The midfielder is approaching his 300th appearance in all competitions for the Reds, but is a shadow of his former self.
Nottingham Forests’ Chris Cohen in action with Leeds United’s Chris Wood
While Nottingham Forest have more pressing concerns than contract situations right now, with the club just one point above the relegation zone, they should consider not giving midfielder Chris Cohen a new deal.
The situation with Cohen is an incredibly difficult one for Forest to handle, as this is a man who has shown the level of fight, character and determination the team as a whole are lacking by recovering from three serious injuries to resume battle on the pitch for the Reds.
Cohen, out of contract in the summer, has been at The City Ground for 10 years now, and he deserves a testimonial for his services to the club at the very least – a club he’s captained on many an occasion, and epitomises the term, “a real 100 percenter.”
However, as the Cardiff City game showed at the weekend, a match which Forest lost 1-0, it appears as if Cohen may have had his day. While those injuries haven’t impacted his ability to pass or tackle, they have affected his speed – and when Cohen lines up with David Vaughan in midfield, there is simply no pace or drive at all going forward on the counter.
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Cohen in action with Norwich City’s Wes Hoolahan
This can of course be resolved by dropping one of them, but such is Vaughan’s importance to the side, the former Wales international, also out of contract in the summer, has to start – leaving Cohen on the bench and filling in when Vaughan needs a rest.
If Cohen is happy to do that, then great – but it’s completely understandable if he wouldn’t be happy to do so, and while if the club go down Cohen would be a vital part of getting back up again, if Forest remain in the Championship, it’s hard to see how he’d figure prominently in the Reds’ revival.
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