After referee Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle at Elland Road, Leeds United were victors over Nottingham Forest with a scoreline of 2-1. While this is good news for Leeds who battle to make a place in the top 10 of the Premier League, Nottingham Forest’s struggles continue as they battle relegation.
Winless with three defeats and two draws in their last five games, Nottingham Forest is in the 17th spot in the Premier League. Due to these performances, manager Steve Cooper has come under fire. The Nottingham boss has been criticized for the performances, and a certain section of fans want to see him out of the club.
However, despite facing flak, Cooper has the support of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. After the game, Marinakis issued a public statement in support of Cooper and acknowledged that the club stood behind the manager during these tough times.
The statement read:
"“No one denies that our Club is in a difficult position in the Premier League, but we wish to end the speculation and the false and disruptive reporting in the media to confirm that Steve Cooper remains our manager at Nottingham Forest.We have all been disappointed with recent performances and it is very clear that a lot of hard work needs to be done to address this urgently. Results and performances must improve immediately.Now is the time for everyone connected with our club, from us as owners, to the board, our supporters, backroom staff, coaches and players – to come together and fight to secure our status in the Premier League.There can be no time for distractions, rumours and speculation. There is only time for hard work, determination, a commitment from Steve and the players to getting the results we need and, of course, the continued magnificent support of the fans of Nottingham Forest.”"
Earning the support of club owner Evangelos Marinakis is indeed a morale booster for Steve Cooper and his players. Over the last 1 year and 6 months, Cooper and his squad have given a lot to their team.
Steve Cooper guided Nottingham Forest back to the Premier League
On 21st September 2021, when Nottingham Forest appointed manager Steve Cooper to lead the team, Forest as a club was in a bad position. However, the 43-year-old with his tactics and man management forced a change in the squad, which saw Forest get promoted to the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final.
The promotion to the league meant a lot to Nottingham Forest and its fans as for the first time since the 1998-99 season, the club was set to play in England’s best football league. Guiding Forest to the pinnacle was not an easy task. However, Cooper was able to do it by making their mentality strong and introducing a big club mentality in them.