Lee Camp for England?News Of The World
DaVIES TELLS FOREST NOT TO GET A BIG 'EAD Nottm Forest 2 Reading 1
CHEER: Earnshaw celebrates the goal which clinched Forest victory.
THEY are starting to reminisce about the halcyon days under legendary boss Brian Clough down by the Trent.
And while there is a massive chasm between the successful excesses of those glory years and the club's position today, Forest fans are right to start believing there are better times around the corner.
Promotion back to the Premier League will do for starters.
And Forest are well on course for a return to the top flight after stretching their unbeaten run to an impressive 18 games yesterday - moving to within two points of the top of the table in the process.
A stunning first-half performance brought them victory against a Reading team fresh from an FA Cup giantkilling win over Liverpool in midweek.
Though they laboured through the second period and had to rely on an outstanding display from keeper Lee Camp and a missed Reading penalty, Forest showed enough to suggest that automatic promotion is no longer a pipedream.
But manager Billy Davies is hell-bent on dampening down that expectation after his experiences at Derby, when he took them up only to drop back down with a record low points total.
He said: "This is one step too early for the team and infrastructure of this club. We are not ready this season.
"As a manager, I have been in this position before and don't want déjà vu.
Wreck
"We are better than Derby were at the same stage. We are a younger team with more pace.
"This is a team of outstanding potential and the challenge for them now is to see whether they can go to the end of the season and prove they can be a top eight side."
Davies has built a team of which Cloughie would have approved - they play it on the deck and hit teams on the counter attack.
And the side that reduced Kop boss Rafa Benitez to a gibbering wreck in midweek lasted just 11 minutes at the City Ground.
A swift interchange in midfield allowed Chris Cohen to drive forward before releasing Paul Anderson.
And he finished clinically with a lofted shot over Adam Federici to give the hosts a lead which they never looked like surrendering.
Clough used to love the left-wing approach, both politically and on the field with his ultimate playmaker John Richardson.
And so do the current crop, with the polished Anderson a constant source of attacks down that flank.
An inviting cross from Anderson was only just too far ahead of Dexter Blackstock and then the winger delivered another perfect centre which found Robbie Earnshaw unmarked 10 yards out.
The Welsh international connected perfectly with his volley but it was too close to Aussie keeper Federici, who pushed it aside.
Forest's second goal four minutes before the break was another sweetly constructed effort.
Paul McKenna swapped passes with Radoslaw Majewski, whose astute through-ball released Earnshaw to scores his eighth goal of the season.
Surprise
Reading hardly got out of their own half in the opening 45 minutes.
The Kop slayers had clearly left their best endeavours at Anfield, though it was a surprise that matchwinner Shane Long spent most of the game on the bench.
But the second-half arrival of substitute Brian Howard added some power and zest to their attack.
Having failed to test Forest keeper Camp for almost an hour, the Royals then produced two goalworthy attempts in the space of a minute.
Icelandic debutant Gunnar Thorvaldsson showed he can be a genuine threat if he is given the right kind of service. He met Howard's cross first time, forcing Camp to save with an outstretched foot - but an even better stop was to follow within 60 seconds.
A downward header was perfectly placed but somehow Camp managed to reach out and claw it away.
Camp's performance was becoming more and more of an influential factor.
In fact his string of saves were to eventually earn him the man-of-the-match accolade.
England
Reading were awarded a penalty when Nicky Shorey dragged down substitute striker Jimmy Kebe on 68 minutes, earning himself a red card in the process.
But Camp again came to Forest's rescue when he guessed the right way and kept out Howard's spot-kick with a dive to his left.
Davies said: "People talk about England goalkeepers and I don't think there is a better one in the country than Lee Camp.
"If he was playing for one of the big clubs then he would have to be considered but perhaps not when he is playing for a small club like ours."
Forest's 10 men were pinned back in their own half for the final 20 minutes, which gave them a chance to show they are not just a team of fancy-dan footballers.
They are made of sterner stuff than that and held out until Kebe headed a late consolation for Reading in injury time.
Cloughie's teams were just as resilient. He always built from the back with an outstanding keeper and a solid back four.
Old Big 'Ead would have smiled and nodded approvingly at what he saw at his old stomping ground yesterday.
And he would have reminded them that he once went on a 42-match unbeaten run when he was manager. Beat that.
www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/match_reports/championship/680639/Davies-insists-Forest-arent-ready-for-promotion.html
