Wilson.

Key Men

Forest: Paul Anderson – On the bench against Wednesday but impressive when he came on. Ando has been fantastic this season and his pace will be a real test for a sluggish Coventry defence.

Coventry: Clinton Morrison – The striker has a habit of scoring against Forest and seems to enjoy it too. Despite his age, he is always a danger at Championship level and Forest need to keep an eye on him.

Verdict

After returning to winning ways on Saturday, confidence will have returned to Forest’s squad and they will be looking to build on that on Tuesday night. Coventry have drawn three in a row and will be hoping to improve on that in front of a home crowd, but Forest’s superior quality could just show in a tight victory.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Coventry City.