“Give him a chance” “Can’t defend” – Forest fans conflicted over 24-year-old’s return
Soccer Football - Championship - Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - January 20, 2018 Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka Action Images/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
While much of the attention was placed on the convincing nature of our 3-0 triumph against Malaga, the game also signalled the return of Thomas Lam to the Forest team. Could the Finnish international establish himself as a mainstay in Karanka’s side?
Many Nottingham Forest supporters (myself included) didn’t expect that Lam would return to Forest. However, it appears that his performances with FC Twente have encouraged Karanka, and the boss has given the defender the opportunity to impress during pre-season.
This isn’t to insinuate that he’ll play a prominent role this season. That said, it’s clear that Karanka is considering Lam’s inclusion in the team.
Here’s what Forest supporters on Twitter think of Lam.
Does the job, worked hard when he was given a chance before being frozen out, give him another go
— Luke Trim (@LukeTrimnffc) July 13, 2018
Give him a chance. Different manager, different system. Looked good in patches but was never consistent. Aitor's system may just suit him.
— Trevor Hall ⭐⭐ (@trickytrev746) July 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/deblee_smith/status/1017747648294637569
https://twitter.com/A_Newman14/status/1017748640364945409
Technically good but too weak physically.
— Phil Coker (@PhillipeC) July 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/GarethJD81/status/1017754465389219840
May surprise a few if given the chance. Remembering Karanka was a CB too, he will know if he’s worth keeping.
— DJ (@OfficiallyDJ) July 13, 2018
Has got some real ability when playing in midfield but got bullied by some opponents. Definitely not a centre back.
— James Prentice (@jrprentice) July 13, 2018
Verdict:
One of the 24-year-old’s main obstacles is whether he can adapt to the physical and gruelling nature of Championship football. If he can familiarise himself with the demands of English football, then I’m confident that we’ll have a competent centre-back at our disposal.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Let us know!