Alan Smith was taken aback by what one Nottingham Forest player did during the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday evening.
The City Ground faithful could be heard gasping in shock.
It was a party mood inside the City Ground against the Blues after Luton’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham, which all but confirmed Nottingham Forest’s Premier League position.
Despite the jubilant atmosphere, Ola Aina’s actions in the seventh minute elicited gasps.
What Ola Aina did to surprise Alan Smith and Nottingham Forest supporters
Within the first ten minutes of Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat, the Nigeria international stunned everyone with a massive throw-in.
In the seventh minute, Aina, who had previously disclosed his Chelsea allegiance, unleashed a throw into the box that Rory Delap would have been proud of, with Smith adding on Sky Sports commentary: “Might be the longest I’ve seen all season.”
With giants like Chris Wood, Moussa Niakhite, and Willy Boly waiting in the box, Nuno Espirito Santo should attempt to utilize this trait next season, like Tony Pulis did with Delap at Stoke.
It’s time for Nuno to demonstrate his skills.
To expand on the aforementioned argument, Nuno can now begin to experiment with his Nottingham Forest team and be more creative with tactics as survival is assured.
After taking over from Steve Cooper with the Garibaldi sitting 17th in the Premier League with only one win in 13 games, the Portuguese tactician couldn’t afford to take too many risks.
It was time to focus on getting the fundamentals perfect, beginning with a cohesive defensive unit.
However, now that the load is off Nottingham Forest’s shoulders, we should see fans at the City Ground express themselves more freely.
