- Nottingham Forest sack Cooper
- Forest fourth bottom after one win in 13
- Espirito Santo the likely successor to Cooper
Nottingham Forest have taken the decision to part ways with manager Steve Cooper following a series of disappointing results, including five losses in their last six games. Talks are currently underway with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo to fill the managerial vacancy. Forest are fourth favourites to be relegated.
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Cooper sacked despite backing of the fanbase
Cooper was informed of the decision on Tuesday after Nottingham Forest’s struggles in the Premier League, where they currently sit in 17th place. The team has managed only one victory in their last 13 league games, earning eight points during that period. Recent performances have seen them secure just one point in the last six matches, leaving them five points ahead of the relegation zone, with third-bottom Luton having a game in hand.
Despite consistent backing from the Forest supporters, owner Evangelos Marinakis has expressed increasing concern about the club’s position in the league. The upcoming fixtures against Bournemouth, Newcastle United, and Manchester United will be crucial for the team’s prospects.
Nuno Espirito Santo, aged 49, is the leading candidate to replace Cooper. The Portuguese manager had a successful tenure with Wolves, achieving promotion from the Championship in his first season and securing consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League. However, his stint at Tottenham Hotspur was cut short after a series of disappointing results.
Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner has also been considered as a potential replacement, but Nuno appears to be in pole position for the managerial role. Nuno had a brief spell with Saudi Pro-League club Al-Ittihad, where he was dismissed in November after guiding the team to the Saudi title last season.
The Forest faithful will be watching closely to see how Nuno Espirito Santo can turn the team’s fortunes around if he takes over the managerial position at the City Ground.
Forest fourth favourites to go down
Sheffield United, Luton Town and Burnley are the three favourites to go down. However, Forest are considered the next most likely to make the drop by the bookies. In fact, the bookies seem to think that sacking Cooper was an error, with the odds on Forest to go down shortening. At the time of writing, BetUK have Forest at 5/2 to be relegated. Sheffield United are favourites, priced at 1/14, with Luton 2/9 and Burnley at 7/25. Punters looking for value may look at Forest’s odds and feel that they offer good value, especially if one of the three newly promoted sides put a run together. Luton are only five points behind Forest with a game in hand. The Hatters’ direct style has caused some established Premier League sides some uncomfortable moments this season.
Bettors need to study Forest’s form after their new manager is appointed and analyse whether they think they can pull clear. Also, once the new manager is in place, bettors might look at Forest’s first few fixtures and try to find value on a Forest win if they enjoy a “new manager bounce”.
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