Nottingham Forest’s Europa League campaign started with a 2-2 draw against Real Betis, and Gabby Agbonlahor insists there was a player who was perfect for the Tricky Trees.
There have been many players receiving praise for their performances in Spain, with Igor Jesus in particular impressing.
Additionally, there have been a few who have received criticism, with Dan Ndoye questioned by Joe Cole following Antony’s late equaliser.
However, Agbonlahor believes there was one player who stood out most in the first half, and that he was practically flawless.
Gabby Agbonlahor says Ibrahim Sangare was perfect against Real Betis
Gabby Agbonlahor has given Ibrahim Sangare a major compliment by saying that from what he saw against Real Betis, the Ivorian was ‘perfect’.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor said, “I thought Nottingham Forest was the best I have seen them this season. They were playing some sexy football.
“I thought Sangare was perfect in that number six position. Douglas Luiz looked like the Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa and that helped Anderson get forward even more; he was unbelievable, he was everywhere.”
The pundit did preface that he only watched the first half of the game against Real Betis, and perhaps if he had watched the second, his opinion would not be as bold.
Admittedly, the Ivorian was not quite as good in the second half, and ultimately Sangare was given a lower rating than Agbonlahor seems to suggest here.
In the second 45, Nottingham Forest struggled to hold the ball, and the possession swing compared to the first half painted a greater contrast.
Forest retained 52% of the ball in the opening half, compared to just 36% in the second.
Douglas Luiz was brought off with a hamstring injury, with Dilane Bakwa taking his place. Ange Postecoglou’s substitution was criticised and may have contributed to the loss of control and Sangare’s drop in performance.
Ibrahima Sangare thrived with more protection in front of him
While Sangare might not have been ‘perfect’ throughout the whole game, the first-half performance did showcase he still has quality to offer.
With both Elliot Anderson and Douglas Luiz in front of him, Sangare was given much more protection and was able to clean up and intercept any passes.
Then when Douglas Luiz was taken off, that protection disappeared, and the Ivory Coast international began to struggle alongside his teammates.
The 27-year-old ended the match with a higher passing accuracy than both Anderson and Douglas Luiz, showing he can adapt to Ange’s possession-dominated style.
However, he has been shown to be sloppy at times, and when he does give the ball away, it tends to be in dangerous situations for the Tricky Trees.
If the defensive midfielder can sort out those needless errors, then he could well become an essential man under Ange Postecoglou.
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