Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo has disclosed what Taiwo Awoniyi must do to rebuild his confidence following a challenging start to the 2024–2025 campaign.
Awoniyi has not been getting much playing time this season, with only one start in the Premier League and a total of 169 minutes in all competitions, as Chris Wood is indispensable due to his red-hot form.
The Nigerian striker, who also struggled with fitness last season—missing 46 games through injuries—has found it hard to make an impact despite staying fit this season.
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Espirito on how Awoniyi would regain confidence
He is yet to find the back of the net this season, and Espírito Santo stated that all the striker needs to regain confidence is just one goal to build momentum.
“It’s his fitness, his confidence and he is looking for his goal,” the 50-year-old manager said in quotes relayed by Nottinghamshire Live.
“Everything changes in the mindset of a striker when you score; suddenly everything comes. We are waiting for this click. We trust him.”
Espírito Santo added that although Awoniyi was improving earlier in the season, he had a setback during the October international break while representing the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
However, the Portuguese manager expressed satisfaction with the Nigerian’s performance during last weekend’s game against Arsenal.
The Tricky Trees host Ipswich Town this weekend, and while Awoniyi is unlikely to start, he will be hoping for some minutes as he seeks his first goal of the 2024-2025 campaign.
