Nuno Espirito Santo is still getting to know his Nottingham Forest team, but he will have to make a big choice shortly.
The goalie debate is one that the Portuguese’s predecessor, Steve Cooper, was unable to resolve. And the debate over who should be the Reds’ starting quarterback isn’t going away.
In the summer, Forest brought in Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos. Cooper and Nuno have both given them chances, but neither has impressed.
With the January transfer window open, there has been speculation about whether the club should go back into the market to address the issue. We’ll take a look at the current situation below.
What about Turner and Vlachodimos?
Neither has made a strong case for long-term possession of the shirt. Turner began off in the posts under Cooper, but he made some high-profile blunders that led to the shift.
However, Vlachodimos gave in 12 goals in four games, including five on a bad night at Fulham, and was removed as Cooper attempted to arrest the rot. Nuno retained Turner as manager after replacing the Welshman, but gave Vlachodimos a chance in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Both keepers have made mistakes. Turner is a good shot-stopper who can be vulnerable with the ball at his feet, while Vlachodimos has yet to make a truly spectacular save.
The latter arrived at the City Ground with a solid CV and lots of experience, but he has yet to demonstrate those credentials for the Reds. Although his defense let him down against Blackpool at the weekend, the goals he surrendered were still bad.
Turner, on the other hand, went through an emotional rollercoaster in his most recent outing. He was at fault for Marcus Rashford’s equalizer, but he subsequently played a role in what proved to be the winner against Manchester United, as well as making a key late stop.
What has Nuno said about it?
Nuno, a former goalkeeper, has stated that he is not frightened to switch between the posts. He sent a warning to Turner practically immediately after his appointment.
“I would prefer to tell you that Turner will be the goalkeeper, but at this moment it is about performance,” Nuno stated a few weeks ago. “It’s all about performance, so any decision we make will be based on the performance we want for our team.” Every player, beginning with our goalkeepers, must develop.”
When it came to Turner’s gaffe against United, he was a little more empathetic. Nuno explained that the responsibility was shared because the American was merely attempting to obey instructions to play from the back.
“It’s our responsibility,” Reds head coach John Harbaugh stated after the game. “OK, it’s a mistake, but it’s our fault because we said we wanted to play.”
“Matt made a mistake, but he then came up with some fantastic saves to keep us in the game.” He was fantastic on the crosses.”
The point of view of an ex-pro…
Former Red Guy Moussi believes Nuno must identify who his No. 1 and No. 2 are. He believes that uncertainty will benefit neither player and that constancy is essential in this situation.
“It’s quite difficult. “Goalkeeper is such a unique position that requires stability,” Moussi remarked on NottinghamshireLive’s Garibaldi Red podcast.
“It’s not like outfielders, where you know you’re going to have competition.” It is a critical role that requires complete concentration.
“It is difficult for the keeper to be unbalanced in his position. You understand that there is always competition, but we need to know who is number one and who is number two.
“You can still have competition in the sense that if the No.1 keeper does not perform well, the No.2 keeper can obviously have his chance.” However, I would prefer that it be quite clear so that the keeper can play with ease.
“Sometimes you can play and know that as soon as you make a mistake, you’re not sure about your position, but goalkeepers are in a completely different situation.” That is not something I would be comfortable with.”
Leave a Reply