He’s certainly flown under the radar this season.
That’s because he hasn’t really had much of a chance to strut his stuff, only starting eight games in the league and ten in all competitions this campaign.
I’m talking of course about Joao Carvalho. Having been one of Nottingham Forest’s key players last year, coming second in terms of assists behind only Joe Lolley, the Portuguese playmaker hasn’t found time easy to come by under Sabri Lamouchi, and that’s something that the Frenchman is aware of.
Speaking to The Athletic, the Forest boss talked about the tough balancing act that he faces in getting the best out of him and the best out of the team at the same time:
“Because he is out of the side, it does not mean that he is out of my mind. I am wanting more from him. Joao is a fantastic player but talent is not always enough. My challenge is to talk and to speak with him; to try to understand. I have to give him confidence. I know that when I leave him out, I do not give him confidence. But I am not here for individuals, I am here for the team, to manage the group.”
Whilst Forest currently sit fourth in the table, I suppose that Carvalho’s lack of playing time isn’t an issue, they seem to be doing pretty well without him.
However, I do think that there is still that little spark that Forest are missing with him out of the team. If you look at his numbers between the past two seasons, you can see that his numbers have significantly dropped off, but that’s only because of his lack of playing time.
If he could just get on the pitch a lot more, then he might just be able to create some opportunities for our players to get on the scoresheet more often.
Does Carvalho need to be played more?
Yes
No
It would be a way of getting more goals on the scoreboard, something I have been saying for some time has been holding us back.
