Prior to Nottingham Forest’s trip to the west coast, Steve Cooper could not have made his message to his squad much clearer.
He talked of how players who had impressed in the Reds’ last cup game - against Tottenham Hotspur - had played their way into contention for the league match which followed. He set out how every fixture, regardless of opponent or competition, carries weight for assessing performance.
He laid out what he expected of his team in the starkest possible terms. He spelled out that, for those who played, this was a chance to be grasped.
