His arrival was less than a fortnight ago and he hasn’t even made his official debut yet, but new Nottingham Forest signing Gustavo Scarpa is already causing quite the buzz.
He’d pretty much done that before he had even pulled on a shirt. Impressive form for Palmeiras and the inevitable YouTube clips which went with it, followed by skateboarding in the centre of Nottingham, his social media quips about the British weather and the revelation that he is a Rubik’s Cube whizz had seen to that.
Throw in a headband and there was clearly the makings of a cult hero in the works. And then he stepped on the pitch.
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For any Reds fans not already excited about what he has the potential to bring, that was it. With one sublime first-time flick, he captured the imagination.
Against Olympiacos, the Brazilian hadn’t had too long to show what he can do. But against Valencia, he made a significant impact from off the bench.
Of course, there comes the caveat of not being able to read too much into friendlies and that it is far too soon to cast proper judgement. If he can be anything like as influential when he is able to play in a competitive game, though, Forest could have quite the player on their hands.
Scarpa watch
From the moment he came on against Olympiacos, the 28-year-old oozed confidence. And it was the same in Spain.
He was not afraid to get on the ball; indeed, he was eager to get hold of. Any time he picked it up, it got the crowd on the edge of their seats.
He was prepared to have a shot, even from range, and was constantly looking to make something happen, while his set-pieces caused the hosts problems. Even if a pass or a move didn’t quite come off, he simply shrugged it off and tried again.
His ball for what proved to be the visitors’ winner at the Mestalla Stadium was exquisite. Picked out by Scott McKenna in the centre circle, he deftly flicked it on first-time for Emmanuel Dennis to run on to. The front man was then equally as good, using his strength to pinch the ball from Thierry Correia before powering forward and coolly slotting home past Mamardashvili. It was a lovely goal.
Scarpa could have had one himself, too. He tried his luck a couple of times and forced a good save towards the end.
He cannot play until his contract officially starts on January 1, and Steve Cooper was keen to stress afterwards that he is still building up his fitness and settling in. When he does finally pull on the Garibaldi for real, however, there will be plenty of anticipation about what he can do in the Premier League.
Winter work-outs
As with the previous three friendlies, Cooper was left with mixed feelings at the full-time whistle. Overall, the Welshman is happy with the work his team have been able to do during the past few weeks. But he knows there remains room for improvement and it will only become apparent what impact the World Cup break has had once the season restarts.
Much as was the case against Olympiacos, Forest improved in the second half on Friday night, after a half-time team-talk. They saw more of the ball after the interval, and looked more threatening with it.
In the first half, when they did get possession, they had given it away too cheaply and not used it as effectively as they would have liked. They did get better at that.
At the back, they were pretty solid throughout. It was a sloppy goal to give away - stemming from a poor Lewis O’Brien pass as the visitors were pushing forward - but they generally limited Valencia to minimal opportunities, even when the hosts had possession.
“There are some really good learnings from the game. We didn’t play well enough with the ball, particularly in the first half,” Cooper said.
“Valencia are a good team and were at home. Okay, we thought they may have more of the ball than us, but we had to do much better with the ball when we had it in the first half. That was the clear message at half-time.
“Defensively, I quite liked us. The reality is, all the real chances in the game came to us.”
Ryan Yates, Scarpa and Brennan Johnson all could have got on the scoresheet in the game. Making sure they take those opportunities when it really counts will be what the Reds are aiming for.
Decisions to make
There is no question Cooper will field a strong team for next week’s Carabao Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. He wants to progress further in the competition and ensure his side start as they mean to go on.
He has some tough selection dilemmas, though. Players have pressed their case for inclusion with their performances in the friendlies.
In Spain, Taiwo Awoniyi barely had a sniff in front of goal before good work by Jesse Lingard presented him with a great opportunity in the 40th minute. And with Dennis having taken his goal well, too, the Reds’ front men showed the merits of having an out-and-out striker on the pitch.
How Forest’s attack will look against Rovers and in the first league game back, at Manchester United, is tough to call. Johnson, Lingard and Morgan Gibbs-White have all had their moments during the friendlies - and that trio has also worked well together before.
There is a decision to make at the back, too. Cooper has a few potential central defensive partnerships to choose from, with Joe Worrall, Steve Cook, Scott McKenna and Willy Boly having all got minutes under their belt.
The Welshman will be hoping that some of the players who were struggling with knocks - Gibbs-White (who was forced off), Serge Aurier and Jack Colback - are available for selection. Likewise, Remo Freuler and Neco Williams will be back in contention, having missed out in Spain for personal reasons.
Special occasion
Pitting themselves against a good outfit such as Valencia was a useful test for Forest. And the game was a special occasion as it formed part of the Spanish side’s celebrations for the centenary of their home ground.
The visitors wore an all-red kit, just as they did when they became the first European side to visit the Mestalla and compete in an official match, in the Fairs Cup in 1961. Meanwhile, Reds legends John McGovern, Garry Birtles and Ian Storey-Moore formed part of a presentation on the pitch ahead of kick-off, along with a number of Valencia heroes.
Hundreds of Forest fans had made the trip, and there was a good atmosphere both before and during the match, with the visiting supporters making themselves heard. They had to compete against a brass band at times, with the unusual scenario of instruments being struck up from the stands during the game - including a rendition of Christmas tunes being played during the second half. The Olympiacos ultras with their drum, this was not.
Afterwards, Cooper took time to chat, sign autographs and pose for selfies with a group of supporters waiting on the sidelines. It was an appreciation of the lengths fans had gone to and the distance travelled to watch their team in action - something which will be in evidence again next week, when there is set to be a superb turnout in the away section at Ewood Park.
Who was your Forest man of the match against Valencia? Have your say in the comments below
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