It’s been a tough start to life back in the topflight for Steve Cooper and Nottingham Forest, with the Midlands side only picking up 5 points from their first 10 games. A 1-0 loss away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 14th left them bottom of the league on goal difference, winless since beating West Ham in August.
After a 4-0 loss away to rivals Leicester, Cooper came out and told the press that his side performed well below expectations. He was met with many questions regarding his future following the match, but he insisted he was dedicated to turning the club's fortunes around.
This desire to turn things around was met on Friday, when the Forest board expressed their backing for Cooper by extending his contract until 2025. When asked at a press conference if he had been in danger of being sacked, Cooper said he didn’t know if his sacking had been discussed but that he was determined to transform Forest’s fortunes.
Forest’s fans certainly seem happy with the decision on Cooper’s future, as they cheered him out onto the pitch prior to their game against Aston Villa last Monday. Some fans behind one of the goals held up banners in support of the manager, and a credible 1-1 draw will only help to keep fans supportive.
Forest’s promotion in May was the first time they had returned to the topflight this century, meaning many fans had never experienced the world of Premiership football. This of course made Cooper a hero in Nottingham, as he himself had taken over a club going in the wrong direction last year. When he took over in September 2021, the club were bottom of the championship but within 8 months he transformed their fortunes and returned them to the topflight of English football.
This promotion was met with a huge squad overhaul though, with 23 new players coming through the door this summer, the most in Premier League history. Most of these signings have struggled to gel so far, a factor that many believe has caused Forest’s poor start to the season.
With the season still young, it’s unclear as to whether Forest are doomed yet, but with the League pausing for the World Cup in less than a month, Forest and Steve Cooper will certainly want their fortunes to change soon.