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SeasideEssexXile
Vital Football Legend
Goal number 7...
I subscribe, so here it is in full:
As one team bounced around with joy and another stumbled disconsolate and broken towards the Wembley dressing rooms, Jordan Gabriel wanted to seek out one particular opponent.
Gabriel’s Blackpool had just beaten Lincoln City 2-1 in the League One play-off final but before allowing himself to celebrate too much, the 22-year-old was keen to talk to Brennan Johnson, one of his oldest friends in football, to put a supportive arm around his shoulders before enjoying the moment himself.
“I was offering him a few consoling words. I would have expected the same from him had the shoe been on the other foot. Wembley is for winning. It cannot have been nice to be on the losing side,” Gabriel tells The Athletic. “I wanted to remind him that he has had a fantastic season. He has such a great future. He is such a bright, bright talent. He is an honour to Forest, to Lincoln and to his family.”
It will have been little consolation to Johnson at that exact moment but both men can probably look forward to playing Championship football next season — at Nottingham Forest.
They, along with fellow loanee Tyrese Fornah, who was a first-team regular with Plymouth Argyle, will be given a chance to impress in pre-season under Chris Hughton and while many miles have separated the trio geographically, they have remained in touch throughout what was an important campaign for all of them.
“It is a major positive to be able to think about all three of us potentially being part of things next season. Before we all went out on loan, we were a very tight group,” says Gabriel. “When we went out, I knew we would all support each other. There is a strong connection there. We have been in the academy for a long time together and it is a great feeling to have that bond. Having Brennan in the opposition side did make it a lot more meaningful.”
Talking to Gabriel, Johnson and Fornah, the imprint that has been left on them by an upbringing in the Nigel Doughty Academy is impossible to miss. There are unmistakable echoes of the likes of Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates and Alex Mighten. They are cut from the same cloth. Forest will hope that their production line continues, with their set-up having been granted Category One status recently following many months of hard work by academy chief Gary Brazil and his staff, as well as some significant investment.
“We have had such a great upbringing. The academy staff do not want you just to become decent professional footballers but also decent people,” says Gabriel. “You can tell that, I hope, when you look at the players who have come through.
“It is huge for the academy to get Category One status. You want to be playing against teams like Liverpool and Manchester United — you want to test yourselves against the best. For Forest to be in that kind of company would be massive. I can’t wait to go and watch the youth team play. I love those games. I like to see what the characters coming through are like. I like to see the hunger they all have. It is wonderful.
“Gary’s influence on things is huge. You look up to him. He has the experience of bringing players through, so you want to listen to everything he says because you know you will be stronger for it. It can be a harsh environment but you need that and it is always only motivation because they want to get the best out of you. We have the opportunity to be role models ourselves now because of Gary and what he has given us. He has prepared us. He has given us a way to do things so that we can set the right example.”
Gabriel’s path to first-team football has not been an easy one. He was on the periphery of the senior Forest squad under both Mark Warburton and Aitor Karanka, having been involved in pre-season training camps, but has seen his progress badly hampered by injury, most recently a knee problem.
It looked, briefly, as though Gabriel’s chance at Forest might finally have come following the sale of Matty Cash to Aston Villa for £16 million last summer. He started Forest’s first game of last season in the EFL Cup at Barnsley and made his Championship debut in a 2-0 defeat at QPR shortly afterwards. But it was decided that a loan move would be better for him and he subsequently made 24 starts and 11 sub appearances in all competitions for Blackpool.
“It was a significant thing for me to be able to get through this season without an injury. Having injuries is draining. It does kill your confidence,” says Gabriel. “That and winning promotion are two really positive things. People do not realise how you can be forgotten when you are injured. When you are doing well, you are in the limelight, but when you are out, that changes. All you have is that desire to make your mark again. Having to redo what you have already done can be a daunting prospect.
“You just have to believe that you can come back stronger, physically and mentally. I was given great support by Forest and I am grateful for that.
“To make the step up into the Championship was something so special and something I am proud to have been a part of. Coming off the bench in the play-off semi-finals was amazing. To clinch a place in the final (by beating Oxford), in front of our own fans was something I will always remember.
“It is a special game, football. That is why so many young kids dream of being a player. There are ups and downs, but if you have a strong mind, you can achieve anything you want. I am proof of that, I hope. It feels like a lot of young kids believe that playing professional football is something that is a mile out of reach but they do not realise that they could be right next door to it.”
Gabriel, who is under contract at Forest until 2024, arrived in Blackpool with a reputation for being a fine attacking full-back but with a few question marks over his defending. He believes the battle for game time that he had with the experienced Ollie Turton — who will join Huddersfield next month — has helped address this.
“I definitely feel as though I am a better player,” says Gabriel. “I feel stronger. I do feel as though I have developed as a defender. That was the main thing I had in my head at the start of this — I wanted to work on my defending. I have heard a lot of people talk about how I am athletic and can attack well but the main thing about my role is being able to defend.
