Official Europa League Matchday Thread #8. Nottingham Forest v Ferencvárosi TC. 29/01/2026. 20:00

[Steve B]

I plan on taking us all the way to Istanbul.
Hungarys finest visit the World Famous City Ground for the first time ever….

Nottingham Forest v Ferencvárosi TC

Famous Ferencvaros players -
Legendary Hungarian player from the ‘66 World Cup was Flórián Albert. The ‘Emperor’ won the Ballon D’Or in 1967 when there must’ve been a fair bit of competition. Scored 255 league goals.
One I remember from my era was midfielder Tibor Nyilasi, ever present in the Hungary team of the 70’s & 80’s.

 

["...in the top one"]

As I've said in other threads - expect a very noisy and loud away section.

Ferencvaros are managed by Robbie Keane - who has done consistently well in Europe considering the power-puff nature of the domestic "Fizz liga" which in itself shouldn't be a great challenge for the strongest and wealthiest team in Hungary (links with Orban's government). However, their league peformances and position are less impressive - 3rd place after the midseason break.

Fradi have recently sold 2 of their more interesting and attacking players; Varga - good in the air - to AEK and Toth - Garneresque - to Bournemouth.

Varga would have caused us problems but without them I see a Forest win (as long as the Everton version of Forest doesn't turn up).

It won't be pretty but it will be noisy and whilst historic reporting on Hungarian ultras have been way over the top - here's looking at some poor articles from the BBC - I wish for a violence-free few days!

 

[Apollo11]

I never realised they had signed Naby Keita as well.

On his day an excellent midfielder, that day though being 1 Wednesday back in 2015.

 

[Est.1865]

Given the massive swing in performance and emotion from the Braga to Brentford game, I think I’ll just quietly watch this with 3 or 4 beers and not give too much thought to anything until we’ve played Palace on Sunday.

 

[mysteryduck]

Presume this is going to be the most makeshift team possible. Gunn, Boly, Abbott, Morato etc. Another chance for Ndoye, Bakwa, and McAtee to make everyone annoyed at them.

Hard to find someone to play up front though, unless Lucca is going to play v Palace so we can play Jesus here.

 

[Browser79]

I was a huge advocate for playing a strong side at Braga - building the positivity as well as making good on our first European campaign in 30 years. But seeing as we wilfully threw that in the bin, this one really is a dead rubber. All that remains is to try not to land on a collision course with Villa when the music stops (as it stands, we’d play them after a playoff win).

No doubt we’ll play a weakened side, and no doubt it will struggle to get a performance out. Struggling to get up for this one, and the 5 hour round trip on a Thursday night. In-laws are visiting though. Might go sit on a park bench with a flat beer and watch it on my phone.

 

[Beardo7]

Am going to this, will try and just enjoy it for what it is and not get too upset as feel we will rotate again as Sundays game is massive.

Ferencvaros need to win to confirm a top 8 finish so will be up for it, our shockers against Braga, Midtjylland and Gratz mean we can't reach the top 8 but also can't realistically finish any lower than 24th as there is no way all 8 sides below us win and we have a +8 better GD than Celtic in 24th.

So lets go out and enjoy it and play without any real pressure the atmosphere should be good and hopefully it's a good game of football to watch.

We could end up with Panathinaikos in the playoffs - which would be fun......

 

[Captain Sinister]

I have a great fondness for Hungary and the Hungarian people, having spent time in Eger, Pecs, Budapest, and Balatonlelle back in my early 20’s.
While this game may be a dead rubber, I am looking forward to it (assuming Nurse Mrs S says I am fit enough to attend having been quite ill for several weeks) and I am hoping the squad players recruited to give us strength in depth play with freedom, control, and Pazazz.
Let’s put an end to this A team/B team divide.
MacAtee to score 2 goals, Ndoye 2, as we put them to the sword, before celebrating with them long into the night, drinking Egri Bikaver, Tokai, and Parlinka.

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

Ferencvaros need to win to confirm a top 8 finish so will be up for it, our shockers against Braga, Midtjylland and Gratz mean we can't reach the top 8

We can actually still reach the top 8. It is the most unlikely of scenarios and is never going to happen but is possible.

 

[Captain Sinister]

We can actually still reach the top 8. It is the most unlikely of scenarios and is never going to happen but is possible.

Bit of a non-sequitur there: if we CAN still reach the top 8, it isn’t “NEVER” going to happen.
It might.
Perhaps, “we can, but it is extremely unlikely “ would be better phrasing?

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

Bit of a non-sequitur there: if we CAN still reach the top 8, it isn’t “NEVER” going to happen.
It might.
Perhaps, “we can, but it is extremely unlikely “ would be better phrasing?

I'd already spoken with Mystic Meg before posting so all is good.

 

[Beardo7]

We can actually still reach the top 8. It is the most unlikely of scenarios and is never going to happen but is possible.

Well yes, but is in the same realm as us finishing outside the top 24 it "Could" happen but there is zero chance of all 8 sides above us that we can catch all losing.

And Forest have to win which I am still doubting we will

 

[uptight9]

We could end up with Panathinaikos in the playoffs - which would be fun......

