Club record signing Joao Carvalho has proved to be a “hit” for Nottingham Forest this season, according to a fans’ poll.
The Portuguese made the move to the City Ground last summer in a 15m euro deal from Benfica and racked up 41 appearances, as well as five goals, in his first campaign in English football.
Most recently, he put in a captivating man of the match display in the 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough, and it seems supporters have been impressed with how the 22-year-old has settled in on the banks of the Trent.
We asked fans to decide on whether Reds players had been a “hit” or a “miss” this term, and 94 percent of those who voted said Carvalho had been the former.
The voting was almost unanimous for the club’s Player of the Season, Joe Lolley, with 99 percent declaring this season has been a success for the winger.
And Newcastle United loanee Jack Colback wasn’t far behind as 97 percent of voters deemed the midfielder a “hit”.
Defenders Alexander Milosevic and Jack Robinson were also heavily backed, both with 96 percent, while 90 percent of voters gave top scorer Lewis Grabban a thumbs up.
Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon (84 percent) and youngsters Ryan Yates (91) and Arvin Appiah (71) also did well in the poll.
By contrast, just two percent felt Wolves loanee Leo Bonatini, who made just five appearances, had done well, while midfielder Liam Bridcutt’s lack of game time also saw him get the thumbs down.
Supporters were clearly divided over how back-up stopper Luke Steele and striker Karim Ansarifard had fared when given their chances, with 46 and 45 percent declaring them a “hit”.
Here’s how the full Forest squad fared, with the percentage of those who voted them a “hit”:
Joe Lolley (99 percent); Jack Colback (97); Alexander Milosevic (96); Jack Robinson (96); Joao Carvalho (94); Ryan Yates (91); Lewis Grabban (90); Costel Pantilimon (84); Matty Cash (81); Ben Osborn (81); Sam Byram (81); Molla Wague (77); Yohan Benalouane (75); Claudio Yacob (72); Arvin Appiah (71); Tobias Figueiredo (68); Tendayi Darikwa (64).
Luke Steele (46); Karim Ansarifard (45); Pele (39); Michael Dawson (37); Daryl Murphy (35); Adlene Guedioura (33); Hillal Soudani (17); Saidy Janko (14); Ben Watson (9); Michael Hefele (9); Diogo Goncalves (6); Liam Bridcutt (4); Leo Bonatini (2).
