Nottingham Forest clash with Wolves could 'determine' Steve Cooper future

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·7 December 2023

Nottingham Forest clash with Wolves could 'determine' Steve Cooper future

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is currently under-fire over his suitability and transfer insider Dean Jones, in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, has explained why he is a contender to be the Premier League’s ‘second sacking of the season’.

Following a five-goal drubbing away at the hands of 12th-placed Fulham, Cooper's position as head coach is said to be in the balance, especially with a tough test of domestic fixtures on the horizon.

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Winless in five matches, Cooper’s Tricky Trees are currently sitting in 16th spot in the Premier League and are on the verge of flirting with relegation, much to the dismay of the City Ground faithful.

Steve Cooper is on thin ice at Forest

Cooper continues to put himself under the microscope with his side’s persistently sub-par performances in the top flight – a string of displays that have put his job in the dugout in a high-risk situation. So much so that owner Evangelos Marinakis is becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on show in 2023/24, as reported by MailOnline at the back end of November.

Performances are yet to improve following that report, with Forest succumbing to successive losses to Everton and Fulham, though many believe their emphatic loss to the latter could be the final nail in the coffin. Having been condemned to a 5-0 defeat by Fulham, the patience of the club’s hierarchy will be running thin, with the Guardian reporting that they are continuing to explore possible replacements, with former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Real Madrid chief Julen Lopetegui towards the top of their shortlist.

Reports have even suggested that Marinakis, who recently axed Diego Martinez as Olympiacos (another club he owns) head coach, threw away his accreditation lanyard in a nearby bush after he watched his Premier League club be dismantled at Craven Cottage. And given the Greek owner is no stranger to managerial dismissals, Cooper could well be next on the chopping board.

Recently, Sunday People chief sports writer Neil Moxley told GIVEMESPORT that, despite deserving more time to alleviate the evident issues on display, it is highly unlikely that Cooper will stay and see out the rest of his contract that he put pen to paper on last year after narrowly avoiding the sack.

Dean Jones on Steve Cooper

Jones suggested that Marinakis’ response to the five-goal loss against Fulham proves that things are looking bleak in the Forest dressing room, though he did suggest that Cooper still has full backing from the supporters.

Referencing Cooper and Forest’s tough run of upcoming fixtures, the transfer insider believes it could soon be make or break for the 43-year-old, who has come under immense pressure, even suggesting he could become the second manager in the top division to be relieved of his duties in 2023/24. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“When your owner is filmed looking annoyed at the match and then dumps his match pass in someone’s front garden on his way out, you know things are not in very good shape, but one thing Cooper holds is that the fans back him. Things are obviously getting to a tipping point because Fulham had only scored seven goals at home all season and have just stuck five past his team in the space of 90 minutes - and if you look at away form, Forest are the second-worst team in the division. Six defeats out of 8 on the road is a worry, and now they have another away match at Wolves to cope with. Wolves have been really good at Molineux recently - beating City, Spurs, Burnley and they’ve drawn with Newcastle and Villa too. So this is going to be one of the biggest games of the weekend that might well determine whether we have the Premier League’s second sacking of the season on the cards.”

Crystal Palace eye Cooper as Roy Hodgson successor

While Cooper’s end of the road at the City Ground may be near, Crystal Palace’s higher-ups, headed by club chairman Steve Parish – are well-known admirers of the Welshman. Although it has been believed that Cooper will remain in the Forest hotseat for the time being, this has not prevented the Londoners from being on hand to pounce should that day come, MailOnline report.

Having initially shown interest in taking him on when he was plying his trade for Swansea City two years ago, Roy Hodgson’s struggles in the capital potentially gives Parish and his entourage the perfect opportunity to give him the reins.

Many in the Palace circle believe that Hodgson seeing out the remainder of 2023/24 is the best course of action given the summer will allow them to have a wider pool of managers to sift through, with many of their shortlisted candidates currently under contract at their respective clubs. That said, if the Forest boss is given his P45 in the coming weeks, it is believed that Palace would contemplate whether to accelerate their interest and fast-track his appointment to the top of their priority list.