Having sold Diego Maradona’s 1986 Hand of God/Goal of the Century shirt (delete as you see fit…) for over £7m, Hodge is now rolling in the kind of cash his former Nottingham Forest side dropped this summer. in a bid to make their return to the top flight last more than a season. So far, based on the paltry three games, the £127m outlay is doing well. They have four points and sit in the middle of the table (although never look at the table until November as a wise old man once told me…). But without wanting to offend Newcastle United fans, today is their first real big test. Up against a Tottenham side with dim hopes of some kind of title challenge, they are unbeaten and know they could go second with a win today. After three matches, Antonio Conte’s side are yet to really fire. After an impressive opening-day win over Southampton, they were sluggish against Chelsea before grabbing a draw, and were mostly subdued in their 1-0 win over Wolves. They need a performance as much as a win today and will fancy their chances against the up-and-coming club. The neutral will no doubt support Forest, not only because they are underdogs but also because the sight of the storied club back in the top flight still brings a smile to many fans. One of those happy to see Clough’s club and Cu’s remarkable European wins in the big time is none other than the Spurs manager. “Forest have started the season very well. I think it’s good, nice to have Nottingham Forest in the Premier League because we’re talking about a club with a long history,” Conte said. “I’ve seen there’s a lot of excitement, a great atmosphere and I’m looking forward to playing around a lot of noise. “But we are working well and preparing well. We know the game will be difficult. We have to go into the game with the right mind and try to do our best.” Stay here for all the news and pre-match action.
