Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has not featured once since Sabri Lamouchi took over at Championship side Nottingham Forest.
What next for Costel Pantilimon?
If you hadn’t noticed, the transfer window is set to slam shut in a matter of days and, with it, the giant Romanian’s hopes of playing any first-team football between now and the turn of the year.
Nottingham Forest’s number one under Aitor Karanka and Martin O’Neill has been conspicuous by his absence ever since Sabri Lamouchi arrived to revolutionise life at the City Ground.
Lamouchi wants his goalkeeper’s to be technically gifted and start attacks from the back, hence the signing of Aro Muric on loan from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Pantilimon, however, is an old-school shot-stopper who completed just 42 per cent of his passes last season. Lamouchi might not expect his ‘keepers to have a distribution of a seasoned playmaker but a more modern approach is certainly required.
The former Sunderland ‘keeper has fallen behind Muric, Brice Samba and maybe even Jordan Smith in the pecking order and he hasn’t been included in a single match-day squad since Lamouchi arrived in the East Midlands.
While Muric has looked a little nervy since that disastrous debut against West Brom on the Championship’s opening weekend, Samba sees assured, confident and full of quality between the sticks. The former Caen star is already a fans’ favourite with his commanding displays and affable online presence.
And this appears to have consigned Pantilimon to footballing purgatory.
Olympiakos were rumoured to be coming to the Romanian international’s rescue but, six weeks since those rumours emerged via the Nottingham Post, the trial has grown cold. Bobby Alain has now arrived from Dijon, joining fellow new recruit Jose Sa at the Greek giants.
That particular escape route appears to have been closed off. So what now? Pantilimon is running out of time but, worryingly, it seems he’s running out of options too.
Pantilimon, however, is an old-school shot-stopper who completed just 42 per cent of his passes last season. Lamouchi might not expect his ‘keepers to have a distribution of a seasoned playmaker but a more modern approach is certainly required.
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