‘Send him back’, ‘Fraud’ – Nottingham Forest fans destroy Oleksandr Zinchenko after what he did vs Utrecht
Nottingham Forest supporters are prepared for Oleksandr Zinchenko to be sent back to Arsenal after what he did against Utrecht.
Zinchenko’s time at the City Ground has been injury-hit, but the Ukrainian international was amongst the starting players as Sean Dyche‘s side claimed all three points in the Netherlands on Thursday, 11 December.
Referee Irfan Peljto left some fans baffled with his decisions, but nonetheless, the Reds will return to England with a vital win, seeing them inch closer to a guaranteed round of 16 spot.
Neco Williams has been key for Forest, and so too has Nicolo Savona since his move, but with both full-backs rested, Zinchenko was trusted in the left-back position instead. That might have backfired.
Oleksandr Zinchenko misses a gilt-edge chance vs Utrecht
In the 11th minute, the defender had his second of three shots on the night, this time being met with only the goalkeeper to beat, but his effort might as well have gone for a throw-in.
Multiple supporters are wishing for the player to be sent back to Arsenal during the January transfer window, with his miss in front of goal seen as unacceptable.
One supporter described the incident as “absolutely criminal”, and with each replay of the miss, it gets worse and worse for the 28-year-old.
- @lardlikesdogs: “Absolutely criminal that. Send him back on the back of that alone.”
- @Av_NFFC_Enjoyer: “I’d have Zinchenko on a separate flight back to Arsenal. Another stinker of a performance by him so far.”
- @ReeseKing30: “Get Zinenchko out of this football club now.”
Zinchenko’s performance by numbers at the Stadion Galgenwaard
It was not just the Ukrainian’s shooting that left a lot to be desired, with his defensive abilities, or lack thereof, being highlighted against a weaker opposition than most weeks.
Up against Miguel Rodriguez, Zinchenko was fortunate not to pick up a yellow card for his fouls, missed too many tackles, and wasted chances in front of goal when going into the final third.
| Oleksandr Zinchenko vs Utrecht | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Accurate passes | 92% (49/53) |
| Shots (On target) | 3 (1) |
| Accurate crosses | 0% (0/2) |
| Tackles won | 0% (0/1) |
| Fouls committed | 2 |
Arnaud Kalimuendo and Igor Jesus spared his blushes with two second-half goals, but the performance will have done very little to drive confidence into the manager to pick him each week.
Williams and Savona are the ideal full-backs for Forest, but with games coming thick and fast over the Christmas period, Dyche will have to trust that Zinchenko improves and does so quickly.