LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Steve Cooper, Manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage on February 11, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
It arguably wasn’t one of the more eye-catching items of business Nottingham Forest did at the end of January, but Brandon Aguilera’s transfer to Bristol Rovers on loan was certainly eyebrow raising.
It’s not often that a Premier League player moves to League One, even on loan, and the midfielder’s move has certainly made headlines in his home country.
They are less than impressed by the switch for one of their aspirations for the future, and there has been a concerted effort to portray it positively ever since, with La Nacion joining in today.
Over the weekend, national icon Paulo Wanchope was busy celebrating the decision and pointing out the benefits, and the newspaper is continuing that today.
They say it’s actually a case of a glass half full for the Nottingham Forest man, despite the fact that a move to England’s third tier initially appeared to be a setback.
They suggest that, in certain ways, League One can be viewed as a ‘big exception’ among third-tier leagues worldwide.
Their belief is that League One rates higher than some of the’superior’ leagues in Europe, and they present evidence to support that claim.
First, there are the footballers, the majority of whom had previously played in the Championship, which the newspaper describes as “one of the top leagues in the world.”
Then there are the teams that make up the league, some of which, like Wigan, were in the Premier League just recently. This demonstrates ‘competitiveness is very high’, as are the salary conditions, another advantage.
They also point out that a large number of Premier League clubs have young players training in the league, which ‘ensures a competition with good technical conditions’. According to La Nacion, they, along with many other league players, are being closely observed by those above them, indicating League One’s strength yet again.
Finally, they say that it makes sense for Aguilera to be somewhere where he can play regular football and retain his rhythm.
They concede it would have been preferable if he could have stayed at Nottingham Forest and accomplished that, but it was not to be, so Bristol Rovers it is, a move that everyone insists is a ‘glass half full’ scenario rather than the opposite.
