What sort of football will Nottingham Forest play in the Championship under Sabri Lamouchi? He seems different to O’Neill and Karanka at least.
Nottingham Forest fans had very little to go on when Sabri Lamouchi was appointed as their new manager on Friday, approximately 20 minutes after Martin O’Neill was given his freshly-printed P45.
The 47-year-old has only ever had two club jobs after all, spending time in Qatar before taking over at Rennes for a short-lived spell in Ligue 1. He had been out of work for the last six months too.
But while supporters might have been concerned to learn that Lamouchi has a rather pragmatic reputation across the channel, the early transfer activity taking place at the City Ground hint at a more expansive, free-flowing style than was perhaps first anticipated.
According to the Nottingham Post, Lamouchi has made 26-year-old Feirense midfielder Tiago Silva a target.
Like the manager himself, Silva is pretty much an unknown in the East Midlands. But claims that Lamouchi is looking to introduce a bit of pace to Forest’s attack, plus a more technical style compared to the rather rudimentary approach favoured by O’Neill, speaks volumes about the former Portugal U21 international.
Silva is a tidy, intelligent player who should add some dynamism and creativity in the centre of the park.
Meanwhile, the Irish Sun claim that one of O’Neill’s favourites, 36-year-old striker Daryl Murphy, has been told to leave the City Ground.
A 6ft 3ins centre-forward, Murphy thrives in a direct team reliant upon set pieces and high crosses. He was at his best at Ipswich Town under Mick McCarthy after all.
So with Murphy on his way and Silva potentially arriving, it appears that Nottingham Forest fans will be watching a faster, more attractive style over the next few months – or however long Lamouchi lasts.
After the defence-first approach of Aitor Karanka and O’Neill’s old-school blueprint, Lamouchi might just be a breath of fresh air.
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