Taiwo Awoniyi’s struggles at Nottingham Forest have left many wondering if the Super Eagles forward will ever return to his prolific form.
The 27-year-old has found himself on the sidelines more often than he’d like this season, struggling to find a place in the team’s starting XI, Footballrover reports.
Without a goal to his name, the pressure is mounting, and manager Nuno Espirito Santo is eagerly awaiting the moment when the Nigerian international finally breaks through.
Awoniyi’s lack of playing time has become a significant obstacle. Out of the ten matches he’s featured in this season, he has only started three.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s struggles: A turning point ahead?
In a competitive forward line where Chris Wood has emerged as the team’s main scorer, Awoniyi’s struggles to secure a regular spot have become more of a worrying subject.
Despite these challenges, Nuno is convinced that it’s just a matter of time before the striker finds his rhythm.
The forward’s pre-season setback has only compounded his difficulties. Having missed part of the crucial preparation period, Awoniyi has been playing catch-up, unable to fully integrate himself into the team’s tactics.
Adding to this, his time with the Nigerian national team during the recent international break was limited, further stalling his progress.
However, the 50-year-old gaffer remains confident that all Awoniyi needs is one goal to reignite his confidence.
The manager highlighted how crucial it is for strikers to get that first goal, noting that a single moment of success can unlock a player’s potential.
During Forest’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal, despite the loss, Awoniyi was able to play over an hour, a step forward in regaining his fitness and match sharpness.
“It’s his fitness, his confidence, and he is looking for his goal. Everything changes in the mindset of a striker when you score; suddenly everything comes. We are waiting for this click. We trust him.”
“What we have been trying with T is to increase his game time. Unfortunately, if I look back, going into the previous (October) international break, he played and then immediately went with his national team and played five minutes. That was a step back.
“We had him for all of the last international break, and he was able to play 60 minutes in a very hard game (against Arsenal). It was a very physical game against tough centre halves, and he did very well,” the Forest boss said, as quoted by Nottinghamshire Live.
As Nottingham Forest prepares for their upcoming fixture against Ipswich Town, there are no guarantees that Awoniyi will start.
Be the first to comment on "Nottingham boss on Taiwo Awoniyi’s struggles: ‘We’re waiting for him to click"