Nottingham Forest legend Nigel Clough believes Steve Cooper just "gets it" when it comes to the club's history and tradition as they prepare to face Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The Mansfield Town boss was in the Reds team the last time they reached the last four of the competition in 1992, where they beat Tottenham to reach the decider. Although they lost the final to United that year, Clough was a member of the team that won back-to-back EFL Cups in 1989 and 1990.
Clough is glad that younger fans can finally get a taste of what the good times were like at Forest during his playing days as they sit 13th in the Premier League table and play for a date in Wembley for the second time in less than a year. Cooper has been at the heart of that resurgence.
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"It’s so good to see them back up there and Steve deserves massive credit for that,” Clough told The Telegraph. “I think they will survive [in the league] and traditionally the cups always went hand in hand with Forest.
"There have been managers in the past who haven’t embraced the history of the club but Steve gets it. You don’t have to get obsessed with it, but at least acknowledge it because fans will talk about it.
"You can’t ignore the past. It feels like a lifetime ago but it should be celebrated. Fans my age come up to me and say their kids had never seen the good times, but now they can enjoy it.”
As for springing a surprise on Man United at the City Ground on Wednesday night? “The atmosphere will be incredible and they have got a real chance.”
The match kicks off at 8pm.
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