Joe Worrall

Joe Worrall has been the subject of debate on social media recently, with some fans critical of his performance at Premier League level. What is this criticism? Is it justified? And does the Forest captain need moving to the middle of the back three?

Since his debut in 2016, Worrall has pulled on the garibaldi 183 times, helping lead the club back to The Premier League. He has established himself as the right-sided central defender in Steve Cooper’s preferred 3-4-1-2 system.

Most Forest fans appear supportive of their captain, however there have been rumblings on social media since the Newcastle defeat, and the odd analysis piece, suggesting to various extents that Worrall is not good enough for this level.

I've not seen abuse – apart from an extreme minority tagging in and messaging Worrall on Twitter telling him he isn’t good enough there has been nothing disrespectful similar to what other homegrown talent such as Ryan Yates and Ben Osborn endured.

A lot of the criticism is non specific, however the most angst appears to concern Worrall’s perceived lack of pace, which has been exposed when facing the likes of Allan St Maximin, Said Benhrama and Demari Gray.

At times the Forest captain has found himself isolated one on one against these marauding wingers, with difficult decisions to make. Generally he has given them a lot of space and defended conservatively, allowing them access to the ball and to bring it forward, often into dangerous positions.

Worrall lacks explosive pace when compared to these wingers, and we've seen him defend more carefully throughout his career due to this. This is part of being a central defender - to cope with other duties their bodies are not built with the acceleration of a flying winger, so they have to defend in a certain manner, as Worrall does.

He has made errors in this situation - the most highlighted one being diving in during the run up to West Ham's penalty. We have seen him looking uncomfortable facing elite forwards at times during the first three games in The Premier League.

However, when using a back three and pushing your wing-back forward as Forest do, against good teams, the central defender on that side is going to become isolated against these attackers a lot, and due to their quality is going to be at a disadvantage.

It simply isn't realistic to demand the defender put in perfect performances in this situation. Whoever they are, they are going to have to compromise, be made to look clumsy and uncomfortable at times, and be beaten. The attackers are just too dangerous at this level.

To illustrate the point, look at what St Maximin did to England internationals John Stones and Kyle Walker at the weekend - they were roasted just as much as Worrall was by the Frenchman.

He's also been criticised for the goal against Everton. This was a disappointing goal to concede, with the Toffees goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, playing a ball straight over the top for Gray to score. However it is not one Worrall should be singled out for.

The main cause of this goal was Forest allowing a modern goalkeeper like Pickford time on the ball while playing a high defensive line. The space in behind the defenders was a tempting target for pacey attackers to run into, and by the time Pickford had made the pass the winger was already at full speed, sprinting through before the central defenders could recognise the danger, turn and track his run.

That is not to be too critical of Forest pressing up the pitch either - we all worry when Forest sit too deep. They were trying to squeeze play and not allow space in Everton's midfield - The reds just got it wrong in this situation, but at this level nobody gets it right for ninety minutes. 

I've seen analysis on You Tube of this goal, which I enjoyed watching but respectfully disagree with. The content creator (Wolverine) accurately points out that Worrall was tracking Everton forward Anthony Gordon. He suggests Worrall shouldn't have been concerned with Gordon, he should instead have dealt with the run of Grey.

This assessment does not take into account the Forest system. 

We know that Cooper likes the wide central defenders to take responsibility for stepping out to deal with players creating an overload in front of the defence. I pointed out a good example of this in my Newcastle article of St Maximin running across, prompting McKenna to step out.

These preventative actions by the defenders leave gaps behind them, however it is acceptable within the system as it generally gives the defence more time to deal with the problem. Good teams sometimes take advantage, but that is life at this level.

As Forest improved last season, we saw Worrall and McKenna stepping out a lot - this is part of playing with three defenders, and in Cooper's system in most situations it is the wide defender's job. So on this occasion it is harsh to suggest Worrall should not have been tracking Gordon. Giving defenders multiple problems is what elite teams do. 

The main cause of this goal was not Worrall's lack of awareness or decision making, it was Forest as a team not pressing Pickford while employing a high line.

Wolverine is also concerned with Worrall's ball-watching; I believe this to be harsh too. He highlights Salomon Rondon creating a yard of space while the Forest captain is watching the ball, however this is just good movement. The defender has to know what the ball is doing and cannot be expected to watch both the attacker and ball. This is another case of the defender having two jobs to do at once, while not ideal this is just a normal defensive problem we see dozens of times every game.

If you're into You Tube content, give Wolverine a watch. I may disagree with his analysis this time but he explains it well and produces regular, entertaining videos.

Worrall has not defended perfectly, however a lot of this criticism is similar in a way to that I found myself constantly having to debunk with Ryan Yates. There is an element of truth, however sometimes people are hypercritical, expecting the player to do things that other players in his position are not doing either.

Forest have defended well so far. They have stepped up to a higher level, and are using a system which is currently inviting a lot of pressure. The Forest captain has been at the heart of this defensive effort and deserves credit for the team's performance.

It's been suggested that Worrall may be more comfortable if moved to the middle - this may not happen due to his essential job within Cooper's system when Forest have the ball.

Cooper likes his defence to play the ball forward. Forest do play direct from the keeper, however they will play the ball through the central defenders when possible. Worrall is key to this. He is a modern defender capable of breaking the lines with his passing.

This is best done from wider positions, due to the pressing of opposition teams - the wider defenders usually have slightly more time on the ball, and are in a better position to play forward effectively.

Worrall is The Reds' best defender in possession; his forward passing is the best and he gives the ball away the least. 

When Forest have the ball, Cooper also uses his wide defenders to go forward and create overloads, further increasing Worall's importance.

We saw Worrall and McKenna doing this throughout the second half of last season. The extra man at the back was turned into a weapon which opposition defenders did not have time to deal with. Not every defender can do this - it requires ability to be involved on the ball.

Interestingly, they do this in different ways, which gives the opposition differing problems. While McKenna makes Pearcesque runs into the penalty area, Worrall likes to dash into pockets of space and help develop play.

This is essential to our 3-4-1-2 system and moving Worrall to the middle would damage it's effectiveness.

So while criticism of our players is fine, it has to be accurate and reasonable - football is all about opinions and I feel some have been hypercritical of Worrall this season. It is easy to pick apart any player's game, but we should remember that at this level it is normal for teams to be dismantled defensively at some stage.

And this player , as well as leading a successful defence, offers so much on the ball. Cooper needs him in that wide berth, or the system will have to change.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City loom threateningly on the horizon. Son Heung-Min, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland - these players are another step up. We should not allow ourselves to become alarmed when adversity strikes. We all need to hold our nerve.