Pundit Richard Keys has waded in amid the fallout from Nottingham Forest’s 5-0 hammering at Arsenal on Sunday.
The TV presenter has rarely held back when it comes to his comments on the Reds, or on Jesse Lingard for that matter. And the former Manchester United man was on the receiving end of a scathing remark after the weekend’s defeat.
Lingard was one of 22 signings made by Forest during the summer transfer window as they prepared for life in the Premier League. He made the move as a free agent, but was the most high-profile of all the recruits.
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Having arrived amid plenty of expectation, he has struggled to make an impact so far this season, however. And, like the rest of his teammates, he endured a difficult afternoon at the Emirates Stadium.
Keys posted on Twitter: “At least Jesse can say ‘it was only 3 when I went off’.” It came with reference to Lingard being substituted in the 56th minute against the Gunners.
The 29-year-old had been wasteful with two good chances in the first half. His second effort, from close-range, was thwarted by a block from Ben White, with Steve Cooper ’s side still just 1-0 down at the time.
A second half collapse destroyed any hopes they had of trying to get something from the game, however. Forest conceded three goals in the space of eight minutes to hand the Gunners victory.
Lingard was hooked just before Thomas Partey bagged the hosts’ fourth. He took a lot of stick from the home crowd as he departed. He was not alone in putting in a poor performance, though, with Cooper admitting his team had fallen well short of expected standards.
The Reds have the chance to bounce back from that humbling with a run of home games before the World Cup break. They host Brentford and Crystal Palace in the league, either side of a Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
What have you made of Lingard so far? Have your say in the comments below
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