NOTTINGHAM Forest boss Aitor Karanka is looking forward to meeting Nigel Clough on Saturday, but the Spaniard is aware that his team will be in for a tough battle at the Pirelli Stadium.
The Brewers come into the game off the back of a 0-0 draw away to Ipswich, while Forest were beaten 2-0 last time out by Hull City.
Former Middlesbrough boss Karanka admits that he will be pleased to meet the Brewers manager, but he knows that it will be business as usual once the match begins.
He said: “I think for me that it will be nice to meet him (Nigel Clough), because he is doing a good job there and I know how much his name means here (at Nottingham Forest), for this club. It would be a pleasure to meet and talk to him.
“But I hope that, for one day, he hates Nottingham Forest. After 5pm, I hope that is the case. But then, after we have had a beer at 5.30pm, I hope that we can be friends again.”
Karanka’s Forest side are currently seven points clear of the relegation zone but a run of one win in five Championship games pulled them into the relegation battle. The former Real Madrid assistant says that his side will have to match Burton Albion’s work rate if they are to get a result in Staffordshire.
He said: “It will be a battle. But now every single game is a battle. Every team needs points. We are not in the same position as Burton, but we still need points
“Every single game now will be like a war for us and we have to battle.
“I know they are not in a good run, they are at the bottom of the table but, again, it is about us. It is about us trying to win the game, about us fighting for every single ball and coming back from behind if we do concede and scoring a second goal, if we do score the first goal ourselves.
“It is about us and us knowing that, if we do not fight like they will fight, we will not have any chance.”
“It will be a tough game against a tough opponent with a good coach. We know it is going to be a tough game,”
“We have to go there to try to win the game and it is not going to be a game like the ones against Fulham, Wolves or Hull – it is going to be a different kind of game.
“We need to approach the game in the best way possible and we need to know that if we do not fight as hard as them, we will not have any chance.
“We need to go there knowing that it will be a tough game and that they will fight for every single ball. They are fighting for their lives and we will need to match that fight and work. But we know we will have to work hard, first of all.”
The easiest way to buy regular tickets for Saturday’s game is online by clicking here. Alternatively, Brewers fans can purchase tickets over the phone (01283 565938) or in person by visiting the club shop during normal opening hours.
Regular ticket prices are as follows (terrace):
Adult: £20.00
Senior 65+: £18.00
Young Person 17-22: £15.00
Under 17: £7.00
Ticket prices are as follows (seats):
Adult: £24.00
Senior 65+: £22.00
Young Person 17-22: £22.00
Under 17: £14.00