Thomas Tuchel has been told he made the wrong call on Morgan Gibbs White with Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira insisting his midfield ace has “the quality and the character” to be in the England squad after another match winning display against Tottenham.
Gibbs White was the star of the show as Forest battered their relegation rivals 3-0 in the capital, scoring one and running the show from start to finish. Yet when Tuchel named his 35 man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan last week, the 26 year old’s name was nowhere to be seen.
Teammate Elliot Anderson appears to have leapfrogged him in the pecking order, looking a shoo in for a spot on the plane to this summer’s World Cup. Gibbs White, meanwhile, is left fighting for his international future.
Pereira didn’t hold back when asked about the snub.
“He deserves the national team, but it is not my decision,” the Forest boss said. “It is a decision of the manager of the national team. Of course I respect it, but in my opinion he has the quality and the character to be there.
“He is a fantastic player. He can do everything in the game. He tries to help the team defend, he is intelligent with closing the spaces, he is a danger on the counterattack and a danger when we play with the ball, he gets assists and he scores goals.
“What else can I say? He is a strong character and a leader.”
Pereira admitted the snub had left his star man hurting but backed him to use it as fuel.
“He is a little bit sad and disappointed in this moment, of course. But these are the moments in our lives when we need to be stronger and come back to the fight.”
Gibbs White responded in the best possible way at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi also got on the scoresheet as Forest tore into a side they are now locked in a relegation scrap with. The result lifted them above Spurs in the table and three points clear of the drop zone with seven games to play.
It was a statement win. And Gibbs White was at the heart of it all just as he has been for much of a season where he’s single handedly dragged Forest towards safety.
Pereira, meanwhile, had more good news after the final whistle. Last season’s top scorer Chris Wood is nearing a return after four months out with a knee injury. The striker made his comeback for the Under 21s last Friday and is expected to be back in contention after the international break.
“Now we have time for him to start working with the team and to increase his level and his confidence,” Pereira added. “I think he will be able to help us in the next games.”
For Gibbs White, the challenge now is to force Tuchel’s hand. The World Cup is looming. And if he keeps producing performances like the one against Spurs, the England boss won’t be able to ignore him for much longer.
Pereira, for one, has no doubt.
“What else can I say?” he said. “He is a strong character and a leader.”
Sometimes that says it all.
