Joe tipped to shine for ‘considerable time’
JOE Worrall has been named in the four-man shortlist to be crowned Nottingham Forest’s Fans’ Footballer of the Year.
This is the first time that Reds players have been eligible for the FFOTY award in its three-year existence after the club was promoted to the Premier League last season.
Worrall is one of four Forest players picked out – alongside Scott Mckenna, Ryan Yates and Brennan Johnson – and Michael Temple gave the rundown on each player on the latest Garibaldi Red podcast.
Worrall played a key role in Forest’s Championship play-off success last term, his “best season for Forest by some margin”. But, after starting the opening six games this season for the club as captain, he has been limited to four appearances from the bench and one start, which came against Crystal Palace just before the break.
Temple has backed the centreback to regain his starting berth after Steve Cooper’s decision to move from a back three to a four saw him relegated to the dugout.
“I’m a big fan of Joe Worrall as much for the bloke he is as the footballer,” said Temple. “He’s struggled to hold down a place this year, Steve Cook’s been preferred by Steve Cooper.
“I think that last season was his best season for Forest by some margin and the confidence we had in that back three of Worrall, Cook, Mckenna was absolute.
“However, fast forward to the start of the Premier League season, Moussa Niakhate comes along and you’re thinking Worrall, Mckenna, Niakhate (in the back line) is more than good enough.
“The disruptions to Plan A led to Worrall being dropped, the back four and that initial preference of Mckenna and Cook. I think he’s played his way back in and will start.
“With the standards he sets for himself he will reflect that he could have done a bit more since the start of this season to make himself an automatic starter.
“But Joe Worrall will come good and will be a good player for Forest for a considerable time to come. We need to see the strongest possible showing from him when we get back to business.”