Claudio Yacob hopes that he will be able to provide Nottingham Forest's attacking players with a platform to perform from defensive midfield.

The Argentinian was released by West Brom in the summer but has remained in English football after penning a two-year deal with the Reds during the international break.

Whilst many see him as a good player for this level, Yacob is one of many midfielders now available to Aitor Karanka, who has serious competition for places.

However, the 31-year-old will believe he can make a positive impact in this team and he told the Nottingham Post exactly what he will bring to the side:

"I think I can bring balance to the team and the opportunity, and the confidence, to the attacking midfielders and the strikers that they can play freely."

He also reckons his abilities will be perfect to give freedom to the likes of Joao Carvalho, Gil Dias and Diogo Goncalves in the final third:

"I spoke to some of them to say, what we want to do as a defensive midfielder is give them the confidence to play. They can play, no problem.

"Play one-v-one; show what you can do. Because if they lose the ball, it doesn’t matter, we will be there and we will try to recover the ball as soon as possible."

The Verdict

You need to find the right balance as a manager, and so far Karanka has failed to do that, but Yacob could be a major player in helping the side perform better as a whole.

He will do the work that may go unnoticed by supporters but the players will certainly appreciate his quality.

However, he has a real battle on his hands to win a place in the XI due to the size of the squad.

Thoughts, Forest fans? Let us know in the comments below.

[ad_pod ]