Nottingham Forest’s players now have to carry more pressure on their shoulders than they did even 10 years ago - because of the rise of social media.
Guy Moussi knows very well about the expectation levels that are connected with pulling on the Garibaldi red, having spent six years at the club, following his signing from Angers in 2008.
The midfielder made 150 appearances for Forest and says the club’s proud history - and the desire to bring back those former glories - does place an extra burden on the shoulders of players.
But he is convinced the rise of social media - and in particular Twitter - has only added to that burden, with players now able to see exactly what fans are thinking, both before and after games.
Forest, as a club, have tried to address negativity on social media, urging the most critical fans on Twitter to get behind their team, at a time when there are numerous ambitious plans in place off the pitch, including a stadium redevelopment in the pipeline.
And Moussi feels social media does have an impact in the dressing room now, more than it ever has done before.
“There is an extra pressure there, when you pull on that red shirt, there has been for a long time,” said Moussi.
“And I would say that, compared to my time as a player, that pressure has only got greater.
“In my time, Twitter had just started, Insta had just started… we did not know what was going on, in the minds of supporters.
“I would meet fans in the city and talk to them and you got a sense of their mood at the City Ground.
“But now, with social media, you get to see this every day. There are demands every day, there is criticism every day.
“There is even more pressure now, at what is already a huge club. Players have even more pressure to handle now.”
