Steve Cooper has thrown his weight behind Scott McKenna after his mistake gifted Bournemouth their winning goal against Nottingham Forest.
The man who claimed the Man of the Match accolade in the play-off final just four months ago was guilty of losing concentration yesterday.
His feeble attempt at a clearance gifted the Cherries possession and Jaiden Anthony a goal that sent the away fans into their raptures.
Forest threw away a two-goal lead at the City Ground, with alarm bells now ringing and the Reds starring at an immediate return to the second tier.
Cooper has backed his defender though. McKenna won the Player of the Year award last season and he hasn’t become a bad defender overnight.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: “There was a mistake from Scott for the third goal but that’s the first thing he’s done wrong since I came here.
“Scott has been and will remain an integral part of what we’re trying to do here.”
McKenna gifted Bournemouth crucial goal
It was a rarity to see the Scotland international make an error at such a key moment in yesterday’s game.
One aspect of McKenna’s game that makes him so strong is that he’s usually a dependable presence when it comes to staying calm and composed.
Still, he’s not immune to criticism and naturally, he came under fire from some supporters during yesterday’s disastrous capitulation.
McKenna is likely to keep his place in the team for now. As a left-sided option, the Reds will need him to bring balance and he will have to park yesterday quickly.
The 25-year-old has proved before that he can learn from his mistakes and the same will need to the case right now.
McKenna will have eight days to get his latest performance out of his system but he will take some confidence from receiving backing from his manager.