By mid-morning #CooperIn was trending on social media. Nottingham Forest fans were making their voices heard.
Just as they did at the City Ground last Saturday. Just as they did last October, when Steve Cooper’s job had also been under threat. Just as they have all season, in fact.
The Reds’ best bet of staying up comes from the unity at the club. It is their biggest strength and greatest asset. A not-so-secret weapon not all of their relegation rivals share.
READ MORE: Forest fans send message to Marinakis after Cooper statement
READ MORE: Marinakis makes Steve Cooper statement amid Forest speculation
And at the heart of it is Cooper. Since he stepped through the doors 18 months ago, he has galvanised the fanbase and instilled a togetherness which has helped get the club to where they are now - in the Premier League.
They are in a perilous position, but they are still in the fight. Still out of the bottom three, in fact - albeit on goal difference alone. They still have a chance.
Dismissing Cooper at this point would have risked ripping all of that up, gambling everything with no guarantee it would make the blindest bit of difference. It would have alienated significant numbers who have made clear where they stand on the Welshman.
You only have to look at Forest’s home record this season to see what a difference that backing makes. Last month’s draw with Manchester City is testament to that; the noise from the stands helped get Cooper’s side over the line and almost pushed them towards a victory.
The head coach’s bond with supporters remains as strong as ever. It’s why he was so clearly hurting at Elland Road on Tuesday night. He was hurting because he cares. Cares about the club and about the fans.
Even amid mounting pressure and intense scrutiny in recent days, he has carried himself with great integrity. He fielded question after question about his future after the 2-1 defeat to Leeds United and answered them all with his usual level of respect, dignity and selflessness.
Cooper had taken an extra second to acknowledge the away end before heading down the tunnel after the final whistle. Looking crestfallen as he walked off the pitch, it had the ring of being a final farewell.
Evangelos Marinakis’ statement has put an end to that. Publicly backing his manager is a big expression of intent. But there is also a clear message in there.
“We have all been disappointed with recent performances and it is very clear that a lot of hard work needs to be done to address this urgently,” says the Greek. “Results and performances must improve immediately.”
Cooper would be the first to acknowledge as such. He admitted his side had fallen well short against Leeds. When the visitors needed big performances and big characters, some went missing in action.
The 43-year-old has shown he can turn around a dismal run of form before, however. He hasn’t always got it right, but he is still the best man for the job.
When he was appointed in September 2021, he didn’t just overhaul the Reds’ league position, he transformed the club. He made many fans fall back in love with Forest again.
After the toxic atmosphere prior to his appointment, the constant churn of managers - not all of whom appreciated and embraced the prestige which comes with this particular job - the years of falling short, Cooper changed all of that. He brought back the joy. It is no wonder the vast majority were calling for him to stay when he was on thin ice.
This season has been tough, of course. That was always going to be the case. It is for any newly-promoted side, let alone one which brought in a record number of signings and has had to deal with (still having to deal with) an extensive injury list.
But Cooper remains someone for supporters to get behind and to believe in. The fans have done their bit, now it is up to the players to do the same.
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