'It's not fun': £15m man explains why he is frustrated with Nottingham Forest role
Yesterday at 01:30 PM
As Nottingham Forest prepare to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, one member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad is not exactly thrilled with the role he is playing.
And, if Nuno adopts the same tactic with which Nottingham Forest claimed a famous victory over Liverpool at Anfield, the £15 million man might find himself on the bench again during Sunday’s early kick-off.
Well, initially, at least.
Anthony Elanga had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he fired past Robert Sanchez to secure Nottingham Forest’s first three-point haul at Stamford Bridge since 1995 in September of last year.
Thirteen months on, Elanga could again find himself occupying a supersub role.
Nuno set up Forest with an organised four-man midfield away to Liverpool before introducing the speedy winger – Elanga has been clocked as the second-fastest player in the Premier League – and eventual matchwinner Callum Hudson-Odoi when the game became stretched late on.
But, while Elanga understands that he can do nothing but accept his manager’s decision, the former Manchester United attacker is keen to avoid making his ‘supersub’ role a regular one.
Anthony Elanga frustrated with Nottingham Forest role
“Of course, it’s not fun when you’re on the bench. I think all footballers can relate to that. But you have got to be able to control the controllables,” Elanga says on BBC Radio Nottingham’s Shut Up And Show More Football podcast.
“It’s what you do on the pitch, whether you get 30 minutes or 45. But I think all footballers would say they want to start from the get-go. It’s the manager’s choice at the end of the day and we can only go off what we does and the game plan he has.
“As players on the bench, [the important thing is to] focus on making an impact. He’s got a point. We do need everyone in the squad. When you’re on the bench, you have to come on and make an impact.
“For us attackers and wingers, we need that momentum. The more games we play, the more you improve and score more goals and make more assists.
“But it’s the manager’s choice at the end of the day.”
Elanga and Hudson-Odoi – the latter hoping to face his former club as Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hails the strength in depth at Nottingham Forest’s disposal – have each started four of six league games so far in 2024/25.
Elanga featured for only the first half the last time he was included in Nuno’s XI, in that 2-2 draw with Brighton which saw Morgan Gibbs-White pick up a one-game ban from which the England international will return against Chelsea.
Whatever team Nuno picks, meanwhile, Elanga is hoping to see Forest show enough ambition to pursue a second scalp of the Premier League campaign.
Elanga urges Forest to repeat Liverpool shock against Chelsea
“Hopefully, we can go there, just be brave and believe we can go there and win,” he adds. “I feel like we’ve got the players to do so.
“We respect Chelsea, they’ve had a great start to their season. But it’s important we stick to what we know best and try to play our game. Hopefully, we can get three points
“It’s been a fairly good start to the season,” the Sweden international adds. “We’ve had a few games where we could have finished teams off but it’s still early doors. We’ve still got so many more games to go, and I feel like we’re on a good path.
“We’ve done well with clean sheets so far but we can do even better. We’re not the finished article. We can always improve and I feel like we will.
“We’re attacking together and defending well together. The biggest game that showed that was at Liverpool. We defended well and then myself and Callum came off the bench and created a goal.”
