Nicolás Domínguez

Domínguez plays the unglamorous parts of central midfield, closing down the man in possession before a teammate even has to shout for pressure. He gets back behind the ball the moment Forest lose it, without needing to be told twice. He rarely dominates a match through passing range or vision, but the ground he covers lets Forest press higher than the shape alone would suggest.

That work rate raises an obvious question about end product. A midfielder built to cover every blade of grass is not usually the one supplying the final pass or arriving in the box himself. Forest fans have learned to value what he takes away from opponents rather than what he adds in the final third, a different kind of appreciation entirely. Coaches tend to describe that kind of contribution as the glue holding a busier midfield together.