KARANKA: I’LL MAKE CLOUGH AIT US

AITOR KARANKA wants to put Nigel Clough’s Nottingham Forest love affair on hold – after urging his players to go to “war” . The Reds are seven points clear of the drop zone, but have won just once in 10 league games going into today’s visit to rockbottom Burton. Albion are managed by former City Ground favourite Clough, who turned down an offer from Forest last year.

Karanka (below) said: “It will be nice to meet Nigel Clough, because he is doing a good job there and I know how much his name means here, 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 we can be friends again. Every single game now will be like a war for us and we have to battle. Every team needs points.

“We’re not in the same position as Burton but we still need points.”

Clough admits the pressure is mounting on the Brewers, who are four points adrift of safety.

They ended a four-game losing streak by drawing with Ipswich.

He said: “We can’t have a chance of staying up unless we win five or six games.”