First-team coach Andy Reid has provided an insight into the workings of Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper.
The Welshman marked one year in charge at the City Ground last week - a 12 months in which he led the Reds from bottom of the Championship table into the Premier League, where they now face the new challenge of trying to survive.
When Cooper arrived last September, he joined a club where the atmosphere in the stands had turned toxic under predecessor Chris Hughton, and where there was a lack of connection between players and fans. He quickly created a sense of unity which was a significant driving factor in the team’s promotion success.
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Reid, who made the step up from Under-23s chief to Cooper’s coaching staff in the summer, says it is the 42-year-old’s man-management skills which set him apart. Creating a togetherness among the squad continues to be a priority as Forest look to navigate the pit-falls of the top-flight on the back of a summer overhaul.
“Steve’s very good tactically, and works really, really well on the training pitch,” Reid told The Coaches’ Voice. “Before I started working full-time with the first-team, I watched some of the sessions from a distance. There, I could also see his man-management - how he dealt with the squad as a whole and kept people happy.
“It’s important to him that everybody pulls in the right direction and feels involved. The empathy he shows throughout the club - not just the players, but all the staff as well - is as good as I’ve seen. He has time for everybody.”
Reid added: “I’m still in my infancy as a coach, so watching Steve working in the build-up to the 2022 Championship play-off final was brilliant. It was someone working under a lot of pressure, but handling that pressure and delivering his message to keep everything the same and treat it as another game so that the players performed. They’re the things I’m learning.
“The team was bottom of the Championship after seven games of that 2021/22 season, but they got promoted. I don’t think anybody expected that, but we gathered momentum week in, week out.
“I don’t remember the atmosphere ever being so loud at the City Ground. Everybody was on board, and there was a feeling of something special bubbling along.
“When the ref blew the whistle at Wembley, confirming that we were going back to the Premier League, it was a massively special moment. It feels like we’re all in it together, and that we’ve all played a small part. That’s a big thing, because it’s still all about the players.”
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