Nottingham Forest defender Moussa Niakhate has blasted the Reds for the way in which they conceded during the defeat to Liverpool. Forest lost 3-2 at Anfield as they slipped further into the Championship.
Niakhate has been a welcome return to the Forest team in recent weeks. He spent several months on the sidelines with a hamstring problem and he’s been sorely missed.
The 27-year-old was signed by Forest from Mainz during a hectic summer transfer window. He had captained the Bundesliga outfit for 18 months and it seemed he’d be a big signing.
Niakhate has wonderful leadership qualities. He stands up to be counted every single week and he’s striking up a brilliant partnership with Felipe at the heart of the defensive unit.
After yesterday’s defeat, Niakhate spoke with the French outlet Canal Plus Foot. He believes that the second goal that Forest conceded to Liverpool was particularly poor from their perspective.
MORE FOREST STORIES
He said: “We lacked determination and concentration to defend our set pieces. The second goal we conceded is scandalous for a team in our position but we will remain positive because the content was very positive today. We should have left the game with a point.”
Niakhate blasted Forest after Liverpool defeat
Players have to start taking responsibility for these moments in games. Forest didn’t deserve to concede three goals at Anfield yesterday, with the hosts failing to carve the Reds open once.
Forest ultimately gifted Liverpool three goals from set pieces. That simply won’t do and someone needs to start grabbing the team by the scruff of the neck in these situations.
Niakhate is one of those players. He’s stepped up in terms of his quality and his honesty is refreshing. However, it’s now time for actions to speak louder than words.
The defender has proved a good signing based on the quality he’s shown when he’s actually played. Now, Niakhate must stick at it and help Forest enjoy a smoother end to the campaign.