There’s been no shortage of transfer business at Nottingham Forest in the last year or so, both under Aitor Karanka and more recently Martin O’Neill.
Among all those signings, there has been one man who has impressed me, and that’s Yohan Benalouane.
He’s clearly got experience of the top level, having played in the Premier League with Leicester City, and he’s been a real shining light since O’Neill made him his first signing as manager back in January.
The Tunisian has come into the club and hit the ground running, he’s leading by example and is clearly loving what he’s doing.
He does what I love to see defenders doing and that’s heading the ball properly. He doesn’t take chances and that’s what you need.
Keep it simple.
He might be a bit hot-headed at times and that’s something he’s already admitted that he’s trying to control, but that’s part of his make-up, you sometimes have to accept it.
It’s a bit like the situation with Jack Colback.
He’s already on 14 bookings for the Championship season and one more would see him miss three games.
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Yes, it will be frustrating and some of those bookings could have been avoided, but part of what makes players like Colback and Benalouane so pivotal is the way they play on the edge, their combative nature, and when you sign a player like that, there’s an element of accepting both sides of it.
You may have to compromise on the odd bit of silliness, or indiscipline, to keep that player playing at their best which involves a bit of devilment.
And it’s that bit of devilment that Forest have been missing in previous years. At least now you know they’ll stand up for themselves and won’t be outbattled.
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That type of spirit is crucial to having a close-knit dressing room and that in turn can bring its own success, whether that be this term or next.
