It transpired that Steve Cooper could not even win the sack race in the Midlands. Leicester City against Nottingham Forest had the air of El Sackico, the shootout to avoid the firing squad, but, with the stealth of a man who often went unnoticed, Bruno Lage contrived to collect his P45 before either Brendan Rodgers or Cooper could.
A reprieve for Rodgers, courtesy of a 4-0 rout, may assume terminal proportions for Cooper, more because of the climate around Forest than the crime of propping up the top flight. Cooper’s downcast reaction gave the impression he fears the worst. Taking Forest from the foot of the Championship to the foot of the Premier League is still a feat of alchemy, which supporters recognised by chorusing his name, but his employer’s interpretation may be that he lost his golden touch in a run of five straight defeats.
