Sheffield United winger Ben Osborn has admitted he's confident in his side to go to the City Ground and claim a much-needed win tomorrow night, speaking to The Star ahead of this reunion in the East Midlands.
Osborn, 27, worked his way through the Reds' youth ranks and became a vital player for Forest as a utility player, before moving to the Blades in the summer of 2019 after their promotion to the Premier League.
Arriving on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, the 27-year-old was a squad player for the Blades during their Premier League era, spending two years in the top tier of English football before being relegated back to the Championship this year.
Despite only being a semi-regular player during their time in the top flight, he has become one of the first names on the teamsheet under manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who joined at the end of May as a permanent replacement for Chris Wilder.
His promising performances, combined with the South Yorkshire outfit's inability to recruit an orthodox winger during the previous winger, has allowed him to flourish under the Serbian and has managed to record a respectable five goal contributions in 13 Championship games.
He played a particularly important role against Barnsley at Oakwell, scoring once and providing two assists in their 3-2 win in the local derby.
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But after their loss in their most recent game against Blackpool, confidence in the United camp is likely to be brittle at this moment in time, as they come up against a side who will be full of confidence after claiming a late draw at Queens Park Rangers on Friday night.
Osborn was complimentary about his former side, but fancies his current side's chances in this upcoming second-tier clash.
He said to the Sheffield Star this afternoon: "It’ll be a tough game, they seem to have settled on a formation and play some good stuff.
"We’ve got to manage their most dangerous players and be on top of our game, but I’m confident we can go there and get a win."
The Verdict:
This is certainly a winnable game for Jokanovic's men and after recent losses at Bramall Lane to Millwall and Blackpool, they will probably be relieved they can escape their home patch for a night and go to the City Ground.
Considering the atmosphere is likely to be hostile and heavily in support of Forest, this may be a strange statement, but it's a game Osborn and the rest of his team should relish on what should be a memorable occasion for all involved.
A win against a side that were on top form before dropping points against Fulham and QPR will be a huge confidence booster for the Blades. But unfortunately, they need to show some form of consistency if they want to be in the top six at the end of the season.
Every time we think they are finally on their way to a much brighter campaign, they suffer another loss. This inconsistency is unacceptable considering the depth and quality they have in their squad, now is the time to repay their fans with a performance to remember in the East Midlands.
Osborn needs to handle this occasion well if he wants to put in an effective performance - and that means staying calm and level-headed despite the excitement surrounding this tie on an individual level.