Former Nottingham Forest coach Ian McParland believes Brice Samba's form dipped in the second half of last season and says a top goalkeeper is a must for any team chasing success.
Reds boss Sabri Lamouchi today reaffirmed that Samba was his number one choice in a week which had seen stories emerge that suggested the arrival of Senegal stopper Abdoulaye Diallo had put his place under threat.
But speaking on Notts TV's Team Talk programme, however, McParland felt that in the second half of last season, Samba was not reaching the levels of quality he had demonstrated in the first part of the campaign.
“All the teams who have a top goalkeeper do well,” said McParland.
“At the start of last season, I thought Brice Samba got Nottingham Forest about seven points before Christmas.
“He made some fantastic saves, he was keeping them in games, and he gained them points.
“These top goalies over the season can get you about 14-15 points.
“In the first part of the season, he was doing his job.
“In the second, it dipped.
“It’s massive to have a real top goalie if you are going to achieve anything.”
