Forest Manager: Awoniyi Needs Quality Crosses to Score Goals

Sean Dyche, manager of Nottingham Forest, says Taiwo Awoniyi requires “quality crosses” into the box to unlock his full goal-scoring potential.

Speaking with Nottinghamshire Live, Dyche emphasised that Awoniyi’s style is distinct from his fellow strikers at the club. “Taiwo is slightly different. He can hold it up and get it in the box, but you have to get quality into the box,” said Dyche.

Dyche cited a recent encounter with AFC Bournemouth as an example of where the team failed to deliver adequate service from wide positions: “We were in terrific areas to cross it from and yet we didn’t do that.”

Referring to an earlier game against FC Porto, Dyche pointed out that a well-placed cross led to a penalty “We put a cross into the right area against Porto and got a penalty. It is not always about a clean goal, it is also about the scruffy ones.”

Dyche’s remarks came in the context of squad rotation, with strikers Igor Jesus suspended and others, including Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha, unavailable for the Europa League squad. “Igor was obviously suspended… we’ve got the three players (Taiwo Awoniyi, Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha) who are not part of the Europa League group. That’s challenging in itself,” Dyche added.

Editorial

There are few things more revealing in football than the way a manager describes a player’s prerequisites. Dyche’s focus on “quality crosses” for Taiwo Awoniyi is as much a tactical diagnosis as it is an identity check. It implies that Awoniyi is not the archetypal poacher rather, he thrives when the service aligns with his attributes.

Awoniyi’s profile is clear strong, physical, capable of hold-up play, and an instinctive presence in the box. Yet the Premier League demands more than instinct it demands a system that enables that instinct. Dyche underscores that service from wide and attacking areas is not optional it is essential for Awoniyi to deliver.

The broader narrative is this Nottingham Forest, returning to European competition, are operating in a heightened arena. The margins are narrower, the demands greater. In that sense, Dyche’s message is as much to the squad as it is to his Nigerian forward. It tells the wide players, the midfielders, the whole attacking line the plan must include delivery for Awoniyi.

For Nigerian football watchers, the implications are two-fold. First, it confirms that Awoniyi is locked into a role defined by his physical and positional strengths. That is a positive affirmation of his value. But second, it highlights that his success is contingent on the collective on movement, on service, on strategic alignment. A striker of talent cannot operate in isolation.

Ultimately, this is a moment of truth. The service will come the crosses will arrive but will Awoniyi convert? The Premier League has ruthless answers. A goal will not only validate Dyche’s faith but also transition Awoniyi from promise to performance. If the crosses find him and he finishes then the season may change significantly for Forest and for Nigeria’s leading man.

Did You Know?

1. Taiwo Awoniyi cost Nottingham Forest a reported ~£17.5 million when he transferred from Union Berlin in 2023.
2. In his first season for Forest, Awoniyi scored 10 Premier League goals, but his following campaign saw a significant drop in goals and playing time.
3. Forest scored only 13 league goals in a stretch this season, the second‐fewest in the Premier League at that time  illustrating how Awoniyi’s output is intertwined with the team’s attacking support.
4. The cross that Dyche referenced to produce a penalty came from a match against FC Porto in a European fixture, where Awoniyi’s positioning and aerial presence were crucial.
5. Dyche’s statement reveals a shift in Forest’s tactical emphasis: not just to accumulate shots, but to focus on the quality of service into the box particularly relevant for a striker like Awoniyi whose strengths lie in finishing and presence rather than constant movement.