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BRISTOL CITY N FOREST 1 1 AMID the fanfare for their expensive foreign recruits, Nottingham Forest needed a veteran of the English game to kick-start their season into life.
Ironic maybe, but as Daryl Murphy stressed after his headed equaliser at Bristol City, such quirks are the reality of the helterskelter, modern-day Championship.
In the most unpredictable league imaginable it takes more than buying big names from the continent to produce an authentic promotion challenge.
Forest have acquired three Portuguese stars in the close season, including spending a club record £12million on young Benfica midfielder Joao Carvalho.
Yet characters who are aware of the rigours and stresses of the division are equally imperative.
Hence Murphy’s value to the Forest cause. On and off the pitch.
The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland forward (top) said: “I have been dying to see the kids in the Championship because I think they’re going to terrorise defences once they get used to the pace and get used to the league.
“I’ve told them, ‘You’d better get ready because this league is like nothing you’ve ever played in before. It’s relentless. It’s tough’.
“As soon as they suss it out I don’t think there will be any stopping them.
“But you can see how hard they work. We came off and they were in bits. And I said, ‘Come on, you’ve got to go again on Tuesday’.’’ Forest boss Aitor Karanka (below) echoed those sentiments, while warning that reputations will count for little if players perform as poorly as in the first half on Saturday.
Bristol City have been deemed outsiders for the play-offs, yet they were superb for 45 minutes.
They could have been out of sight had they taken a couple of chances after their new striker Andreas Weimann scored in the fifth minute.
Three hours earlier City’s bright, innovative manager Lee Johnson had taken to Twitter to declare his love for the Championship, and his pride at being Robins boss.
Johnson explained the post was for the fans. “I’m not normally a manager who is going on Twitter just before kick-off, but today I wanted to get a message out. It was a bit of gee-up, to lift spirits. But don’t worry it won’t become a regular thing.”
Weimann finding the net on regular basis is something City want and the ex-Villa and Derby forward is optimistic.
The Austrian said: “I’m really happy to play as a striker. I’ve always felt that was my best position.
“The manager wants me to play through the middle, and that’s where one of my main strengths lie.” MOTM ADLENE GUEDIOURA (FOREST)