He had little impact on the 1-1 draw against Luton.
Despite leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to a well-taken effort from Chris Wood, Nottingham Forest were unable to seal the game away to Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, with Luke Berry scoring an 89th-minute equaliser to earn Rob Edwards’ side an important point.
The Reds’ first point since their 2-0 win over West Ham United on February 17th maintains them three points ahead of the Hatters and even with Sean Dyche’s Everton.
After three successive Premier League defeats, the draw at Kenilworth Road could be significant by the end of the season.
However, the Tricky Trees could have earned a rare away win if they had converted clear-cut chances, which has been a recurring theme throughout Forest’s season.
Players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo impressed once more, but one Forest player struggled to make an impact in his first start of 2024.
Ibrahim Sangare’s performance against Luton in numbers.
After representing the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations, Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare was absent for several months before making his first start of the year in yesterday’s draw.
However, the 26-year-old did not have a good impact on the game, with the former PSV midfielder seeming rusty and out of sorts for long stretches of the match.
Sangare struggled to establish himself in the midfield for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team, losing nine duels and being dribbled past four times during his 90-minute stint.
The midfielder was as awful in possession, completing only 17 passes and failing to complete a single dribble as he failed to generate chances after regaining possession.
Many fans may have been calling for Sangare to be included to the starting roster. However, his performance yesterday was forgettable, as the midfielder failed to seize the opportunity.
Nottinghamshire Live Forest journalist Sarah Clapson gave the 26-year-old a 6/10 grade for his performance at Kenilworth Road, which is surprising given that he cost the club £35 million last summer.
The man who will replace Sangare following the international break
The Reds now have a two-week break before hosting Crystal Palace at the City Ground in what will be another crucial encounter as the team seeks to secure its Premier League position.
However, after his last performance, Sangare should be relegated to the bench, with Argentine Nicolas Dominguez more than deserving of a recall.
In numerous crucial areas, both in and out of possession, Dominguez outperforms Sangare in the Premier League this season.
This season, the former Bologna midfielder leads Sangare by 0.5 tackles won per game in the league, with ball-winning being one of Sangare’s strongest traits. The former midfielder averages four tackles won per 90.
When it comes to possession, Dominguez leads Sangare by a wide margin—he completes 84% of the passes he attempts throughout the campaign, while Sangare’s total is 80%.
|
Sangare v Dominguez in the PL this season |
||
|---|---|---|
| Stats | Dominguez | Sangare |
| Tackles | 4 | 3.5 |
| Progressive Passes | 5 | 3.9 |
| Pass Completion Rate | 84% | 80% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Because of his box-to-box style, Dominguez makes more forward passes than the Ivorian, who typically prefers to regain possession before laying the ball off and letting others advance the play. His five forward passes per game are 1.1 more than the Ivorian’s.
Sangare came to the City Ground team with a great reputation and a lot of hype, but because he isn’t playing in his natural position as a “number six,” his performance is deteriorating. Nuno might be the one to unleash his potential, but sadly, the Forest devotees haven’t seen the towering treasure at his finest yet.
