Lewis O’Brien, a midfielder for Nottingham Forest, was permitted to sign a loan with Middlesbrough during the summer transfer window. He got the game going in an odd way yesterday.
O’Brien was acquired by the Reds in the summer of 2022 from Huddersfield. He was a £10 million investment for the club, however after 14 Premier League games, he was left off the 25-man roster for the second half of the season.
The player was not included in Forest’s roster, therefore they loaned him to D.C. United. Wayne Rooney intended to keep him on a long-term basis, but the MLS team was unable to gather the necessary funds.
He was hired by Michael Carrick over the summer, and now he is giving him opportunities to start. After their first victory of the season yesterday, the local media gave their opinion on how he was used as a left-sided wing-back.
He received a 6/10 rating from Teesside Live, which stated: “Lost Armstrong for Southampton’s goal, but O’Brien played alright in his role as a makeshift left-back, especially in attack. On that flank, it occasionally resembled last season more than it had during the season.
O’Brien, owned by Forest, is being used in an odd way.
It appears from the comments that this may have worked yesterday. However, playing O’Brien in such an awkward position by Carrick still seems like a strange choice.
At Huddersfield, the player was a standout center midfielder. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out at Forest because he was one of the top players in that position in the Championship.
It’s wonderful to see him emerging, though, as a beloved figure among the supporters and in the locker room. It will be exciting to see how O’Brien develops this season, and he will be grateful just to be playing again.
