Moussa Niakhate issued a rallying cry to the Nottingham Forest supporters this week but talk is becoming cheap. The Reds now need some action, with certain players needing to look at themselves in the mirror.
The 27-year-old will be hurting at the moment. Niakhate, along with several other players seems like a completely different player when he’s not on home soil at the City Ground.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Niakhate said: “We have to stick together. There are four games left and we have to focus on the next one. We know we need to win the next one.”
This isn’t the first time it’s happened though away from home. How many more times will fans have to hear a Forest player come out and say that it’s unacceptable to completely self-destruct on the road?
Last season, the Reds were a match for anyone in the Championship. This season that steely determination has so often been replaced with a soft underbelly that is threatening to derail the survival mission.
Niakhate means well. He says the right things and of course, he’s desperate to do well for the football club. Now, however, there is a real sense that actions mean more than words and a solid performance is owed from the team.
Steve Cooper as the manager will continue to take the flak. Now, however, is the time for the players to stand up and be counted as Forest look to bounce back from the Brentford debacle.
Niakhate talk is cheap and Forest actions are required
As the man who captained Mainz so ofted, Niakhate has to be responsible for rallying the troops. One of Forest’s main leaders is needed more than ever right now with just four fixtures left.
Niakhate is a decent enough player. Right now, however, the team can’t seem to click and silly defensive errors are creeping in as a collective unit.
It’s becoming deeply frustrating for supporters to have to keep listening to the same stuff after every away day disaster. As a result, the time has now come for Forest to stop talking and ensure they pull themselves to safety.