“I know we live in a results-led business, but sometimes you look at the person and think that’s someone you want to work for. He ticks all the boxes, as do all the coaching staff.”
The thoughts of Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo on Steve Cooper last week. And an insight into the Reds’ dressing room.
It’s not out of the ordinary for a player to speak highly of a manager. But it’s not every day you hear one who has struggled for game time - and who almost left the club on loan in January - speak with such warmth and respect for the man in charge. That says a lot.
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Given Cooper was already under pressure going into the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if seeing two other Premier League owners make big calls on Sunday made Evangelos Marinakis twitchy. Particularly when one of those departures came at a relegation rival, with Brendan Rodgers leaving Leicester City.
It has taken more than two decades for Forest to get back to the top-flight. The Greek businessman will feel he has splashed a lot of cash to try to keep them there, believing he has given Cooper the necessary tools for the job.
The Welshman has not been working in normal circumstances, though. For any newcomers, securing survival is difficult enough - there are established Premier League clubs battling alongside the Reds to stay up.
This season was always going to be tough, regardless of the money spent. But Cooper has had to try to plot a course while dealing with a significant injury list, while knitting together an overhauled squad full of strangers and while in his first campaign at this level.
And yet, Forest are still in with a chance of avoiding the drop. They are still in the fight.
Changing manager at this point would be a big risk. There is also no guarantee it would pay off.
Cooper’s connection with supporters and his relationship with players gives the Reds a unity and togetherness which can be so vital. That’s not enough alone to secure the necessary points, of course, but it’s better than trying to tread water amid the alternative.
A succession of managers have come through the City Ground doors before, not all have “got” the club in the way the Welshman does. Not all have embraced the club’s rich history and been able to handle the weight of expectation. It has taken a long time to find the right fit - and someone who can get results at the same time.
None of this is to suggest Cooper should be immune from criticism. He has made and will continue to make mistakes. But he is a brilliant man-manager and has proved his tactical acumen before (it wasn’t so long ago he was earning praise on that front for overseeing a draw against Manchester City). He will go on to achieve great things.
Nevertheless, Cooper will be as aware as anyone that results need to improve. His team are on a poor run, without a win in seven, and he knows their record on the road is dismal. Tuesday night’s game at Leeds United is a big one.
However, Forest played as well as they have for some time at the weekend. It wasn’t the result they wanted, but it was a positive team performance. Replicate that at Elland Road, and in their remaining games, and they will be in with a chance of staying up - with Cooper at the helm.
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