Opinion: Steve Cooper has passed every Nottingham…

Opinion: Steve Cooper has passed every Nottingham Forest test to date

Nottingham Forest's return to the Premier League has ended in the way everyone wanted it to - with survival.

The only aspiration the Reds should ever have had was survival, and for all concerned, it is a case of mission accomplished.

One man who can safely say he has earned his time on the beach after the weekend is Steve Cooper.

This is a manager who has seen his name in the headlines a number of times as an under-threat boss who could make way for someone else to try and save the Reds.

How refreshing it was to see the City Ground hierarchy stand by the man, give him a new contract, and let him see out the brilliant job he started last season.

Cooper's commitment and dedication to the Forest cause has not been without its highs and lows.

This is a manager who created a culture of teamwork, steel, and good old-fashioned hard work to grind themselves out of the Championship from a seemingly helpless position near the foot of that very division.

The top-flight campaign saw a complete sea-change of playing personnel, with a flood of necessary, and perhaps unnecessary signings of which the league rarely sees.

It was a spending spree that was on the surface fairly reckless, but definitely a bold flexing of the muscles.

With results being hard to come by, the experiment definitely showed signs of imploding, with Cooper often tipped to be the fall guy.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper applauds the City Ground crowd after victory over Arsenal (Getty)

The truth of the situation is that Cooper has done a remarkable job, a job as remarkable as he did last season, and in doing so he has proved he is a very flexible manager who can manage two entirely different campaigns at different ends of the spectrum.

Cooper probably would have been happier with ten new signings rather than the huge overhaul that happened, but he kept his head, his dignity, and he rewarded his paymasters with the status that they need.

The Welshman will be managing a Premier League club in the top eight of the division sometime in the next five years, he is clearly adding huge credibility to his CV and shows a versatility that will have made people take notice.

The next stages of the Forest journey will be really intriguing to watch unfold, the pressure will be on Cooper to grow with Forest as they look for a higher finish next season.

It's a huge crossroads for the aspirational Forest board and it's a crucial stage of Cooper's career.

I am sure he will get that chance at Forest, he certainly deserves it.

In him, the club have a manager that belongs in the Premier League for the long term.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis will want to build, and build strongly - but that has to be tempered with the reality that they need a much calmer transfer window.

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