Nottingham Forest Eyes Nuno Espirito Santo as Steve Cooper is Sacked
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By Martin Graham | 20th December 2023
Nottingham Forest has recorded dismal outplay in the English Premier League. The team is battling relegation with a poor run with 14 points and is in the bottom position of the table. Such performance calls for a tough decision: firing Steve Cooper.
According to Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, Cooper has been instrumental in the club’s run and even helped bring it back to the elite Premier League. It is an iconic achievement for the owner, and the team is grateful. But the struggle to remain competitive in the league is worrying.
Steve Cooper’s Achievements at Nottingham Forest
Cooper has been Nottingham Forest’s tactician since September 2021. The team was struggling at the time of his appointment as they trailed the Championship League.
Cooper’s managerial role was all the club needed to get a chance into the EPL. Under his leadership, the team had a successful outplay, leading it to the playoffs and edging its opponents, Huddersfield, in the finals played at Wembley Stadium.
Cooper has been vital in the team’s premier league appearances for the 2021-2022 season. Winning against Arsenal, a top-flight team, in May is an achievement the tactician and team can boast of. Do you love betting and think Forest could pull a surprise in their upcoming matches? Check the GGBet website for odds and make suitable picks.
Nottingham Forest’s presence in the Premier League has attracted experienced players like Matt Turner, who signed for the squad under Cooper. The tactician spent more to secure experienced players, and it paid off in the 2022-2023 season as Forest finished 16th, slightly four points off the relegation zone.
His commitment and dedication to bettering the team have been evident. However, the facts are different from the team and owner’s desire to be a notable opponent in the domestic league this season. The dream was to feature among the league’s top ten, which seems unachievable following Cooper’s miserable run.
An Anticipated Decision
With only three wins in 17 matches and 14 points, Nottingham Forest is uncomfortable with the position they hold. The Tricky Trees have been hoping the results will favor them, giving Cooper more chances to improve.
Losing his tactician job was bound to happen, especially after recording five defeats. The loss to Fulham in a 5-0 scoreline was disheartening, but the club’s owner seemed to have lost patience when Forest lost to Tottenham on 2-0.
However, this has not been the case, as Forest has won only one match since September. The unimpressive run has finally resulted in the long-awaited move, firing Steve Cooper.
This decision had been waiting for weeks, but when the owner couldn’t take it anymore, he decided to fire Cooper. While announcing this decision, Marinakis appreciated Cooper’s contribution to Nottingham Forest and considers the achievement historic in the premier league.
Possible Replacements and Who Takes Over
Nottingham Forest’s owner has been scouting for a suitable replacement. Julen Lopetegui, former Wolves tactician, and Oliver Glasner (ex-Eintracht Frankfurt manager) have been considerations. Glasner would have been a good choice, but he is unfamiliar with the premier league, which disadvantaged him.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo, former Tottenham and Wolves boss, is Cooper’s favorite replacement. There have been talks about bringing the tactician on board, a role he could assume soon with possible managerial roles starting with Forest’s game against Bournemouth.
Nuno had a remarkable stay at Wolves, leading the team for four years. His leadership helped Wolves secure a chance into the Championship and a notable performance in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
He later was appointed to head Tottenham Hotspurs, a role he was shortly released from with only four months of coaching. Nuno only managed to lead Tottenham in seven games, five defeats.
Later, Nuno secured the head coach role in the Saudi Arabia Pro-League, leading Al-Ittihad. He helped the team secure the league’s title but couldn’t keep his role here; Nuno was sacked after leading the team in 12 campaign matches.
Since then, he hasn’t had coaching responsibilities until recently, when Nottingham Forest considered him a favorite. This now becomes his third coaching role for the 49-year-old in the Premier League.
But why is Nuno the most suitable tactician for Nottingham Forest? Both Marinakis and Nuno are highly opinionated individuals. One reason Nuno is a top choice for the club’s owner is his experience in managerial roles in the premier league.
The impact he had at Wolves gives Nuno an edge, and Marianikis hopes this could be the case for Forest as his dream is to secure a mid-table position in the league. Cooper transformed Nottingham Forest in the previous season, but much is expected of Nuno, with a scheduled match at home against Bournemouth.
Besides, the Tricky Trees will face top-flight teams Newcastle and Manchester after the festivities. Will Nuno bring the coveted impact with the fixtures? It is a matter of time before you can conclude if he was a suitable consideration.
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