Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi have both been surprisingly overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for an England call-up, but it may not be as bad as it seems for Forest fans.
In Gibbs-White’s case, especially, it seemed inevitable that Tuchel would reward him with a Three Lions call-up, but the Forest talisman was left out in place of the aging Jordan Henderson and the out-of-form Phil Foden.
Forest fans have reacted furiously to Tuchel’s England squad and the seeming continuation of selecting players on reputation over form, as both Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi are producing much stronger displays than some who have taken their place.
For the former Chelsea man, Michael Owen thought Hudson-Odoi was superb against Manchester City in what was the latest in a string of positive outings for the winger, leading to many Reds fans thinking that he had a strong claim for an England opportunity.
The frustration will be difficult to shake as Forest fans thought Hudson-Odoi deserved an England spot, but there is a positive to the news that the Reds faithful can take comfort in.
Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi can enjoy an unexpected rest after England snub
Pep Guardiola was in awe of Hudson-Odoi against City in the final match before Tuchel’s squad was announced, making it seem even more likely that he would earn a place in the national team, but it wasn’t to be.
However, with Forest fighting on two incredibly important fronts right now in the Champions League race and the FA Cup, giving the crucial cogs of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad a fortnight of rest could be a blessing in disguise.
When Hudson-Odoi was injured against Southampton, the Reds followed up with a 5-0 defeat to Fulham, which highlighted to Forest fans how important the 24-year-old is to the Forest manager’s setup up so ensuring he gets a rest ahead of the run-in will be important.
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Gibbs-White is obviously in the same boat, as any injury he could incur on international duty could derail the highly efficient attack that Espirito Santo has created with the Englishman at the heart.
Therefore, you’d think that the Portuguese coach would be somewhat happy that he can protect his stars, but his comments in the pre-match press conference for Saturday’s trip to Ipswich Town suggest otherwise.
Nuno Espirito Santo wants to see his Nottingham Forest stars on the international stage
Forest fans could see the immense relief in the face of their manager as Espirito Santo ran onto the pitch to celebrate the FA Cup win against Ipswich, but this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want to see his stars perform on the international stage as well as for Forest.
Speaking to the media in his pre-match press conference, Espirito Santo was asked about this very dilemma, but he was very strong in his answer.
He said: “Every time our players go to their national teams, we are very proud because that is one of their goals as individual players; it makes them better, and that makes them perform better for us.
‘We are very proud that not only the English players, but almost 14 of our squad will be going to national teams which is a reflection of their good work.
On the specific issue of fitness, he added: “We are very proud that they go. It’s impossible; how can you not play for your country and not feel proud of yourself? What we want is for them to return healthy!”
Clearly then, it is the opinion of the Forest coaching staff that the likes of Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi would’ve benefitted more from the experience of playing for England than the rest. It remains to be seen whether this time off will have the rejuvinating impact to change this opinion.