Filed under: Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Carling Cup, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
CARLING CUP, THIRD ROUND: CITY GROUND, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1945 BST.Alan Pardew was among the first to offer Steve McClaren a welcome dose of tea and sympathy when the former England manager was between jobs following his departure from Wolfsburg earlier this year.
But there will be charity on show on the banks of the River Trent as the friends prepare to meet up for the latest time with the former intent on increasing what has been a largely miserable start to the season for the latter.
McClaren was an invited guest at the Newcastle training ground towards the end of last season, an opportunity for Pardew to chew the fat, swap ideas and show a little unity with the man who was soon to take charge at Forest, the idea being to lead them out of the Championship at the first attempt.
Sitting currently as they do third from bottom, McClaren, whose frustrations with his lack of financial backing in the transfer market at well documented, could well do that, albeit in the opposite direction to that hoped for by the City Ground faithful.
Whether progress in this competition is help or hindrance to their aim to club the table is open to question, but in terms of morale-boosting if nothing else, a home win against Premier League opposition could be just the thing to help kick-start a campaign already in dire need of rapid improvement.
Key Match-Up: Wes Morgan v Sammy Ameobi: It's the latest chance for the youthful forward to signal the shift in emphasis in the Ameobi family from the fading Shola to his younger brother. Standing in his way will be a wizened defender very much from the school of hard knocks looking to teach the young pretender a lesson or two.
Form Guide: Newcastle are unbeaten in six games in all competitions to start the season. Forest have won just once in seven games in the Championship to sit third bottom.
Match Odds: Nottingham Forest 3/1 Newcastle 5/2 Draw 7/2
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