Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele are two of the biggest attacking talents in Europe right now and they owe it all to the Frenchman in Forest’s dugout.
It’s been a tough few years for Nottingham Forest. With the club bouncing from crisis to catastrophe without mustering as much as a half-hearted play-off push, Forest fans can be forgiven for playing down the promising start to the season under new coach Philippe Montanier.
However, with three wins and eleven goals in their first five Championship games, it’s difficult to shake off the feeling that the French tactician should at least bring excitement of the right kind to the City Ground. And it’s not just performances that have got these put-upon fans feeling rather more optimistic than usual.
A thrilling 4-3 opening day win against Burton Albion showcased exactly what the former Real Sociedad and Rennes boss brings to the table, other than free-flowing attacking football. Five academy graduates, two debutants and an average age of 23; Montanier’s first Forest XI demonstrated his refreshing trust in youth, something a fanbase who has seen Jermaine Jenas and Wes Morgan (below) rise through the ranks will certainly appreciate.
So far this season, youngsters Ben Osborn, Hildeberto Pereria, Matthew Cash and Thomas Lam have cemented first-team places. Meanwhile, 19-year-old forward Oliver Burke became the most expensive Scottish export in history after joining RB Leipzig for £13 million after four goals in four games under Montanier.
Then again, this shouldn’t really come as a surprise. At Real Sociedad, Antoine Griezmann (below) took his first tentative steps towards becoming one of the world’s most lethal hitmen, netting 10 La Liga goals in 2012/13 as the Basque side reached the Champions League for the first time in a decade.
Meanwhile, Asier Illarramendi earned the best midfielder award in the 2013 LFP awards and a subsequent 30 million euro move to Real Madrid after just two seasons under Montanier’s tutelage.
And, in November 2015 while in charge of Ligue 1 side Rennes, the 51-year-old handed a debut to a 17-year-old forward by the name of Ousmane Dembele.
Just over six months later, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester United were chasing a player former French international Mikael Silvestre believes is the biggest talent since Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the Daily Mail. In the end, Borussia Dortmund got their man (below) and Rennes got a huge wad of cash.
“It does not matter if they are 20 or 36,” Montanier told the Nottingham Post at the start of the season.
“The most important thing, for me, is the level they play at and, also, to show that the door is open for them to get into the first team if they do show that they are good enough.”
With that mentality, Forest should reap the rewards.
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