Lewis McGugan, former Nottingham Forest midfielder, believes that the recent limited playing time of Sam Surridge has resulted in increased scrutiny on veteran striker Andre Ayew.

McGugan suggests that Ayew's underwhelming performance in a recent game has been attributed to the fact that Surridge, who played a key role in gaining promotion, is not trusted to the same degree as Ayew by coach Steve Cooper.

Cooper's decision to substitute Taiwo Awoniyi with Ayew in the second half of a match against Brentford has been heavily criticized by fans, particularly after Forest went on to lose.

However, McGugan feels that Ayew's current situation is not entirely his fault and the absence of Surridge has contributed to fans' dissatisfaction.

He said: "That's football isn't it? Everyone will have their opinions and everyone is entitled to them. More so now, I think the discarding of Surridge is having an impact on Ayew. He's not being played and the questions is always asked, why not?

"People are frustrated and it pinpoints things on Ayew. If you didn't have a player fans feel is a better option, I don't think you'd always have this focus on Ayew.

"There's obviously a breakdown somewhere, whether it's at the training ground or tactically. There's something there we aren't privy to with Surridge not playing. That puts pressure on the manager because fans want their player to be picked.

"The manager is aware of that and going his way with what he sees. When you talk about trust, it's obviously there massively. He has a really good connection with the manager.

"As a manager, it's very easy to implement ideas when things are going well, to talk to players and drop them. When things are difficult a changing room, like any workplace, it changes. Players talk and maybe you have one group who think the manager is brilliant and another isn't sure.

Surridge, aged 24, has played only 63 minutes of first-team football since the January transfer window closed, while Ayew, aged 34, has had 306 minutes of play time, having previously played under Cooper at Swansea.

McGugan believes that fans' opinions are divided, with some supporting Ayew and others feeling that Surridge is a better option.

However, he points out that if Surridge was not present, there would be less scrutiny on Ayew's performances.

He suggests that the lack of playing time for Surridge may indicate that there is an issue either at the training ground or tactically.

McGugan acknowledges that Cooper is facing pressure from fans who want their preferred player to be selected.

He notes that the situation may be complicated by the fact that players have different opinions on the coach's abilities.

Ultimately, McGugan suggests that Cooper is aware of the situation and is making decisions based on what he sees in training and during matches.

He also acknowledges that the current situation is not unique to football and that workplaces everywhere are subject to changing dynamics based on performance and personalities.