Sean Dyche delivers intriguing Morato verdict as Nottingham Forest lose to Brighton

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It wasn’t the best afternoon for Morato as Nottingham Forest lost 2-0 to Brighton at the City Ground.

The Brazilian defender was replacing the injured Murillo, and his performance will have done little to suggest that the 23-year-old can deputise regularly for his compatriot.

In fairness, Morato isn’t bad, but he’s not Murillo. The Forest rearguard loses a fair bit of pace in their backline when Morato plays, and that can sometimes leave Neco Williams at left-back isolated.

After the match, Sean Dyche was quizzed on the decision to play Morato and the head coach delivered his own appraisal of his performance.

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Sean Dyche delivers verdict on performance of Morato

It would appear as though Dyche has expressed sympathy with Morato over his performance against Brighton, even if his error late on robbed Forest of the chance to get something from the game.

Murillo might return against Wolves on Wednesday, but if he doesn’t, it’s likely to be Morato who gets the nod once again, and Dyche felt that he played fine in large against the Seagulls.

He said in his press conference: “I thought Morato did fine. It was a mix-up at the end, which can happen, but he did fine. I want a competitive group. I want players who can play their part.”

Jair Cunha deserves a go in the Forest team

It does feel as though Dyche has said these comments about Morato in the press, as he knows he could well need the Brazilian player again this season.

However, there has to come a time when Cunha deserves a run in the team, and Morato’s error yesterday certainly hasn’t done his chances of a prolonged run any good.

Morato is proving a strange addition to the Forest ranks. On one hand, he’s far from horrific, but he’s the one centre-back that does seem to ruin a fine performance by making a mistake that is easily preventable.

The error at the end of the game against Brighton is not a good look for Morato and although Dyche has backed him, there is a decision to be made for Wednesday night if Murillo is injured again.