The Unfair Burden: How Sean Dyche’s Forest Pointing at Dominguez Exposes Football’s Scapegoat Culture

In the ruthless, high-stakes world of the Premier League, narrative is currency. Blame must be assigned, reasons must be distilled into soundbites, and complex systemic failures are often pinned to a single, convenient point. At Nottingham Forest, a new and troubling chapter in this old playbook appears to be unfolding. According to reports from the dressing room, manager Sean Dyche has pointed the finger at midfielder Nicolás Dominguez, suggesting the Argentine’s performances were a key reason for the sacking of former boss Nuno Espírito Santo.

If true, this is more than just tough management; it’s a damaging simplification that exposes the deepest flaws in football’s culture.

The Spark: A Dressing Room Accusation

Nuno’s tenure at the City Ground was brief and underwhelming. Hired to steady a ship that had lost direction under Steve Cooper, he managed only 17 games, with a win rate that failed to inspire confidence or pull the club clear of danger. His dismissal in May was framed as a necessary change to secure survival—a decision from the famously trigger-happy Forest hierarchy.

Now, Sean Dyche, the no-nonsense firefighter brought in to secure Forest’s top-flight status, has reportedly identified a scapegoat for Nuno’s failure. The Athletic states that Dyche told Dominguez he was “one of the main reasons Nuno lost his job.” The alleged critique centres on the player’s tactical discipline and positioning, elements Dyche, a disciplinarian of the highest order, values above all.

On the surface, it’s classic Dyche: blunt, challenging, designed to provoke a reaction. But dig deeper, and the strategy risks backfiring catastrophically.

The Flawed Logic of the Single Point of Failure

To attribute a manager’s sacking—a decision undoubtedly influenced by results, squad harmony, owner expectations, and overall direction—primarily to one player is a profound misreading of football.

Nuno’s struggles were multifaceted:

· A Squad in Constant Flux: Forest’s transfer policy has been famously chaotic, leaving multiple managers, including Nuno, with an unbalanced, bloated squad lacking cohesion.
· Systemic Instability: The club has churned through coaches and players, never establishing a consistent footballing identity.
· Collective Underperformance: To single out Dominguez ignores the broader context of a team that, as a unit, often looked disjointed and vulnerable.

Dominguez, a £8m signing from Bologna in the summer of 2023, was initially hailed as a shrewd acquisition. A tenacious, energetic box-to-box midfielder, he showed flashes of quality under both Cooper and Nuno. While his form may have dipped—as did nearly every player’s during a difficult season—he was far from alone. Making him the poster boy for failure is ahistorical and unfair.

The Dangerous Game Dyche is Playing

Dyche’s alleged comments are likely intended as a motivational tool—a “wake-up call” to a player he needs. The Dyche methodology has always involved clear, brutal honesty. He wants fighters, and this could be his way of testing Dominguez’s mettle.

However, the potential fallout is significant:

Eroding Player Trust: Labelling a player a “manager-killer” alienates not just Dominguez, but his teammates. It creates a culture of fear and blame, not unity.
Undermining the Collective: Football is the ultimate team sport. Dyche’s own success at Burnley was built on an unbreakable collective spirit. By isolating one individual for past failures, he risks damaging the very “band of brothers” ethos he needs to build.
Shifting Focus: Instead of the narrative being “we all start anew under Dyche,” it becomes mired in the past. Players are left looking backwards at blame, not forwards at solutions.

A Symptom of a Wider Disease

Ultimately, this episode is less about Dyche or Dominguez and more about the Premier League’s toxic obsession with quick fixes and simple stories. Owners sack managers instead of addressing deeper structural issues. Pundits reduce 90-minute complexities to individual errors. Now, within the sanctum of the dressing room, a manager is reportedly condensing a failed reign into the shortcomings of one individual.

It is the ultimate scapegoat culture, and it is corrosive. For Nottingham Forest to move forward and build something sustainable under Sean Dyche, they must shed this mindset. The past cannot be hung around the neck of Nicolás Dominguez. The responsibility for Nuno’s exit lies with the decision-makers above him and the collective failure of the squad.

Dyche’s task is to build a future, not to redraft the past with a convenient villain. His tough love must inspire, not isolate. Otherwise, he risks not only losing a talented midfielder but also fracturing the very unity he was hired to create. The road to survival is built on collective responsibility, not on the back of a single, unfairly burdened player.