Martin Keown questions Ange Postecoglou training methods as Sean Dyche says Nottingham Forest players need to 'get fit' after cramping up in Austria

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Nottingham Forest were forced to share a 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz after Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty in Austria. Sean Dyche named a youthful substitutes' bench due to injury problems. The Forest boss was concerned to see a number of players have to come off the field early due to cramp. TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown questioned previous manager Ange Postecoglou's fitness methods.

'Forest blow the chance to take the lead' - Gibbs-White penalty saved

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Sean Dyche says his Nottingham Forest players need to get fit if they are going to be able to compete this season and TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown has suggested the blame lies with the club’s previous manager.

Keown was left questioning Ange Postecoglou’s training methods as a number of Forest players struggled with cramp during their goalless draw with Sturm Graz in the UEFA Europa League.

James McAtee and Arnaud Kalimuendo were both taken off during the second half in Austria after struggling physically as the match went on.

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Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Dyche said: "Players need minutes. They need to get fit, match fit. Macca's [James McAtee's] come off with cramp.

"He's fit, he's looked after himself but match fit is a different thing, particularly playing at good levels like this."

Keown was unimpressed by the players struggling with fitness three months into the season.

Highlights: Gibbs-White misses penalty as Forest held in Graz

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After McAtee was substituted, the former Arsenal defender commented: "It seemed the obvious change, obviously he's got cramp. [When] you're not playing that much football, you're relying on the training to be top level. Was that happening under the previous manager?

"It's conditioning and that's minutes now under the bonnet which will bode well going forward. There's just question marks around the group.

"Sean Dyche trying to make them fitter, make them stronger. Asking them to do different things in his tactics. It does look a bit flat here, Forest, in terms of their work rate."

Kalimuendo left the field shortly after which added further validation to Keown’s earlier assessment of the Forest squad.

"I think that's a little bit of a red flag as well, run out of steam," Keown said.

"Again, this is just another fitness thing. These are all things I think Dyche is inheriting.

"Both players who've come off, besieged with cramp."

Forest had chances to win the match with Morgan Gibbs-White missing a penalty and Nicolas Dominguez denied a stunning goal by the crossbar.

"I think the manager will be by and largely pleased with the number of players he's got out injured [and] the team he's had to put out," Keown said in his analysis of the match.

"Although his team has been short of fitness, it's been a good night to get Gibbs-White through unscathed," he said.

Academy graduate Zach Abbott came on for the final 10 minutes and his cameo left Keown excited for the future of the teenage defender.

"This young man [Abbott] has done really well since he came on, by the way," Keown said. "Really impressed. He's handling the ball well. He's not frightened of it. A lot of players get on the ball and you see a bit of fear. That's a common problem for the modern-day player, how you overcome fear. Enjoy yourself and go and play."

As for Dyche, he told TNT Sports that his side needed to be more clinical.

"More frustrated in the sense of not scoring a goal because the first half was a very dominant performance particularly with the ball but also creating good chances," Dyche said.

"We've come here with not many options. We're having to use games to get them fit because we can't get too much work into them.

"You come away frustrated overall because I thought we were stronger overall and if we take one of them chances then the game opens up and you fancy yourselves to go and score again."

Former Forest striker Michail Antonio is impressed with how the team already looks more settled under Dyche.

Antonio: Forest players understand Dyche's game plan better than Postecoglou's

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The TNT Sports pundit thinks there has been more harmony since a change of management at the City Ground.

Antonio said: "Under Ange, I feel like the boys, it was too much of a change for them and they struggled to get around it.

"With him [Dyche], he came in and kind of plays the same kind of way that Nuno [Espirito Santo] did, so I feel like the boys understood it and already know how to do it."

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