OPINION
The arrival of experienced midfielder Claudio Yacob at Nottingham Forest must finally see Ben Watson axed from Aitor Karanka’s first-team on a regular basis.
The Championship outfit confirmed via their official website on Thursday that the 33-year-old midfield enforcer had signed a two-year deal with the club after leaving West Bromwich Albion in the summer.
Yacob, who can be deployed in the heart of a side’s midfield or sit just in front of the defence, looks like being a very promising signing as he previously proved his abilities in the Premier League on a regular basis.
The experienced midfielder has featured 175 times in England’s top-flight during his career and it’s easy to see that he could be an asset to Forest as they aim to get promoted from the Championship.
However the best news regarding Forest’ latest arrival is that now that Karanka has him in his squad than Watson can finally be dropped on a regular basis.
The 5ft 8in tall midfielder (Source: Transfermarkt) has been a liability for his side as he doesn’t appear to bring much to the table and has been ineffective in the six outings he has made this season so far.
Arguably Watson’s biggest, and perhaps only strength at this point, is his experience but with the very experienced Yacob available to call upon then that attribute shouldn’t guarantee him a place in Karanka’s starting line-up.
Watson was particularly woeful for Forest during the 2-2 draw with Birmingham City as he practically allowed his opponents to bypass him on their way to goal.
The midfielder’s lack of impact, defensively and attacking wise, has seen him become a liability that Forest can’t afford to carry if they’re serious about promotion.
Therefore following the arrival of Yacob at the club, Watson is finally able to be axed.