by Finally, the statement announcing Steve Cooper’s departure from Nottingham Forest could have included the phrase “mutual contempt”.
Cooper’s brutal relationship with Evangelos Marinakis is finally over – after two years and three months, he will become the second Premier League managerial casualty of the season. He will forever be remembered as the hero who pulled this famous old club up with his bootstraps, uniting players and supporters and driving them into the premier division after 23 years away.
Cooper made those supporters fall in love all over again, at a time when Forest were enjoying their ways to failure in the Championship. After that painful period in the desert, Cooper’s achievements are the most impressive since Brian Clough’s magical possession. [and that is not ignoring the impact made by Frank Clark post-Clough in the 1990s].
Arguably even more impressive was keeping Forest in the top division, after a season that saw 30 new players come in, and allowed the club to continue to build.
There may not be another Forest manager who enjoys Cooper’s relationship with the supporters. It was the ‘Pontypridd Pep’ who understood the club’s rich history and taught them to dream again. But, without a doubt, when the managers of the football clubs leave, it is clear that the track has developed. One win in 13 games doesn’t last long at this level, regardless of past achievements, and Cooper was sacked just two weeks after the Forest owner’s creditable pass found a nearby bush following a 5-0 drubbing at Fulham.
The news of Cooper’s departure outside Nottingham will be seen as another club panicking, and stretching beyond their means. It’s much more complicated than that of course. In the final weeks, Cooper and Marinakis were barely on speaking terms. Their relationship had broken down a long time ago, to the point where even phone calls were being ignored.
Marinakis has stuck with Cooper longer than anyone at the club thought. The Greek billionaire has a terrifying reputation for being “trigger happy”, which makes him miserable.
At Olympiacos, the Greek powerhouse that owns it, it may be justified. At Forest, it is not deserved. He has high expectations and the results have not been good enough in recent months. Since completing his takeover in May 2017, he has sacked Mark Warburton, Aitor Karanka, Martin O’Neill, Sabri Lamouchi and Chris Hughton.
None of them could really have any complaints – indeed, it could be argued that Lamouchi and Hughton, in particular, were given more than enough time to turn results around. The same applies to Marinakis as to Cooper.
Perhaps it was the fear of backlash from fans that allowed Cooper to quit.
For the many supporters who pay money to watch their club every week, there was a feeling that it was coming too. It is possible to hold someone in high esteem and be grateful, but also feel that they have lost their way. The fans have become more divided, and Cooper did not deserve the situation to turn toxic. As has been well documented, he came very close to losing his job numerous times last season.
The 4-0 win at Leicester last October was the most infamous occasion when Rafael Benitez was earmarked as a possible replacement. With Cooper’s future uncertain, Wolves and Southampton approached mediators about his appointment. A frantic few days ended when the Welshman signed a new £2.5 million-a-year contract.
There were many other crucial moments – after a 4-0 defeat at West Ham in February, Marinakis was really close to wielding the axe. After a 2-1 win at Leeds on April 4, even Cooper thought he was going.
A replacement was considered, including Patrick Vieira and even former Wolves manager Bruno Lage, but Cooper survived. He knew Forest’s work behind the scenes and used it to build a siege mentality at the club’s training ground.
‘I gave you the players’
During the summer, he lost even more control over the signings, as Forest were unhappy with a number of players he had previously recommended. Backroom staff were added who were club appointments.
Marinakis was angered by Arsenal’s opening day loss with post-match comments about the club’s transfer business.
Cooper was frustrated when seven new players joined at the deadline, as he felt it left them playing to understand his methods. They were also picking up injuries after an unsettled pre-season. But in terms of pounds spent he has invested more in his squad than most managers in Europe’s top five leagues. Marinakis has spent more than £250 million on fees alone since her promotion and has designs on Forest becoming a top ten club.
He is an owner with the mindset: “I gave you the players, now it’s yours.”
No question, he is demanding. Marinakis could not cut out tactical decisions, team selections, game management and the inability to make mistakes. There doesn’t seem to have been a consistent, recognizable style of play. When they were without Taiwo Awoniyi’s progress the whole setup seemed to fall apart and Cooper went back to a low block.
Forest have won just two of their 28 away games since promotion, losing 19 of them.
Tension began to rise in the dressing room. Scott McKenna, the Scotland international, was frozen out after the club made it clear he would not be getting a new contract. Cooper then had a major disagreement with Joe Worrall, the Forest captain. Worrall was informed on the morning of the match against Aston Villa on 5 November that he would not be in the squad for the match. Reacting angrily, Worrall did not attend the game as he did not feel in the right frame of mind.
Reporting to the training ground days later, he clashed with Cooper and was instructed to coach McKenna out of the first team squad before the games. From ‘matchday minus 2’, and sometimes even earlier, they were given personal programs and only called in to train with the first team when numbers were low.
The news came just weeks after Worrall suffered the tragic death of his uncle. Two of Forest’s promotion heroes had been coldly dismissed.
A number of players also took issue with Cooper and the coaching staff over what they saw as inconsistent team selection.
Two summer signings, Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos and £11million recruit Andrew Omobamidele, have not made a single league start, while Nuno Tavares and Gonzalo Montiel – a World Cup winner with Argentina so far – have only made one start each. . There will be inevitable recruitment issues, and they are completely understandable.
As results have declined, the atmosphere at the training ground is said to be ‘under pressure’ in recent weeks.
Cooper edged out former chairman Nicholas Randall KC and club director Jonny Owen: two key figures who fought for him in board meetings last season when his job looked bleak, especially after the Leicester defeat.
A 2-2 draw at home to Luton was devastating, with Forest conceding twice late on after some strange substitutions. West Ham and Brighton rarely won with the pressure. After Brighton’s home win, there was a furious confrontation in the tunnel between Cooper’s coaching staff and Roberto De Zerbi’s backroom staff.
After the 1-0 home defeat to Everton, some of the fans booed Cooper and the team. It was a rare occurrence and felt significant at the time. The big win at Fulham – when Marinakis struck out after the fourth goal – was the final blow.
Although Cooper dominated the Wolves and Tottenham games, he was on the way out: it’s not a case of Marinakis getting his judgment right, but finding the right replacement.
Where next?
Nuno Espirito Santo is set to return to English football, following his departure from Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad last month. He will have a point to prove after his unhappy spell with Tottenham. He worked wonders at Wolves before falling out with chairman Jeff Shi, and for three years he was exhilarating to watch.
Julen Lopetegui, former manager of Wolves and Real Madrid, was sounded out first. He is said to be keeping a “bigger” job and considers himself a contender for Manchester United (if Erik ten Hag leaves) or West Ham.
Marco Silva was highly regarded but a potential move fell through after he signed a new contract at Fulham in October. Former Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner had talks, but Marinakis was not convinced.
What about Cooper?
Leaving the Forest hurts but, at the same time, it feels like a relief. For Forest to drop into the bottom three on his watch would be uncomfortable. He was in danger of ruining his legacy.
His reputation is still quite high and Crystal Palace are known to respect him. Palace would not have to pay any compensation now if they replaced Roy Hodgson with the 44-year-old.
When Cooper inevitably returns to the City Ground in charge of another team, the reception will be incredible. Palace visit on March 30.
He certainly has a place in Forest history. With every fist pump after a win, it brought club and its fans closer together.
He will always remain “Super Cooper”, but in the end there was no room for sentiment. Marinakis wanted more than his Premier League promotion manager could deliver.
