Sabri Lamouchi says he will continue to work on ways to get the best out of Lewis Grabban, as he hailed the “amazing” Nottingham Forest striker as one of the best in the league.
The front man this season when he came off the bench to bag a brace in Friday night’s 2-2 draw at Millwall.
It was only the second time this term head coach Lamouchi had left him out of the starting line-up, with the Frenchman saying he needs to “protect” him.
And as the Reds prepare for successive home games this week - against Middlesbrough tomorrow night and Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday - Lamouchi wants to create more chances for Grabban to make the most of.
“It is very difficult to do much better than what he is doing now because you look at how many chances he has had and how many goals he has got,” the Forest boss said.
“He has got 10 goals, and I think it doesn’t take him more than three chances to score each one. It is just amazing.
“We try to find the right way - the right people around, the right philosophy - to help him more, because he helps us a lot.
“I am wanting more from the offensive players, not Grabbs.
“With a few chances he has scored 10 goals. Nobody in the league is as efficient as him.
“Immediately when I came in (to the club), you could see he was a striker. He was what I like - a killer inside the box.
“On Friday, he had two chances and scored two goals - the first one, immediately, with the first ball.”
Injury disrupted Grabban’s campaign last time around, but the 31-year-old has enjoyed a regular run under Lamouchi.
Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Rafa Mir was preferred up front at The Den, before being replaced by his fellow forward on the hour mark.
“It is not easy to play every game, every 90 minutes, so sometimes I need to protect him,” said Lamouchi.
“It was just the second time he didn’t start a (league) game.
“It’s a crucial time - a busy time, during the Christmas period - so we need to take care of not only him, but especially Grabbs.”
