Players making an impact from off the bench are helping to keep standards high at Nottingham Forest thanks to the manager's attention to detail, according to midfielder Jack Colback.
Injuries and suspensions aside, head coach Steve Cooper has generally stuck with a fairly settled starting XI. And he has been vindicated in his decisions, with the Reds in fine form as they push for a play-offs spot.
But Forest’s strength in depth could be a key factor in the Championship run-in as they face a busy month ahead. It has already come to the fore as players who haven’t seen much game time have made big contributions in recent weeks.
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Tobias Figueiredo, for instance, has stepped in at centre-back and done well in the absence of Steve Cook. Joe Lolley has looked more like his old self in his first few run-outs of 2022. Ethan Horvath is keeping Brice Samba out of the side, after taking his chance while his teammate was suspended. And Cafu always gives his all when drafted into the midfield.
Colback knows what it’s like to be on the outside looking in, having been down the pecking order earlier in the season when Chris Hughton was still in charge. But he says Cooper ensures everyone in the squad is ready to play their part if and when called upon.
“I think that’s been a big thing, how the players who have come off the bench have done in games,” he said. “It’s great to see, because it means everyone is ready and everyone is focused.
“The amount of detail the manager puts in means even if you’re not starting, players coming in know exactly what they are doing. Cafu is a really good player, for example. He shows that when he comes on.
“It’s great for the lads, because it’s difficult when you’re not playing. I’ve experienced it myself. Especially when you’re not playing and the team’s doing well, you almost miss out on the excitement and the joys of it - you’re a part of it, but you’re not playing. It’s tough.
“But fair play to all the lads involved. Training is always good. That competition is what we need if we want to be serious about where we want to be.
“You’ve got to have good players in every position. We have that at the moment.”
