European Cup winner Garry Birtles has told the Garibaldi Red podcast that he wants Nottingham Forest to recall Gustavo Scarpa; with the Brazilian slipping down the pecking order in recent weeks.
Birtles was on the podcast this week to discuss all the latest Forest news. One of the hot topics was the versatile forward who has found himself watching from the sidelines in recent weeks.
Scarpa looked lively when he first arrived at the club. He produced several glimpses of magic during his outings but has surprisingly fallen out of favour under Steve Cooper.
The 29-year-old has already become popular among the fan base. When he’s not playing or training he can be spotted skateboarding and always appears to have a smile on his face.
Scarpa hasn’t played since Forest played Fulham last month. He was on the bench against Manchester City and West Ham but didn’t make the squad against Everton and Tottenham.
Birtles is perplexed at why he’s been banished from the team. His absence comes at a time when Forest are struggling for quality in the final third and the legend doesn’t get it.
He told the Garibaldi Red Podcast: “He’s the one player you look at and think he can make something happen with his great range of passing and vision.
“Sometimes bringing him on for the last 15 or 20 minutes might be what we need at this point.”
Birtles wants Forest to recall Scarpa
It’s fair to say that the legend does have a point. The 29-year-old has had no time at all to get into his stride and when he has played he’s looked impressive in flashes.
Okay, the Brazilian is striving for consistency. But, he’s not going to get into his full stride by not getting any minutes on the pitch on a regular basis.
Scarpa has a wonderful range of passing. Not only that, but he’s also not afraid to try a shot from distance and that’s what Forest are lacking at the moment.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Scarpa. Birtles is spot on here though and Cooper would be wise to recall the talented player.
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