What Steve Cooper said about ‘unbelievable’ player as Nottingham Forest excite and frustrate in draw
Latest Nottingham Forest news as Steve Cooper’s Reds draw 1-1 with Brentford at the City Ground
Head coach Steve Cooper has come away with mixed feelings on a few occasions so far this season. It was the same again on Sunday.
READ MORE: ‘Frustrating’ Forest admission made as honest verdict delivered on draw
They just couldn’t make it count. It’s that last little bit which is missing; a bit of tidying up which still needs to be done and a bit of bedding in still taking place. New players are still adapting and the group is still gellin
Magnificent Murillo
Having impressed in training, centre-back Murillo was thrown straight into the starting line-up at the City Ground. It was a big call to make – he is 21, new to English football and had not even made the bench prior to Sunday, let alone got any minutes on the pitch.
Having weighed in with a terrific tackle to thwart Keane Lewis-Potter, the defender went on to show another side of his game after the break. Picking up the ball, he powered forward and played a lovely pass to Nicolas Dominguez.
The Premier League’s stats say he had a pass accuracy ratio of 83.3 percent, while he is said to have made 11 clearances. With the experience of Willy Boly – who was immense again – beside him, it was a strong partnership. Murillo clearly fits into Cooper’s vision for his team to be better on the ball.
The decision to move Moussa Niakhate to left-back, due to injuries to Ola Aina and Nuno Tavares, created an opportunity for Murillo as Cooper wanted left-footed players on that side of the pitch. He definitely grasped his opportunity with both hands. And following Niakhate’s red card, the Brazilian might keep his place for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
“He’s a really young player. To play centre-back is hard in the Premier League,” Cooper told the BBC. “Some things he did really well, other things we know he will do better at but he didn’t quite get right.
“He’s an unbelievable passer of the ball. He’s shown that day in, day out in training. However this game went, he was going to be better for it because that’s what the Premier League is.”
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Midfield combination
Forest made strengthening in the centre of the pitch a priority in the summer, given it was a problem area last season. And they look to have bought very well.
Speaking pre-match, Cooper skirted around the suggestion he had now found his preferred midfield line-up. He insisted it isn’t as simple as that, with decisions made game by game. However, the trio of Orel Mangala, Dominguez and Ibrahim Sangare looks a formidable one.
There was a nice balance about them on Sunday. Sangare had his best game since his deadline day arrival, pinging some delightful passes about and working well in a more advanced role. Mangala was back to his best, controlling from deep. And Dominguez undoubtedly has class. Cooper wants those three to have licence to switch between being deep and high, as long as they work together.
Dominguez has been the standout performer of the last two games and capped a fine start to his Forest career with an excellent header to rescue a point on his home debut. Cooper will be hoping the problem which forced the former Bologna man off is not a serious one as he can go on to cement his place in the XI when fit.
“Happy to score my first goal in Premier! Already looking forward to what’s next! Let’s go,” Dominguez posted on Instagram afterwards.
“He was one of the smallest guys on the pitch but got in the box with a great header,” Cooper said. “He’s a really good professional, committed and works hard every single day. I think he should be pleased with his first two games, but knowing that he and everyone else has got work to do to improve. It’s been a good start for him, but that’s all it’s been.”
Selection decisions
A few eyebrows were raised when Cooper named his starting XI on Sunday. Not least with the call to start Murillo and to field Niakhate at left-back. But perhaps the biggest surprise was seeing Morgan Gibbs-White named on the bench.
Cooper stressed the 23-year-old hadn’t been dropped. If the intention was to send a message that nobody’s place is safe, though, it might well have had the desired effect.
Gibbs-White has not been at his best so far this season. But he looked to have real fire in his belly when he came on. He played his part in the equaliser, then earned a huge round of applause late on when he sprinted back to make an excellent tackle. The fact he let out a roar and gestured towards the crowd afterwards showed what it meant. Point made, perhaps?
“The thing with Morgan is, he’s had a really busy summer. He played every game for England Under-21s (at the Euros) and had no break – because of the guy he is, he wanted to do pre-season,” Cooper explained.
“I wouldn’t say that’s catching up with him, but it does need a bit of managing from time to time. We need Morgan – and a fully-fledged Morgan, not one who is physically trying to keep up because he’s tired. But we do have options and game-plans if we want to go a certain way. That’s all that was.
“We got him on as quick as we could. There was no problem with commitment and desire. Everyone knows how important he is to us, and he will continue to be.”
Harry Toffolo, too, provided food for thought when he came on – particularly if the Reds are still short of left-backs for the trip to Selhurst Park. He put in a brilliant shift and delivered a peach of a cross for Dominguez.
Making progress
Forest played some delightful football in the first half. The front three of Anthony Elanga, Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi had their moments, but Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken had a fairly quiet time of it.
However, there was a real show of resilience after the break. The hosts showed great fight and determination – not just to respond to going a goal down, but also to survive some tough moments towards the end.
Even when they were down to 10 men, they wanted the win. Cooper sent on Divock Origi and Chris Wood late on to try to force something.
