Nottm Forest ‘approach’ Man Utd-linked manager with Steve Cooper ‘expected to be sacked’

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·7 December 2023

Nottm Forest ‘approach’ Man Utd-linked manager with Steve Cooper ‘expected to be sacked’

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest are ‘expected to sack’ Steve Cooper if they are beaten at Molineux by Premier League rivals Wolves this weekend.

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Cooper – who is odds-on to be the next Premier League manager sacked – is under increasing pressure and he is expected to be dismissed in the coming days.

The former Swansea City manager worked wonders to get Nottm Forest promoted to the Premier League but he was on the brink of being sacked on a couple of occasions last season before he kept them up with one game to spare.

He achieved this after Forest signed over 30 players in the summer and January to bridge the gap between the Championship and Premier League.

It was hoped that Forest would kick on this season but they are slipping into another relegation battle after winning only one of their past 11 games in the Premier League.

On Wednesday night, they were hammered 5-0 at Craven Cottage by Fulham and this result leaves them just six points above the relegation zone.

Forest’s supporters gave their backing to Cooper during and after their heavy loss at Fulham but it was reported earlier this week that he ‘expects to be sacked soon’.

Sky Sports are now reporting that ‘unless he gets a positive result against Wolves on Saturday, Cooper is expected to be sacked by Nottingham Forest’. The report adds.

‘The feeling among the playing squad and other members of staff at the City Ground is similar – that a fifth-straight Premier League defeat at Molineux will lead inevitably to a managerial change. ‘There is a feeling of malaise within the squad, Sky Sports News has been told, with the club hierarchy increasingly of the belief that fresh ideas are needed. Specifically, there has been a difference of opinion between the coaching staff and players over tactics in recent games. ‘Forest’s bosses fear Cooper is becoming increasingly worn down and frustrated in the job.’

Regarding Cooper’s potential successor, a report from Football Insider claims Nottm Forest have ‘approached former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui’.

The respected Spaniard has been out of work since leaving Wolves in the summer. He was in the running for Manager of the Year in the Premier League last term as he kept the West Midlands up with relative ease.

It’s been widely reported in recent months that Lopetegui is eyeing a Premier League return. He is understood to be on Man Utd’s radar, while Football Insider are of the understanding that he is not keen on a move to Forest.

The report from Football Insider adds: ‘Lopetegui, 57, figures highly on Forest’s wanted list amid growing doubts over Cooper’s future at the City Ground.

‘Lopetegui is keen on a return to management but a well-placed source has told Football Insider that he is not convinced by a potential City Ground appointment.

‘It is believed he is concerned about how the Midlands club do their recruitment under owner Evangelos Marinakis.’