When Nottingham Forest travels to West Ham United on Sunday (2 pm kickoff), head coach Steve Cooper will have to choose whether to stick with the plan or change it.
Should he stick with a winning team or make adjustments in areas where he’s facing some selection quandaries? Making that decision is not simple.
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Odysseas Vlachodimos, the custodian, made his debut in that victory at the City Ground and is probably going to maintain his position above Matt Turner. It’s debatable who gets the start in front of him against the Hammers, though.
It could be argued that Willy Boly was unfairly excluded from the starting lineup in the previous game. So far this season, he has been one of Forest’s best players.
Cooper’s decision to start two left-footers in Villa, Murillo and Moussa Niakhate, looked risky at first, but their partnership turned out to be incredibly reliable. Each was enormous, and a clean sheet of paper cannot be argued against.
Similarly, it was a wise choice to start Harry Toffolo on the left and Ola Aina at right back. The Reds will be praying that the knock the latter sustained in the second half was not a serious one. Based on their performances, it looks like Serge Aurier has a fight on his hands to win back the side, while Neco Williams will be hoping that his outstanding cameo gave Cooper some food for thought.
Naturally, the Reds manager may decide to change his formation when facing David Moyes’ team. Although he would prefer to field a back four, he can also opt to field a five, which would enable him to accommodate Boly, Murillo, and Niakhate.
The uppermost point of the
Due to the continued absences of Divock Origi, Chris Wood, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Forest is still lacking in attacking options. However, Danilo’s return at the City Ground was a huge plus.
It’s another story entirely how the Brazilian pushes his way into the starting lineup. He might not be prepared to start against West Ham, but if he is, Cooper might choose to slightly adjust the formation by starting Danilo alongside Morgan Gibbs-White to support Awoniyi.
Predicted Forest XI: Awoniyi, Gibbs-White, Mangala, Sangare, Dominguez, Aina, Niakhate, Murillo, and Toffolo; Vlachodimos
