Ibrahim Sangare has had a difficult time returning to the Nottingham Forest squad.
The Ivorian player, who cost £30 million from PSV, may have had trouble making a lasting impression on the Forest supporters, who appear to be expecting more all the time.
The defensive midfielder had a tough season last year. Steve Cooper acknowledged that he tried to help Sangare get used to the Premier League by playing him out of position, but it ended up being more of a barrier.
Sangare played maybe his best game in a Forest shirt in a 3-1 victory over Newcastle when Nuno Espirito Santo came. But shortly after, he got malaria while attending the African Cup of Nations.
Sangare was put back by that. Due to his weight loss, which affected his strength, he only made six appearances in the second part of the 2023–2024 season.
Espirito Santo started Sangare in the first three games of the 2024–25 season after he recovered some strength from a rigorous summer of practice and after those appearances, he had the most number of tackles in the Premier League.
Sangare cruelly tore his hamstring, which prevented him from playing for the remainder of the season. He returned with an assist in the team’s 7-0 victory over Brighton, and on Tuesday, he was given a start in the FA Cup match against Exeter.
Ibrahim Sangare reacts on Instagram after Forest beat Exeter
Back in the Carabao Cup, Sangare suffered penalty heartache. Newcastle might be looking forward to a final against Liverpool but had the Ivorian scored his penalty, the Magpies would have been dumped out in round two by Forest.
For the first time since August, he started a game on Tuesday. Sangare performed admirably as well, contributing a few assists to the goals that Taiwo Awoniyi and Ramon Sosa scored.
He sent a message to the fans on Instagram following the game. “Not an easy one, but happy to continue our Emirates FA Cup journey,” the midfielder remarked.
Ibrahim Sangare stats vs Exeter
His critics will point to the fact that Sangare should be playing well against a League One outfit, which isn’t wrong. However, if he’s not allowed to receive praise why didn’t every player in a Forest shirt produce a similar level of performance to Sangare?
The midfielder didn’t seem fazed by the conditions and a substandard playing surface. Instead, he rolled his sleeves up and got stuck into Exeter, proving useful in and out of possession.
Sangare’s fouls are the main cause for concern. The Forest head coach will work to address the issue going forward because they do intrude into his game far too frequently.
A valuable player for the Forest ranks is Sangare. Although he is a defense-minded midfielder by nature, the Reds are also greatly benefiting from the fact that he is beginning to play some.
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