New Nottingham Forest signing Ibrahim Sangare may have had a disappointing debut by his usual standards, but he still ranked highly in some key areas.
The £30 million man ranked above former Red Matty Cash in combined tackles won and interceptions made, putting him in joint top throughout the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Sangare won five tackles, whilst making three interceptions with his total of eight putting him alongside Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook, Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure and Wolves’ Joao Gomes.
Whilst Cash made one more tackle than Sangare, he made two fewer interceptions – putting him below the defensive midfielder in the charts this weekend.
The Ivorian had a very solid debut on Monday night, but still left Forest fans wanting more for the £30 million transfer fee.
Like Gonzalo Montiel, it’s Sangare’s first time playing in England’s top flight so it’ll undoubtedly take time for the midfielder to settle and get up to speed with the league.
The 25-year-old looked like he was starting to fatigue towards the latter stages, but looked to form a good partnership with Orel Mangala during the earlier stages.
Another thing to note with Sangare, he’s usually utilised as the deepest player of a three-man midfield.
Steve Cooper opted for two holding midfielders in Mangala and Sangare, a system which may take time to adapt to for the Ivorian.
Despite all this, he produced some good moments and certainly showcased what he is capable of. His performance certainly should fill the Forest fanbase with confidence.
If he is producing performances like he did on Monday before he’s fully settled at the club, it is a scary prospect how good he’ll be in the coming weeks.
