Former Nottingham Forest midfielder David Prutton says the club should stick with manager Sabri Lamouchi for the time being, despite the disappointment of missing out on the Championship play-offs this season.
A run of six games without a win at the end of the season, culminating with a 4-1 defeat at home to Stoke on the final day, saw Forest unexpectedly slide out of the top-six spots, and left Lamouchi under considerable pressure in The City Ground dugout.
Prutton however, believes that Lamouchi deserves another chance next season, and feels that the quick turnaround to the next campaign plays a part in that.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live about the Frenchman’s future, the Sky Sports presenter said: “Sticking with Sabri at this time would absolutely be the right thing. It’s a quick turnaround to the start of next season.
“Give it a month into the new season and if Forest carry on this type of stuttering form… You need to give a manager as long as possible to get as much out of a season as they possibly can.
“I’d like to think emotion will be taken out of the decision. When you heard Sabri on Wednesday night you could see how upset he was. It was genuine.”
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Indeed, it seems Prutton believes that sticking with Lamouchi for the time being, could give the club some welcome continuity, as he continued: “Having covered this club and this team and been there various times, the fact there’s almost a celebratory factor that Forest have finished the season with the same manager for the first time in a decade, that is staggering.
“Staggering that it’s seen almost as a badge of honour. Shocking in the sense the continuity has not been there.
“Continuity doesn’t always get results. Look at Watford chopping and changing manager. It remains to be seen where they’ll be next season, but that still got them to the Premier League.
“The players have to take responsibility, but so does the manager, who more often than not falls on his sword. I think he’s been a cracking addition not just to Forest, but the league in general.”
This does seem to be an interesting point that Prutton is making.
There was understandably a lot of frustration at what had happened come the end of the season, but on the whole, it could be argued that when you consider this was his first season in the Championship, it has not been an altogether bad effort from Lamouchi.
Indeed, there is no question he cares about this club when you listen to his interviews, and if he can learn from the mistakes he has made this year, there is no reason things can’t be different next time around.
