On New Year’s Day 2022, Emmanuel Dennis was in a good place. At around the halfway point of his debut campaign in English football, the Nigeria international had eight Premier League goals to his name. He would end the season in double figures.
Those efforts were not enough to steer Watford clear of relegation danger, but he had shown that he was capable of cutting it at the very highest level. As a result, Nottingham Forest came calling when making their own step up into the English top flight.
Useful
OFFICIAL: Emmanuel Dennis has joined Nottingham Forest on permanent basis from Watford.
Back at the Prem 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/77XvLGTAF3
— Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) August 13, 2022
Big things were expected of Dennis at the City Ground, with his pace and ability to pull defenders into areas that they do not want to go considered to be useful assets in Steve Cooper’s attacking arsenal. Forest, though, found the going tough – with a survival bid going down to the wire – and online betting odds have them priced at +275 to take a tumble back down into the Championship in 2023-24.
Dennis will believe that he has something to offer that cause, but big decisions may be taken out of his hands.
There is no escaping the fact that he only managed to record two goals last season, with just six Premier League starts taken in. He can argue that a lack of regular game time prevented him from establishing the kind of momentum that any forward, at any level needs.
He found himself being asked to step off the bench and have an impact in games when the clock was running down and there was little chance of making a telling contribution. As a result, questions have been asked about his value to the collective cause in Nottingham.
Cooper has left Dennis in no doubt as to what is expected of him – along with everybody else in the Forest squad. The Reds boss has said: “I expect 100 percent commitment and high performance levels. We won’t accept anything less than that. If Dennis is involved, then, like everybody else, we expect him to do well.”
For whatever reason, the Nigerian frontman has failed to convince an expectant boss that he is capable of meeting those demands.
With that in mind, he has to start posing questions of his own when it comes to what the future could and should hold. There is little value to be found in becoming stuck in a serious rut – both as an individual and a collective.
Form
🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/91FmQIr7CY
— DENNIS BLESSED (@dennisblessed42) March 18, 2023
In many ways, with suggestions that a move into the Championship could be made, a backwards step may be no bad thing. Moving one spot in that direction may allow for two to be taken forwards once form and confidence has been fully restored.
As things stand, Dennis is in danger of going nowhere. Having moved impressively through the gears at Watford, he has become locked in neutral with Forest. With his career stalling on Trentside, hitting the clutch and slipping into reverse could be the best option when it comes to getting a foot on the career accelerator pedal once more.
