Three Nottingham Forest players facing axe vs Bournemouth, ever-present to pay price for woeful stats
Nottingham Forest have entered their third managerial era of the season with the arrival of Sean Dyche ahead of his first Premier League game in charge since January 2025.
Nottingham Forest have appointed Sean Dyche on a contract lasting until the end of the 2026-27 season as they seek to banish the embarrassment of a tenure under Ange Postecoglou.
Already, Nottingham Forest training ground footage has shown a drastic improvement in the mood of the camp since the Englishman’s arrival, boding well for their Europa League clash against Porto on 23 October.
Looking ahead to the ex-Everton boss’ return to Premier League action against Bournemouth on 26 October, Football Insider considers the three players who will almost certainly be dropped from the starting XI.
Taiwo Awoniyi set for instant Forest demotion
Postecoglou started Taiwo Awoniyi in his final game in charge against Chelsea on 18 October which ended up being a ridiculous call.
The Nigerian hadn’t featured all season after recovering from injury yet was thrown in at the deep end against the Blues, proving to be a disastrous decision from the Australian.
In the 3-0 defeat, the 28-year-old mustered just one shot and 14 touches, losing possession on four occasions.
As demonstrated by his heat map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, the striker barely laid a finger on the Chelsea backline, even when Forest were in the ascendancy in the first half.
Consequently, he was hooked at half-time and the new Garibaldi boss will not be making the same mistake as his predecessor in selecting him again.
Dropped to the bench in the loss, Dyche has frequently praised Chris Wood with their reunion set to see the poacher return to the starting XI.
This will definitely see Awoniyi struggle to force his way back into Dyche’s plans for the tie against the Cherries.
Dilane Bakwa likely to suffer from Dyche arrival
The young Frenchman joined over the summer yet has struggled to force his way into the Garibaldi side with a plethora of wide options.
In the six appearances he has made in all competitions, Dilane Bakwa has looked lively, capable of taking on defenders with his sheer pace and technical ability.
However, the former Strasbourg man lacks a certain trait which Dyche will be prioritising above all else: crossing.
Take for instance his last start for Forest against Sunderland on 27 September where the 23-year-old only landed two of his seven crosses during the match.
Indeed, as the cross map shows, his side struggled on the whole with finding Wood in the box to provide him with crucial service.
However, the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye will be more trusted with their reputable history of crossing and racking up a respectable amount of assists.
Dreams of a Premier League return to the side will be put on hold for Bakwa as the new manager demands a higher level of pinpoint crossing.
Neco Williams to be surprise absentee
The Welshman has been one of the ever-presents for the Garibaldi this season yet his run of starts may soon come to an end.
Neco Williams was careless with the ball against Chelsea, only finding 21 of his 29 targets, hitting a 72 per cent passing accuracy rate.
In comparison to his Forest teammates, Nikola Milenkovic had a 91 per cent accuracy rate as well as Morato with 93 per cent.
The 24-year-old was the most wasteful with the ball at his feet during Postecoglou’s last hurrah and his successor will not be thrilled by his carelessness.
Nicolo Savona is more than capable and is waiting in the wings to be unleashed with the clash against Bournemouth presenting him with the perfect opportunity.