Nottingham Forest legend Garry Birtles thinks one Nottingham Forest player isn’t suited to playing under Nuno Espirito Santo on home soil.
The Reds drew 2-2 with Wolves at the weekend to leave their Premier League status firmly in the balance with five games remaining.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Danilo scored for Forest during the contest but two Matheus Cunha goals gave Wolves a share of the spoils.
Forest are just a point above the drop zone with five games remaining and only two of those come at the City Ground.
Forest face a tough-looking trip to Everton on Sunday and the Toffees were beaten 6-0 by Chelsea on Monday night.
Ahead of this weekend’s test, Birtles has been discussing last week’s performance and he’s got a small problem with one Forest player.
Garry Birtles says Nottingham Forest man has ‘made mistakes’
Well,Ryan Yates is one Forest star who often divides opinion among the fan base – and this season isn’t going against the grain.
On Saturday he almost cost Forest an early deficit when a loose pass forced Murillo to clear off the line from Pablo Sarabia.
Then, he was hapless in trying to help Andrew Omobamidele defend the first goal that Wolves scored.
He was eventually substituted and Birtles just doesn’t think Yates is really the right sort of player for the home games.
He told the Forest Focus podcast: “I think away from home Ryan Yates could probably be more productive for us.
“I think when we play at home because we feel we have to be positive, get on the front foot and go and win the game, it might be a little bit of a struggle because when he’s in possession, he puts his foot on the ball and he sort of slows everything down.
“I think if he does what he does well which is break up play and play to his strengths I think then he can be productive.
“It’s a bit like the Joe Worrall situation when he was there. He was a very honest, local lad and sometimes he made mistakes and you can probably put Ryan alongside him in that respect.
“It’s a difficult one because he’s the captain as well – he’s the one leading the time out and that does make a difference as well.”
Ryan Yates must be replaced for Everton test
This isn’t a dig, it’s not being a ‘Yates basher’, it’s just our view that Yates shouldn’t be in the starting eleven at Goodison Park this weekend.
Forest have to fight fire with fire against Everton and they need to go for the jugular early doors and try to get the first goal.
Yates is a nark – as Jamie Carragher has called him but Everton are dynamite from set pieces and Yates’ silly fouls could be done without this weekend.
At 26-years-old, Yates really has to start proving that he can do something a little bit more than run a lot if he’s to establish himself as a Premier League player.
Right now, Forest need their best players on the pitch – and Nuno Espirito Santo certainly doesn’t need players who are going to slow things down in possession.
Yates has had a decent run in the team but now Forest need to act and place someone else alongside Danilo in the middle of the park.
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