Nuno wowed by Nottingham Forest player who ‘did well’ vs Manchester City and blames the loss on ONE man and also makes future prediction
Nuno Espirito Santo hasn’t got much wrong when it comes to Nottingham Forest, but his team selection in the FA Cup semi-final felt like a misjudgment.
The Reds were always going to be up against it from the off, with Neco Williams and Ryan Yates both suspended for the trip to Wembley to face Manchester City with a place in the final up for grabs.
Rico Lewis scored after two minutes to obliterate the Forest game plan, with Josko Gvardiol scoring a second early in the second half to give the Reds something of a mountain to climb.
Morgan Gibbs-White twice struck the woodwork and it really wasn’t meant to be from a Forest perspective when it came to winning the FA Cup this year, with City now into a third successive final.
One big call from Espirito Santo saw him put youngster Zach Abbott in at right-back, with Williams banned and Ola Aina not yet fit enough to return to action following a calf injury.
Nuno Espirito Santo hails Forest gem Zach Abbott
It was a very bold call to bring Abbott in for his first start since August when he played in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle, but the young defender didn’t disgrace himself with his performance.
He coped extremely well with the City forward options and got forward to assist with counter-attacks when Forest were in possession of the ball themselves.
After the game, Espirito Santo hailed Abbott for his showing and based on this performance, the young academy prospect looks set for a really bright future.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: “He did well. He’s a young lad. He played out of position, we all know that.
“But, we are really proud of the way he competed against such good players and the way he handled himself. He’s going to have a bright future ahead of him.”
Zach Abbott stats vs Manchester City
This will have been a pinch-me moment for Abbott when he was told of his participation in the Forest team at Wembley Stadium against City.
The youngster will have been under no illusions that he’d be in the matchday squad, with Forest keen to keep a long-standing stretch of games featuring at least one academy player intact.
The Reds player did himself and his family proud with this classy display, and there is now a chance that he can get more minutes between now and the end of the season.
Abbott looks like a future first-team regular at Forest, and this selection call from Espirito Santo will only enhance his confidence going forward.
