Sean Dyche must drop scandalous Nottingham Forest star after what he did vs Sturm Graz
Sean Dyche needs to make one key selection decision ahead of Nottingham Forest’s clash against Leeds United on Sunday (November 9).
Nottingham Forest were held to a 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz on Thursday night, as the Tricky Trees were unable to build on their 2-0 win against Porto.
The Reds should arguably have flown away from Austria with all three points after Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty against Sturm Graz, while former PGMOL referee Keith Hackett accused Ryan Yates of diving in an attempt to win a second spot kick.
As attention now turns back to their Premier League campaign – currently 19th in the table and four points adrift of safety – Dyche must make one bold selection call.
Sean Dyche must drop Morgan Gibbs-White vs Leeds United
Forest’s recent surge into Europe was down to multiple players, and Gibbs-White is one star on that list after his stellar 2024/25 campaign.
The 25-year-old amassed 17 goal involvements in the top-flight last term and was the beating heart of Nuno Espirito Santo’s system.
Sadly, the talented playmaker has failed to continue his stunning form into 2025/26, recording just one goal and one assist in 10 Premier League appearances.
Gibbs-White was slammed for his performance against Bournemouth last month after mustering a lowly 68% pass completion, and he was arguably even worse on Thursday night.
Forest fans urged Dyche to drop Gibbs-White for not just missing a penalty in Austria, but other areas of his game, including his work rate, quality in possession and physicality were all lacking.
| Morgan Gibbs-White stats vs Sturm Graz |
| 78 minutes played |
| 51 touches |
| 15x possession lost |
| 0 crosses |
| 1 key pass |
| 29/38 (76%) pass completion |
That is why the new Nottingham Forest manager must make the bold decision to drop the Englishman against Leeds.
Omari Hutchinson must start vs Leeds
A start on the bench after a hectic start to the campaign could be what ignites Gibbs-Whites’ best form, and he should make way for Omari Hutchinson this weekend.
Hutchinson was bizarrely left out of the Europa League squad by Nuno before his departure and has yet to start a Premier League game since joining in a record deal from Ipswich Town in the summer.
So, the 22-year-old arguably deserves a chance to play in his favoured number 10 position and show Gibbs-White the sort of competition he’s up against.
On his day, the former Chelsea youngster is difficult to stop with his low centre of gravity and wand of a left foot, and could provide the quality Forest have been lacking.