Nottingham Forest face "awkward" opposition in the form of Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final, according to Don Goodman.
Steve Cooper's side take on the Terriers at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (May 29) with a place in the Premier League for the victors. The Reds beat Sheffield United in a dramatic two-legged encounter in the play-off semi-finals, whilst Huddersfield Town narrowly beat Luton Town.
Speaking ahead of the final - dubbed the richest game in club football due to the staggering amount of money on offer through promotion - former Sunderland and West Brom striker Don Goodman discussed the opposition that Forest face. "It’s a tough one to call," Goodman said to Free Super Tips.
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"I know the bookies have Nottingham Forest as overwhelming favourites and I can understand why. But Huddersfield have had an incredible season, particularly with the recruitment.
"They had the worst defence in the whole of the Championship last season and this season they have one of the best. It’s given them a platform, Carlos Corberan has scarified the way he wants to play, he wanted to replicate what Marcelo Bielsa did at Leeds.
"It wasn’t working for him; he didn’t have the quality or the players to do it and they got found out. They were lucky to avoid relegation, but he went away and found lots of different ways of playing. Huddersfield Town are an awkward side, they’re tactically flexible and difficult to prepare for.
"They have quality individuals such as Sobra Thomas, who has a wonderful story coming from non-league and lighting up the Championship. Lewis O’Brien is a Premier League ready player right here right now, so these are the sorts of players who can make it difficult for Nottingham Forest.
"They were the last team to beat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground as well. The bookies might have Nottingham Forest are favourites, but I can see reasons why it’s more of a 50/50 call. If both teams play at the best they possibly can, then I think Nottingham Forest will win and that’s why the tactics of Carlos Corberan will be important.
"But what a job he and Steve Cooper have done, he’s done an outstanding job to even get them into the playoffs. When he went in there it was about survival, so to get the playoffs is an incredible achievement for Steve Cooper. I do look at how they handled some of their last four games, the second half against Bournemouth; clearly the pressure affected the players.
"The second leg against Sheffield United, the pressure clearly affected the players and that’s my one big concern when you play a team that can be very awkward. How can these Forest players cope with the emotions and the stresses of a game they are favourites to win?
"I’ve seen some of the three best performances from Huddersfield live which were: the away win at Fulham, the draw at West Brom where they absolutely battered them and the away win at Middlesbrough. Those were outstanding, clinical performances and if they can get anywhere near those levels then they’ll cause a lot of problems.
"For me it’s a 50/50 and I wouldn’t want to say one way or the other because I believe it could go either way."
