Forest head to Gresty Road on Saturday for the visit to Crewe. Both teams will be desperate for points for different reasons, with Forest hoping to restart their promotion bid and Crewe keen to avoid relegation, currently just outside the relegation zone on goal difference in 20th place.

Crewe have found fame by their impressive youth policy that has seen the likes of David Platt, Geoff Thomas and Neil Lennon wear the Crewe shirt. However the continued develop and sell policy has recently seen the club struggling as they have found it hard to replace recent leavers Dean Ashton, Luke Varney, Billy Jones and David Vaughan. An already relegated Forest earned Crewe a stay of execution when a last day draw with Gillingham at the end of the 2004/05 season meant the Kent side got relegated instead of Crewe. However this only delayed relegation by 12 months as they joined Forest in League One.

In spite of the receipt of all of the large transfer fees there has been very little investment in players and the board of directors were expecting a difficult AGM on Thursday (6^th) when fans were expecting to find some answers to the reason for the lack of investment.

At the end of last season Dario Gradi who has been manager at Gresty Road since June 1983 became Technical Director at the club, whilst still initially keeping his first team interests the plan seems to be to gradually allow first team coach Steve Holland gain more control of the team.

The current star is striker Nicky Maynard however he has been plagued by injury this season and has only managed 16 starts. His injury jinx struck again last Saturday when he limped out of the creditable 0-0 draw at the in-form Northampton with a hamstring strain.

Crewe have recently made some loan signings with former Crewe favourite Kenny Lunt rejoining the club where had made 373 appearances before joining Sheffield Wednesday. Also Crewe made a signing that will provide a commentators nightmare as Gary Roberts joined from Ipswich, the nightmare is that Crewe already have a player called Gary Roberts in the side. So I guess we will not hear the chant “There’s only one Gary Roberts” during the game.

Also in the Crewe squad is former Forest cult hero Eugen Bopp who had already hero status with Crewe fans when scoring the Forest goal that saved Crewe from relegation in 2004/05. However Bopp has failed to rediscover the form of his earlier Forest career and was recently told he could leave if he could find a new club.

MOST RECENT GAME

Saturday 01 March 2008

NORTHAMPTON TOWN (0) 0 v CREWE ALEXANDRA (0) 0

CREWE

Ben Williams; George Abbey, Julien Baudet, Daniel O’Donnell, Patrick Boyle; Kenny Lunt, Gary S Roberts (Ryan Lowe), Gary M Roberts, Steven Schumacher (Michael O’Connor); Nicky Maynard (Tom Pope), Byron Moore

subs not used : Chris McCready, Owain fon Williams

Gary M Roberts is the Crewe owed player

Gary S Roberts is the loan signing from Ipswich

CURRENT FORM

01/03/2008           Northampton Town (A)                       Drew 0-0

26/02/2008           Carlisle United (H)                             Lost 1-0

23/02/2008           Leeds United (A)                               Drew 1-1

12/02/2008           Leyton Orient (A)                               Won 1-0

09/02/2008           Swansea City (H)                              Drew 2-2

02/02/2008           Brighton & Hove Albion (A)                 Lost 3-0

HEAD TO HEAD

League

at Nottingham      Played 8, NFFC 5, Draw 3

at Crewe              Played 7, NFFC 4, Crewe 2, Draw 1

League Cup

at Crewe              Played 1, NFFC 1

RECENT MEETINGS

2007/08                 NFFC 2 (Davies, Clingan) Crewe 0                                                      24/11/2007

2006/07                 NFFC 0 Crewe 0                                                                                05/05/2007

                            Crewe 1 (Roberts pen) NFFC 4 (Grant Holt, Tyson 3)                            09/12/2006

2004/05                 Crewe 1 (Sorvel) NFFC 1 (Dobie)                                                        02/04/2005

                             NFFC 2 (Taylor, King) Crewe 2 (Rivers 2)                                           14/08/2004

2003/04                 NFFC 2 (King 2) Crewe 0                                                                   27/03/2004

                            Crewe 3 (Lunt, Ashton, Jones) NFFC 1 (Harewood)                               20/09/2003

2001/02                 NFFC 2 (Bopp, Louis-Jean) NFFC 2 (Jack, Hulse)                                 13/04/2002

                            Crewe 0 NFFC 3 (David Johnson 2, John)                                             24/11/2001

2000/01                 Crewe 1 (Rivers) NFFC 0                                                                    13/03/2001

                             NFFC 1 (Gary Jones) Crewe 0                                                            26/12/2000

MEN IN CHARGE

Referee :                       J.Singh (Middlesex)

                                    2007/08 Season Record : 27 Matches, 77 Yellow Cards, 2 Red Cards

Assistant Referees :       S.Martin and D.J.Roberts

Fourth Official :               S.J.Rushton