‘Morgan Gibbs-White hits back at Thomas Tuchel as Nottingham Forest drub Ipswich’
Morgan Gibbs-White sent a clear message to England manager Thomas Tuchel with his performance for Nottingham Forest at Ipswich Town.
The attacking midfielder has enjoyed an outstanding season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, helping them to mount a push for a place in the Champions League.
That has even led to claims that the likes of Premier League leaders Liverpool are interested in signing Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window.
Despite that, the Nottingham Forest talisman was recently dealt a blow that came as a shock to many Premier League observers.
Nottingham Forest trio omitted from England selection
On Friday (14 March), new England manager Thomas Tuchel announced his first squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers with Albania and Latvia later this month.
However, despite his excellent form, Gibbs-White, along with two of his teammates at The City Ground – Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson – was conspicuous by his absence.
The omission of the trio, who have all been key to the club’s unlikely Champions League push, left many Nottingham Forest fans furious with Tuchel.
Indeed, plenty would ask questions of the Three Lions boss over that selection call, and there were claims Gibbs-White will have been “devastated” to miss out on an England call-up as he aims to add to his two caps.
But even if that is the case, the Nottingham Forest trio did not show any signs of being negatively affected by that as they returned to action.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson back-up Thomas Tuchel confusion
Saturday (15 March) saw Espirito Santo take his team to Portman Road to take on struggling Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
It would prove to be an excellent afternoon for Nottingham Forest as they claimed a comfortable 4-2 win to move to within a point of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League table.
Gibbs-White played a key part in that, with the 25-year-old regularly dictating play with an outstanding range of passes from the centre of the park.
| Morgan Gibbs-White vs Ipswich | Total (as per SofaScore) |
| Assists | 1 |
| Successful Passes | 29/43 |
| Duels Won | 3/7 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
He then topped that off an assist for Jota Silva to put his side 4-1 up shortly after Ipswich had pulled a goal back, to kill off any hopes of a comeback for the hosts.
Anderson and Hudson-Odoi would also more than play their part with some strong performances in that win for Nottingham Forest.
It was Anderson’s pass that played in Anthony Elanga to make it 2-0 to the visitors, while Hudson-Odoi‘s movement and desire constantly gave Ipswich something to worry about.
All three players therefore served Tuchel with an immediate reminder of the quality he has excluded from his side at a time when some of those who have made the squad are being scrutinised over their form.
They also showed their resilience to perform so well for Nottingham Forest so soon after such a significant personal setback.
As a result, the England manager can be sure he will face more questions over the absence of Gibbs-White and his Nottingham Forest teammates, the longer they remain absent from the squad.