Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Sean Dyche's Reds beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at the City Ground
Seeing past price tags has been a point regularly emphasised by head coach Sean Dyche since his appointment at Nottingham Forest.
It has been a comment made in reference to the likes of Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee. Both players signed for the Reds in the summer for considerable fees - the former for a hefty £37.5 million from Ipswich Town and McAtee for £30m from Manchester City.
Both have found the going a little tough early on in their Forest careers. The picture has improved for Hutchinson in recent weeks but he had to be patient when it came to waiting for his Premier League breakthrough in the Garibaldi. McAtee, meanwhile, is still yet to spark into life for the Reds.
Dyche has repeatedly emphasised how it can take time for players to find their feet at new clubs. He has spoken about how spending significant sums on individuals doesn’t necessarily mean they will immediately make an impact.
Ibrahim Sangare is a case in point. The midfielder would no doubt agree with Dyche’s comments.
Forest signed him for £30m in the summer of 2023 but he didn’t exactly hit the ground running. There were various factors behind that, but there is no question he is now starting to show what he is about.
Sangare has been in top form under Dyche. He was excellent once again as Tottenham Hotspur were seen off 3-0 at the City Ground.
He could have opened the scoring himself with a header that hit the post. But it was thanks to the 28-year-old’s hard work that the breakthrough was finally made in the 29th minute as he teed up Callum Hudson-Odoi. Sangare was congratulated by his teammates almost as much as the goalscorer himself after that.
He notched up another assist after the break, passing to Hudson-Odoi before he made it 2-0 with a cross-shot. The winger then repaid the favour 10 minutes before time for Sangare to put the gloss on a superb afternoon.
This fixture was Sangare’s final outing before he links up with Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations. He signed off in style with an outstanding individual performance amid a terrific team display.
It was the type of outing that shows how much he will be missed by Forest while he was absent. And it also showed how some players can benefit from being given time - something some of the Reds’ summer signings might take comfort from.