Sean Dyche blown away by ‘terrific’ Nottingham Forest star who is ‘infectious in what he does’
Nottingham Forest host Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday as Sean Dyche seeks his first win as boss.
Dyche was appointed Nottingham Forest manager earlier in October, replacing Ange Postecoglou after his woeful 39 days in charge.
The Englishman has since started with a 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League before Bournemouth beat Forest 2-0 in the top-flight.
As it stands, the Reds are in 18th position and three points adrift of safety after nine games, with survival specialist Dyche appointed to ease their relegation worries.
Forest face a showdown with Manchester United on Saturday, November 1, and the new manager has already been waxing lyrical over one of his players.
Sean Dyche wowed by Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White
To boost confidence levels and pull themselves out of the mess they’re in, the Tricky Trees need a statement performance, and that can come at the City Ground this weekend.
Although the Red Devils have won their last three matches, including a 4-2 victory over Brighton last time out, Ruben Amorim’s men are vulnerable defensively, and Morgan Gibbs-White is someone who can exploit them on the counterattack.
Gibbs-White hasn’t enjoyed a great start to the campaign with four goal involvements in 13 appearances across all competitions, but Dyche has spoken about how ‘infectious’ the Englishman is in the dressing room.
“It’s not just him [Gibbs-White], we want to get the best out of everyone,” Dyche said in his pre-match press conference.
“We want to add our attention to detail, what we feel is relevant to game preparation and performance.
“He’s a terrific professional, he comes in with a smile and wants to work. He’s infectious in what he does and enjoys what he does.
“He, among a number of others, have taken to it really well and want to progress and move forward for the team, me, the club and the fans.”
Gibbs-White needs to improve after Bournemouth showing
Forest fans voiced their concerns over Gibbs-White during their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last weekend, as the 25-year-old struggled to make an impact.
| Morgan Gibbs-White stats vs Bournemouth |
| 89 minutes played |
| 17/26 accurate passes (65%) |
| 3 unsuccessful touches |
| 0 successful dribbles |
| 12x possession lost |
| 2 shots |
Worryingly, the former Wolves man completed just 65% of his passes and made zero successful dribbles, something he must improve on against United.
For a while now, his influence hasn’t been as ‘infectious’ as Dyche suggests, with supporters crying out for him to return to his best.