Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper gave not one but two outcasts the opportunity to shine for the East Midlands side yesterday as they fell to a 2-0 away defeat to Middlesbrough.

Xande Silva made just his second appearance for Forest at the Riverside, coming on just after the hour mark for Philip Zinckernagel but not being able to get Cooper's men back into the game despite hitting the post shortly before stoppage time.

He was widely praised for his performance on Teesside by many Forest fans though, giving the second-tier side's manager a real selection dilemma and another option either out wide or up top, with this versatility potentially crucial to his future first-team chances for the remainder of the season.

 

 

It remains to be seen whether he will be a more regular part of their first-team squad now, a likely prospect with injuries, suspensions and Covid cases starting to rise.

Another player that was given an opportunity to make his mark was Joao Carvalho, a big-money signing that hasn't been fancied by multiple Forest managers of the past but came on for centre-back Tobias Figueiredo at half-time in a bid to change their formation and fortunes.

The former Portugal youth international arrived at the City Ground in 2018 for a £13.2m fee - but it looks as though his days are numbered at the club with the midfield options the second-tier side have at their disposal.

He was given a chance yesterday though - and a very mixed fan verdict emerged regarding his current situation after the final whistle.

We take a look at what Forest supporters had to say on Twitter below.