Head coach Steve Cooper has told his Nottingham Forest players to remember the feeling of beating Liverpool - and use it to drive them on.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal secured a memorable 1-0 triumph for the Reds amid an electric atmosphere at the City Ground on Saturday lunchtime. And it was a victory which was thoroughly deserved, earned courtesy of a terrific team performance.
It was much-needed, too, ending a run of nine league games without a win. Forest are still battling at the bottom end of the table, but Cooper says performances - and results - like the one against Jurgen Klopp’s men should be used as “a reference point” to prove his team belong in the top tier.
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“I said to the players afterwards, if there’s ever any self-doubt, with any of us about ourselves or about our teammates or staff, this is a great reference point to say to ourselves, ‘we can play at this level, we do belong at this level’. Hopefully that will be a big driver for us going forward,” said the Welshman.
“I’ve learnt quickly that to get anything out of a Premier League game you have to give everything. But when you do, and you get something out of it like we have done, the feeling in the dressing room is just unbelievable.
“While we were waiting for a couple of the guys to come back in from doing initial media, I could hear some of the older guys talking about bottling the feeling up, because it is unique. It’s a great win, an important win, we needed it.
“But that’s all it is. We’ve got to use it as a real help for us to improve - and we only do that by working even harder. We can’t take anything for granted.
"It gives us a good reference point now to build. But the mentality has to be to get back on the training ground and just work even harder.
"We're still nowhere near where we want to be in the league, or with the points tally. If there's any sign of complacency then I'll be right on it.
"I keep saying, we've been on a bad run, and I don't want to sound negative. But what I can tell you is - and I have said this most weeks - the lads have only worked harder, they've only showed more desire and they've only showed more engagement.
"Normally on poor runs, players, staff members, managers can hide, can sulk, blame, excuses etc. But I promise, it's been the opposite. Because we are such a new group, that's part of the process as well.
"Going forward now, if the players have any doubts, or I may have, with ourselves or with each other, we can use this - and hopefully some more days like it - as great reference points to show we belong at this level.”
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