"Time is running out" for Emmanuel Dennis at Nottingham Forest and he "only has himself to blame", according to BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher.
The Nigerian striker is reportedly in line to leave the City Ground during the January transfer window - just five months after arriving at the club. The 25 year-old joined the Reds from Watford in a deal worth an initial £10 million plus add-ons, but has struggled to pin down a starting spot under manager Steve Cooper.
Dennis has been 'made available' for transfer this month, with The Telegraph reporting that he allegedly "infuriated coaching staff for his part in the home team’s third goal" as Forest suffered a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United on 27 December. The player's situation is complicated by the fact he can only move abroad as he has already played for two English clubs this season.
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Fletcher believes that Dennis has not lived up to the hype since making the move to the East Midlands. The man who once took down Real Madrid in their own stadium is, he tells the Garibaldi Red podcast, too much of a "maverick" to find a place in Cooper's structure.
"Look, I think if you're gonna give anybody a run of games, you've got to trust them as a player and there's clearly no trust between the management team, the staff and what they're going to get from him when he's on the pitch. If he starts the game, he doesn't finish it, if he comes on and then he rarely makes an impact," he said.
"I think for him to get five or six games in the team, he's got to give the manager a reason to give him five or six games in the team. I don't see the application.
"The mistake he made at Old Trafford was an awful mistake to make. They were still in the game at that point, make it 2-1 and you might nick something. To play that pass at that stage the way the team had been set up that night is unforgivable.
"And if you're gonna come in and play like a freelancer and a maverick in a team that can't operate that way, then there is no role for you. You've got to play within the fabric of the team and everybody at the moment is playing within the fabric of the team.
"It's a very methodical approach that Steve has as a manager. He watches a lot of film, he does a lot of analysis. The analysis team works a lot in terms of putting game plans together. You then need to rely on the ten outfield players to carry out the plan and if one of your colleagues is going in a different direction, you've got a problem.
"I'm afraid this is not down to ability. I don't think it's down to talent. I think this is down to application and being able to do what he's told to do when he gets on the pitch. And I think if he did more of that, he's have half a chance of getting a run of games.
"But if he's going to play off the cuff and do what he wants to do every time he goes out the pitch, he's gonna stick out like a sore thumb, which is what he is. And I don't think he's helped himself at all.
"Talented player, can score goals. Saw him rip Real Madrid apart in a Champions League match in the Bernabeu with Brugge, you wouldn't have thought it was the same fella. This is on him, time is running out for him and I think he's only got himself to blame."
Does Dennis have a future with Forest? Let us know in the comments below!
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