Forest boss Karanka unsure about the future for impressive Tomlin
Posted Sunday, February 25, 2018 by PA
Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka said he was unsure about Lee Tomlin’s future after the playmaker scored twice in a 5-2 win at QPR.
Tomlin, who previously played under Karanka at Middlesbrough, has now scored three times since arriving on loan from Sky Bet Championship rivals Cardiff last month.
Asked if there was any prospect of a permanent move this summer, Karanka said: “I don’t know yet. He’s a player I like but we just need to keep going, keep thinking about our task. He is a Cardiff player and we will see.”
The Spaniard added: “When you know the manager and you know the style everything is easier.
“I’m really pleased because he’s a player who sometimes creates doubts about him but with me he’s playing really well. We need to give him time – but I know him.”
After Tomlin’s brace, Joe Lolley made it 3-0 before Massimo Luongo pulled a goal back, only for Matty Cash to restore Forest’s three-goal advantage.
Matt Smith reduced the deficit before Ben Brereton scored an injury-time fifth for Karanka’s side.
The clinical display emphatically ended Forest’s goal drought – they had failed to score in eight of their previous 10 league matches.
Karanka insisted: “I wasn’t concerned. One day it will arrive – and today has been the best example.
“The team has been aggressive on the pitch and, when we have chances, some days we will miss but some days we will score.
“I told the players before the game that today should be a reflection of the improvement of the team.
“There has been an improvement and today there was the perfect mixture; we were organised on the pitch, aggressive and confident. It’s the way that we have to keep playing.”
QPR manager Ian Holloway was left stunned by the poor defending in the build-up to all five Forest goals.
“We started so edgy it was unreal,” said Holloway, whose side lost 4-0 at Forest in November.
“I could almost feel people hesitating when the ball dropped instead of going and snapping onto it like we have been – and we’ve done all season, to be fair, particularly at home.
“Everything we talk about, nobody did. I’ve watched all the goals and it’s horrendous – the same mistakes for every single one.
“It’s inexplicable because we practised it yesterday and they did it very well. It’s all about producing it in the arena.
“The lads who’ve been doing really well for us didn’t have a good game. They didn’t do what they’ve been doing. They didn’t press and close.
“The basic principles we’ve talked about while I’ve been here, they’ve normally done really well. That was as bad as I’ve seen.
“How many times you seen anybody, with the ball squared to them, and my team not in their face like a crazed raccoon around a bin?
“Every goal I’ve just watched, the ball was squared or played slightly forward and then that fella could play forward again.
“He wasn’t forced to play square or backwards. He wasn’t attacked in an aggressive way.”
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