There was a long wave to the away end at Molineux and it was greeted with raucous chants of “There’s only one Stevie Cooper” but whether those fans will get another chance to celebrate their manager in person is unknown. Cooper changed the personnel, style and fortunes of Nottingham Forest to secure a draw at Wolves after four straight defeats, although it might not be enough to earn another stay of execution.
Cooper, who was under scrutiny coming into the match, made seven changes from the team that lost 5-0 to Fulham in midweek and implemented a different formation, selecting a 3-5-2 after using 4-2-3-1 at Craven Cottage, although did not include a recognised striker. When a manager is unsure of his best XI, it is always a concern and instability on the pitch is rarely a recipe for success, especially when the cook is guessing the ingredients, but it provided a fighting response from those selected.
“That’s the last thing it was,” Cooper said when asked if he was waving goodbye to the fans. “I was saying ‘Thank you for your support, you’ve spent a lot of money this week, you’ve dragged the players through challenging times in the game and safe journey home’. I am just full of gratitude.”
Forest’s opener came from an unlikely source when Toti’s pass out of defence was intercepted by Cheikhou Kouyaté, before passing it out to Neco Williams on the right wing where he had time to pick out Harry Toffolo, who headed home at the back post for his first goal for the club he joined in 2022.
A tier of red sang for Cooper throughout, although that was intermittently drowned out by the home supporters chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, as they witnessed a side thrown together in 48 hours look composed and organised.
Prior to kick-off Wolves fans instigated a protest against VAR after being on the wrong end of a number of contentious decisions from the officials in Stockley Park. Supporters held up posters calling for an end to the use of technology in the game. Thankfully for all concerned Chris Kavanagh, in his west London cupboard, was not called up to help determine the result.
Wolves, who have not lost at home in three months, were insipid in the early stages but they began to dominate possession after Forest opened the scoring. The equaliser arrived thanks to smart interplay between Mario Lemina and Pablo Sarabia, who pulled the ball back to Matheus Cunha in space to slot into the bottom corner.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Cooper was left unhappy with the “basic error” in awarding a throw-in during the buildup. The Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil, said: “I would say it is a throw-in, there are a lot of things that go on after the throw-in for us to score a goal. Steve should maybe have a look at some of the decisions that go against us because when it is a penalty it is a lot harder to stop than a throw.”
Forest were gifted a chance to retake the lead when Max Kilman took too long on the ball while facing his own goal, allowing Kouyaté to dispossess him but the returning José Sá blocked his shot. The second half was an even contest and Forest should have taken the lead through their marauding wing-back Toffolo, who once again got on the end of a Williams cross but somehow headed over the bar from four yards. He once scored five in seven matches for Huddersfield, so maybe those in attendance should not have been surprised by his attacking prowess.
Defensive mistakes seemed the most likely manner in which chances would be created. Murillo was the latest to commit an almost costly error when he passed the ball to Cunha, who surged in the box, only to see Matt Turner repel his jab. It was the last opportunity of note as neither side could muster the quality to find a winner, which Cooper desperately needed after one victory in 12.
“I am really proud of the team, away from home, team spirit, togetherness,” Cooper said. “If you look at the game in isolation, you would be satisfied with a point away from home. We are disappointed we have not won but then if you add to all the sideshows that might be going on, and especially after Fulham where we let ourselves down in every way, shape and form.”
