Jack Colback was full of praise for Tendayi Darikwa after Nottingham Forest drew with Stoke City before the international break. The Reds right-back impressed against the Potters and has performed well since his return to the starting eleven.
Colback said to Nottingham Live: “Tendayi was superb, he was man of the match for me and he has been good since he has been back in the team. He gets forward so well and he is quicker than I thought, actually. When he makes those runs, he gets some speed.
“He created three or four chances for us and, had we taken a couple of those, we would have won the game and everything would feel rosy. They had a couple of chances as well, so you take the point and move on.”
Darikwa has made 13 appearances in all competitions for Forest but found himself out of the side between mid-September and early-October. Aitor Karanka gave Saidy Janko a run of games at right-back to prove himself but eventually brought back the Zimbabwean international.
In Forest’s last six games, Darikwa has played every minute under Karanka and has helped the Reds to three wins, two draws and four clean sheets. Forest find themselves seventh in the Championship with 27 points from 17 games this season, sitting one place and one point behind Derby County in the final playoff spot.
Darikwa has shone in a defence containing Jack Robinson at left-back and Michael Dawson & Tobias Figueiredo at centre-back Forest have conceded only 16 goals in the league while suffering just two defeats. Karanka’s men look a well-oiled in defence and are keeping up the hunt for the playoffs.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Adlene Guedioura reveals if he’s thinking about leaving Nottingham Forest
