Guy Moussi has confessed that he’s been a little bit underwhelmed by one Nottingham Forest player this season.
The Reds brought the curtain down on the 2023/24 campaign with a 2-1 win away at Burnley yesterday.
Chris Wood scored twice to see Forest finish with three big points and guarantee their Premier League status for another year.
After the game, Moussi has been discussing some of the players from this season and it’s fair to say that one has disappointed him a little bit.
What Guy Moussi has said about Ibrahim Sangare
It’s fair to say that the signing of Ibrahim Sangare for £30 million from PSV was viewed as a good one when Forest broke their transfer record.
However, things haven’t worked out just yet and it’s been a very frustrating season for him.
He’s struggled a little bit to adapt in the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking him out of the firing line towards the end of the season.
Moussi has been a little bit surprised – and a bit disappointed – by the impact that Sangare has had on Forest so far.
He told the Garibaldi Red podcast: “Yeah, I’m disappointed also because he’s a top player.
“Last season he was unbelievable at PSV but it seems that he’s not taken really well in the Premier League.
“We’ve paid a lot of money and he’s got a lot of potential. With the right manager, hopefully we can see the best of him next season.”
Sangare needs sound pre-season to make Forest impact
In our view, Forest shouldn’t wash their hands of Sangare just yet – despite his abject campaign.
Coming to a new country isn’t easy and Sangare isn’t the first player to struggle having made the move from an inferior league to the Premier League.
The 26-year-old has only made 17 appearances for Forest but given his age, he does have time on his side.
His maiden campaign in England hasn’t gone according to plan but there have been mitigating factors.
For starters, the season had started when he signed and as a result, he didn’t do a pre-season that got him used to the demands of Premier League football.
Then, he picked up an illness that kept him out of action for a couple of weeks.
In January, the player went off the African Cup of Nations and after returning, he struggled to get his place in the team back.
The last time Sangare played 90 minutes was in the 1-1 draw at Luton back in March and in that game, he did alright.
Next up, he kept his place against Crystal Palace and was hooked at half-time, with supporters venting their frustrations at him.
Yesterday, Sangare earned a cameo with 32 minutes remaining and it was nice to see him get a run-out.
Moussi knows all about the demands of playing in defensive midfield for Forest – and the qualities it takes to do it well.
He’s right to question Sangare for his form this season but as he says, with the right manager, perhaps the best is yet to come from the Ivorian at Forest.
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