Paul Taylor believes that Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo made a mistake by starting Moussa Niakhate on Saturday.
The journalist made the assertion in his current Sky Sports piece.
What did Taylor say about Forest defender Niakhate? Let’s look closer.
What Paul Taylor has said about Forest defender Moussa Niakhate
The journalist may have a point here, and he or she has most likely learned a lot about Niakhate since the 4-2 setback at Aston Villa.
The Senegalese defender is many things, but he is not a left back!
Niakhate has now played in that position twice for Forest, the latest time in a 1-1 draw with Brentford, when he was sent off.
Following the weekend’s result, which saw Forest go 3-0 behind, Taylor stated in his current essay for The Athletic that the decision was incorrect.
To be fair, he is not the first one who has made this point.
Ian Wright was astonished on Match of the Day by Forest’s choice, especially with Harry Toffolo on the bench.
Niakhate scored his first Forest goal in this game, but he struggled defensively in a position that is not his natural fit.
Nuno Espirito Santo must abandon Niakhate venture.
We believe it is past time to abandon the assumption that Niakhate can play left-back.
The 27-year-old is a reliable performer who excelled when he was shifted to centre-back in the second half.
However, the first half saw all three Aston Villa goals come down his side, indicating that they had targeted Niakhate.
Espirito Santo has done a lot of good in his brief tenure at Forest.
However, the Forest head coach’s decision to play Niakhate at left-back against such a talented club was not the brightest idea he’s ever had.
Leave a Reply