I know. It would be a golden chance for me to go and see Forest, but the noise around such a tie honestly would be too much for me. Although they're struggling and realistically we'd knock them out if we just turned up for real, thr noise would just consume the game.

 

[Gaz1980]

Thousands of tickets left for this and we all know why - so Forest - do the right thing (i know it's not standard practice but it would be a lovely gesture and something i could see EM doing) and give loads out to schools (1 x adult and 1 x kid) to pack the place out and give kids who usually can't get in due to not having a membership or whose parents can't afford to take them a chance to get on board for the future.

Big opportunity here for NFFC and their relationship with schools and the community.

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

Well yes, but is in the same realm as us finishing outside the top 24 it "Could" happen but there is zero chance of all 8 sides above us that we can catch all losing.

And Forest have to win which I am still doubting we will

That's not true though. It only requires two clubs (Porto and Real Betis) to lose and the others not to win. At the same time, there is no way of us finishing outside the top 24.

 

[Beardo7]

I c

I know. It would be a golden chance for me to go and see Forest, but the noise around such a tie honestly would be too much for me. Although they're struggling and realistically we'd knock them out if we just turned up for real, thr noise would just consume the game.

I can just see EM running on the pitch at Full Time in the away leg after Forest have won 3-0 in his Forest/Olympiacos half and half scarf and causing a riot.

 

[chaospunx]

Looking forward to this especially there fans this is what i wanted from our European adventure loud European fans

 

[Beardo7]

Thousands of tickets left for this and we all know why - so Forest - do the right thing (i know it's not standard practice but it would be a lovely gesture and something i could see EM doing) and give loads out to schools (1 x adult and 1 x kid) to pack the place out and give kids who usually can't get in due to not having a membership or whose parents can't afford to take them a chance to get on board for the future.

Big opportunity here for NFFC and their relationship with schools and the community.

Yeah just had a look and there is high availability available in pretty much all areas of the ground.

Can see it only being about 2 thirds full at this rate.

 

[Gaz1980]

Yeah just had a look and there is high availability available in pretty much all areas of the ground.

Can see it only being about 2 thirds full at this rate.

Exactly.

I know we're run as a business to make as much money as possible and it's all about the coin to clubs nowadays - but essentially the EL home games are extra revenue we weren't expecting so it's an ideal opportunity to give something back to the next generation and the less fortunate.

Having said that, i think it's probably too late to do anything now unless they were being handed out to each school today/tomorrow latest.

I should be head of marketing at Forest. Profits would be far less, but i wouldn't let a single kid head over to Murder Lane as a floating fan!

 

[Beardo7]

Exactly.

I know we're run as a business to make as much money as possible and it's all about the coin to clubs nowadays - but essentially the EL home games are extra revenue we weren't expecting so it's an ideal opportunity to give something back to the next generation and the less fortunate.

Having said that, i think it's probably too late to do anything now unless they were being handed out to each school today/tomorrow latest.

I should be head of marketing at Forest. Profits would be far less, but i wouldn't let a single kid head over to Murder Lane as a floating fan!

I would also start flogging them for £30 from tomorrow onwards.

Issue with that is they will annoy the folk like me who have already paid full price for it as Members. I personally wouldn't care as am fortunate enough to be able to afford to pay for it and go to most of the home games and it would be great to make it more affordable to people and good PR spin, but it will put peoples backs up that have already paid full price.

 

[Gaz1980]

I would also start flogging them for £30 from tomorrow onwards.

Issue with that is they will annoy the folk like me who have already paid full price for it as Members. I personally wouldn't care as am fortunate enough to be able to afford to pay for it and go to most of the home games and it would be great to make it more affordable to people and good PR spin, but it will put peoples backs up that have already paid full price.

Imagine the uproar if they lowered prices!!!

Or they do that but offer the ones who've already purchased a £15 credit for the next European home game.

 

[JohnnyCarey]

I can only see a loss here. We'll play a very weakened side, possibly even starting a few of the kids -- as we should. There's nothing in this one for us while Ferencvaros have a huge incentive to win. If we're looking to the likes of Bakwa and McAtee to put in big performances and make us competitive, we're kidding ourselves. Get this out of the way and move on to the really big Palace game.

 

[Apollo11]

I would also start flogging them for £30 from tomorrow onwards.

Issue with that is they will annoy the folk like me who have already paid full price for it as Members. I personally wouldn't care as am fortunate enough to be able to afford to pay for it and go to most of the home games and it would be great to make it more affordable to people and good PR spin, but it will put peoples backs up that have already paid full price.

In summer when they weren't selling out the tickets against the Saudi team they reduced the price of the tickets and refunded the difference to the ones that already had bought them.

 

[Trents]

Gunn
Abbott
Morato
Cunha
Savona
Sinclair
Yates
McAtee
Ndoye
Bakwa
Awoniyi

Load the bench with youth

First XI back home studying their Palace homework.

 

[mysteryduck]

Taiwo and Cunha not in the squad unfortunately. We're stuck with Jesus or NDoye up front again.

Could be a last ever Forest appearance for Boly.