It’s been a somewhat frustrating time of things at Nottingham Forest this season for striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
So often the first-choice talisman at the City Ground, Awoniyi is now the second in command behind the red-hot Chris Wood who bagged his fourth goal of the season against Chelsea on Sunday.
Awoniyi signed for Forest from Union Berlin for £18 million in 2022 and was immediately given the number nine shirt on Trentside.
The striker found a place in the hearts of supporters almost immediately, scoring the club’s first goal back in the Premier League for 23 years as Forest defeated West Ham 1-0.
He would find the net 10 more times that season in all competitions and the majority of fans had no reservations about him being the first-choice striker.
The 2023/24 campaign proved a struggle though. He scored in the first three games but Awoniyi suffered two serious groin injuries and managed just three more goals across the campaign as Wood took centre stage.
This season he’s started just once and his lack of game time under Nuno Espirito Santo has prompted some supporters to question his future at the club.
What Nottingham Forest fans have been messaging Taiwo Awoniyi
The striker will be desperately hoping for more minutes during the international break. He’s been called into the Nigeria squad and hopefully, some minutes can do him the world of good.
Getting his place back in the team won’t be easy though. Wood earned rave reviews from Ally McCoist at the weekend and the Forest talisman is in fine form.
Awoniyi has been quizzed on his game time at Forest – and he’s delivered a pretty emphatic response to the question that everyone has been asking him.
He told Brila: “Football is a game of opinion, I’m not new at Nottingham Forest, this is my third year there I’m not new. And when it comes to play time and every player has the way things should be done.
“Everyone has their opinion, I have seen a lot of DMs saying, ‘Taiwo, why aren’t you playing at Nottingham? Are you injured?’ But in football, everyone has their opinion.
“As for me, I’m okay to play, and if others think I’m not okay, that is also their opinion.”
Awoniyi has work to do in order to impress Espirito Santo
The striker has his work cut out to get into the Forest team. Wood simply can’t stop scoring and it appears that Espirito Santo’s style suits him better.
Awoniyi has been really unfortunate in recent months. He’s not been able to get fit, didn’t do much of a pre-season and is once again playing catch-up on his teammates.
Still, the 27-year-old is one of only two senior strikers at the club. The Reds will need all of their players at some point across the campaign and that will help Awoniyi.
At the moment when the chances do come, they’re few and far between. That doesn’t really help Awoniyi get into his stride when it comes to match sharpness.
The best situation for Awoniyi – and for Forest – over the next fortnight is for the striker to get a game or two for Nigeria, possibly score some goals and most crucially rediscover his confidence.
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