Djed left ‘to sort himself out’, says Warnock
FORMER Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock says Djed Spence’s loan move to Nottingham Forest was for him to “sort himself out.”
Spence arrived at the City Ground in August on a season-long loan spell and has made a big impact, becoming a key part in Steve Cooper’s squad.
The 21-year-old has excelled for Forest, with 21 appearances under his belt in the Championship thus far, before catching the eye in the FA Cup as the Reds defeated Arsenal at the weekend.
There were fears that Spence could end up back at his parent club this month after recently appointed Boro boss Chris Wilder - who replaced Warnock at the helm admitted the possibility of a recall during the transfer window.
However, it has since been confirmed Spence will remain at Forest for the rest of the season after both parties came to an agreement.
It was Warnock who initially allowed Spence to leave Boro on loan and he told the TALKSPORT breakfast show: “I let him go. He needed to sort himself out, really.
“I basically said to him that you can go to the top or you can go non-league.
“I think Steve Cooper is the manager for him, to be honest. He has let him go forward more often, which suits his game.”
FORMER Nottingham Forest striker Kevin Campbell says the Reds were “tenacious” in their FA Cup third round win against Arsenal.
Campbell arrived at Forest in 1995 from Arsenal, where he spent three seasons, and last Sunday’s game could not have been a better Cup tie for him, watching his two old clubs go head-to-head.
He was not short of compliments for Steve Cooper’s side. But he described Arsenal as “starting off bad and just getting worse”.
In the end, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were nullified by the home side’s “quality”, according to Campbell, and did not register a single shot on target.
“I know it was a makeshift team at times but you have to have more quality than that,” Campbell told Football Insider via Sportskeeda.
“It started off bad and just got worse. To have no shot on target... this is a Premier League side! The players need to have a good look at themselves.
“Nottingham Forest deserved to win, let me get that straight.
“They were more tenacious, played more as a team and the only quality seen in the final third came from them.”
DEFENDER Cyrus Christie is set to join Championship side Swansea City following a four-year connection with Fulham.
Christie spent the 2020-21 season on loan with Nottingham Forest from Fulham and now, according to TALKSPORT football correspondent Alex Crook, he is close to joining the Swans.
He said on Twitter: “Hearing Cyrus Christie from Fulham to Swansea City.”
When asked whether the deal was close to happening, Crook replied: “Believe so, yes.”
Christie joined the Reds when Sabri Lamouchi was in charge before becoming a key part of the team under manager Chris Hughton.
During his spell with the Reds he only missed the opening fixture, against Cardiff City, and then went on to make 44 appearances.
In the end, Forest did not pursue a deal to sign him on a permanent basis.
His £20,000-a-week wages may have been the deciding factor, with Forest chief executive Dane Murphy keen to lower the wage bill.