West Ham v Nottingham Forest - Play it again Sam!

The last time we met Forest, I was cruising down the Nile, unable to pick up a signal on my radio and with no way of accessing the Internet. It was only when I was able to tune in to that amazing Man Utd v Arsenal game that I discovered we had won 4-1 and everybody on the sun deck turned to me aghast as I let a whoop of joy.

Four goals. Amazing when you think about it, given the last eight games have yielded just 6 goals in total. Yet the players on duty that day have all been available over the last two months, with the exception of the injured Taylor.

Is Matty Taylor really that important to the team? Well he is the best deliverer of a set piece and he is the only option for the left of midfield, if you want a left footer who is comfortable on the flank, but let's be honest, he is not Messi is he? Or even Alan Devonshire! The others should be able to cope with his absence. If not then they are a clueless bunch.

It was a 4-5-1 formation, of course, and there was no Baldock because he hadn't arrived. So expect Little Sam to replace the injured Taylor, and otherwise for Allardyce to stick with the team that thumped Forest on their dung heap. That would mean we set up thus:

Green

O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney

Noble   Collison

Faubert         Nolan         Baldock

Cole