Mark Crossley makes Steve Cooper claim as Nottingham Forest gear up for Huddersfield play-off final | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have had a brilliant season since Steve Cooper came into the club as manager and they now find themselves preparing for a play-off final against Huddersfield Town this weekend, with hope of gaining promotion to the Premier League.

Considering Forest were sat at the bottom of the league when Cooper arrived at the club, it’s clear to see the impact he has had and his quality as a manager.

Former Reds goalkeeper Mark Crossley has urged his old club to get their manager tied down at the club highlighting how important promotion could be as he told Nottinghamshire Live: “Give him 10 years! He obviously knows what he’s doing.

“For me, this has been the problem at Forest – all the managers in 20-odd years. You can’t have success without continuity and stability. And this guy breeds success.”

Crossley was with Forest from 1989 – 2000 during which time they played in the top flight and he argues that the right manager is what Forest have been missing as he said: “He has embraced everything about the history and Brian Clough, he lives in the city, he speaks to the fans, he knows people by their first names. It’s so important that you keep someone like this, to take not only the club forward, but the city as well.

“It’s so important for keeping the likes of Brennan Johnson that Forest go up – and for keeping the manager. Everybody is saying, can they keep the players? but it’s the manager who has got to be the number one to keep.

“This game means so much. It’s so, so important that progression to the Premier League is made. It’s the same for Huddersfield.

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First Second

“Premier League clubs will be looking at these mangers and thinking, what a great job they’ve done here. They won’t hesitate to come in and take them.

“It will be better for the club to get promoted, to keep the likes of the manager and the players. There will be Premier League clubs looking at the players as well.

“They’ll all be saying, if Forest don’t get promoted, let’s go in for him straight away. It will be happening, because there’s that much preparation involved. It’s another reason why Sunday is a multi-million pound game.”

The Verdict:

You can’t disagree with Crossley on this one as Steve Cooper was the catalyst for change at the City Ground this season and has made unbelievable progress with the side.

Of course there will be interest in the manager especially if Forest don’t go up but regardless of the league they find themselves in next season, their first order of business after Sunday’s game should be securing the services of their manager for longer.

Promotion for the Reds will absolutely help them hold on to some of the key figures they have at the club right now which is why they will be hoping it is them who are victorious at the weekend.