Nottingham Forest legend Garry Birtles has picked out Felipe for praise after the Reds beat West Ham at the weekend.
The pundit was speaking on the Forest Focus podcast.
So, what has Birtles had to say about Forest defender Felipe? Let’s take a closer look…
What Garry Birtles has said about Forest centre-back Felipe
It seems that Birtles is a huge Felipe admirer, and his return to the Forest squad last weekend was quite beneficial.
Felipe made his Reds debut after making a 12-minute appearance in a 1-1 tie with Wolves back in December.
Despite sitting on the bench for the previous three games, he had not performed well in any of them.
Felipe has only made five appearances for the Reds in 2023–24 due to his struggles with injuries this season.
When host Matt Davies questioned Birtles about who he believed to be the Man of the Match over the weekend, the former striker had no doubts.
“I think Felipe for me,” he stated to the Forest Focus podcast. He played to his abilities, marshalled everyone around him, entered the game, did nothing wrong, and simply performed all the duties one would anticipate of a center-back. He made no attempt to be clever.
“When you look at a player like that, I think it’s amazing how effortless he makes things look. He may not have done anything particularly noteworthy. He reads the game well, is adept in the air, and has a comfortable demeanour throughout.
Reds can really kick on if Felipe stays fit
Defensively, it seemed much less stressful for Forest on Saturday, and Felipe’s presence was a big part of it.
We think Birtles made the perfect choice in selecting Felipe, and he made it clear how much of a loss he has been to Forest this year.
Felipe is 34 years old, and Forest will not be able to rely on him indefinitely because his contract expires in the summer.
But for the time being, he can be of great assistance to Forest, and if he keeps healthy, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to stay in the Premier League.
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