“I have worked hard with Ollie. We brought out the best in each other. We did have quite a battle. We spoke about it. We agreed that it made both of us stronger. Now we are both more balanced. We have both taken something from each other. I am a much better defender and he is equipped to attack more.
“Having that drive and motivation to impress — knowing that you could not let your guard down at any point — was great. I am proud that I kept going no matter what.”
Blackpool have largely played with a back four under Neil Critchley, so Gabriel would be comfortable if he were to return to play in Hughton’s 4-2-3-1 system, and there is evidence to support his belief that he has improved.
To assess Gabriel’s playing style, we can look at his smarterscout profile — which rates various performance metrics out of 99, relating to either how often a player performs a given stylistic action or how effective they are compared with others playing in their position.
In possession, Gabriel is just above average in the amount that he looks to carry the ball from right-back (carry and dribble volume 56 out of 99). With the passes he chooses, he looks to play short, simple passes (link-up play volume 49 out of 99) more so than longer passes upfield (progressive passing 36 out of 99).
His ability to keep possession may be something of a concern but it is important to note the smarterscout algorithm does adjust such metrics for Premier League standard, so he would be less likely to be punished in possession if he did get into the Forest starting XI at Championship level.
Off the ball, Gabriel doesn’t look to make a high volume of defensive actions but when he does engage with the opponent, he does fairly well in winning the ball back for his team (defending impact 53 out of 99). One thing that Gabriel does look to do frequently is read the play and pounce on loose balls, making a high number of ball recoveries and interceptions (rated 66 out of 99).
From an attacking perspective, Gabriel has contributed well and it must be similarly noted that his contribution to his team’s chances is adjusted for Premier League standard. There is plenty to support the idea that he could slot into Hughton’s way of doing things.
“I cannot wait to get in pre-season. I am so hungry,” he says. “I have tasted promotion with Blackpool and I want the same thing at Forest. The manager has kept in touch. It is nice that I have had that communication. It has felt as though Forest have been behind me throughout.
“Now I want to compete for that place, I want to try to make that spot my own. We have been looking at going on holiday but my priority is to get back to Forest fitter and stronger. I want to make sure I am ready to give everything. I am a Forest player and that is my goal — I want to play. It is something I have been working for, for a long time. It would be great to play alongside Brennan and Tyrese.”
From an attacking perspective, Gabriel has contributed well and it must be similarly noted that his contribution to his team’s chances is adjusted for Premier League standard. There is plenty to support the idea that he could slot into Hughton’s way of doing things.
“I cannot wait to get in pre-season. I am so hungry,” he says. “I have tasted promotion with Blackpool and I want the same thing at Forest. The manager has kept in touch. It is nice that I have had that communication. It has felt as though Forest have been behind me throughout.
“Now I want to compete for that place, I want to try to make that spot my own. We have been looking at going on holiday but my priority is to get back to Forest fitter and stronger. I want to make sure I am ready to give everything. I am a Forest player and that is my goal — I want to play. It is something I have been working for, for a long time. It would be great to play alongside Brennan and Tyrese.”
Morecambe – Nat Knight-Percival, Harry Davis, Mark Halstead, Alex Kenyon, Stephen Hendrie, Liam McAlinden, A-jay Leitch-Smith, Ben Pringle, Jordan Slew, Yann Songo’o
Offered New Contracts – Toumani Diagouraga, Liam Gibson, John O’Sullivan, Kyle Letheren, Kelvin Mellor
Offered New Contracts – Toumani Diagouraga, Liam Gibson, John O’Sullivan, Kyle Letheren, Kelvin Mellor
Derby County – Scott Malone, Emmaneul Idem, Scott Carson, Jonathan Mitchell, Florian Jozefzoon, Joe Bateman, Cameron Cresswell, Bradley Foster, Harry Halwax, Jahmal Hector-Ingram, Callum Minkley, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, Josh Shonibare, George Sykes-Kenworthy, Ethan Wassall, Matthew Yates, Hugo Jinkinson, Jack Rogers
In Discussions With – Andre Wisdom, Martyn Waghorn, Jack Marriott, Curtis Davies, Henrich Ravas, Archie Brown, Festy Ebosele
In Discussions With – Andre Wisdom, Martyn Waghorn, Jack Marriott, Curtis Davies, Henrich Ravas, Archie Brown, Festy Ebosele
bfcpete
Vital Football Hero
With a decision on a points deduction still outstanding, the club sale falling through because of an alleged £60m debt, then Derby are in a shit position. Coupled to that they have Rooney as manager
inside_man
Vital Squad Member
I'd take Marriott in a heartbeat, but will be out of our price range i'm sure.
Only 10 in 81 in the Championship?
We already have better !
Signed for Morecambe.
Signed for Oxford.
Signed for Cardiff!
