Wales media’s verdict on ‘wasteful’ Neco Williams may concern Nuno Espírito Santo

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Nottingham Forest’s stars are showcasing their talents on the international stage, with Neco Williams representing Wales against Kazakhstan on Thursday.

It’s been a positive summer for the Welshman on Trentside, with Williams signing a new Forest contract ahead of the 25/26 Premier League season.

Back in June, though, Williams was injured on Wales duty, which put a dampener on the end of what was a brilliant season for the left-back.

He recovered well over pre-season to find himself in shape to help his national team qualify for the 2026 World Cup, starting with a trip to Kazakhstan.

Welsh media react to Neco Williams display vs Kazakhstan

Wales won the game 1-0 in Astana thanks to a goal from Kieffer Moore, but Welsh fans had mixed thoughts on Williams’ display, criticising some errors from the Forest man.

However, the media weren’t much kinder about his efforts, either, with a less than favourable review from Y Clwb Pel-Droed of his performance.

Giving him a 5/10 rating, they said: “It was far from Williams’ best outing in a Wales shirt, as he was kept busy with much of the play directed down his flank. He was wasteful in possession at times, and the right side of Bellamy’s team struggled to make a meaningful impact.”

With Ben Davies at left-back, the Forest defender switched to his old position on the right of the defence in a move that perhaps explains his untidy display.

Looking deeper into the stats of Williams’ display against Kazakhstan, it’s hard to argue with the media’s assessment.

Numbers show Neco Williams’ mixed afternoon for Wales

After Forest signed Oleksandr Zinchenko on deadline day, the pressure has been taken off the Welshman to be available and on form every week.

That pressure remains for Williams on the international stage, though, with the stats from the win over Kazakhstan showing some inconsistencies in his game.

Clearly, Williams had some success on the ball with his successful dribbles, alongside a 90% pass accuracy in the game.

However, zero accurate crosses weren’t ideal with a striker like Moore in the team, while losing more ground duels than he won suggests a difficult afternoon defensively, too.

Wales did manage to secure the crucial three points, though, with Williams able to put this display behind him when Wales face Canada in a friendly on Tuesday.