Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper has made a significant change in recent weeks.
His comment came after the Reds beat Liverpool 1-0 at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, with striker Taiwo Awoniyi scoring the only goal of the game against his former club. After the match, Carragher took to Twitter and shared an interesting observation with his followers.
Carragher noted the tactical changes Cooper has made in the "last few weeks", which he says have made the Reds much harder to beat. He praised Forest for being "tactically very good again" during the victory.
Cooper sends Yates message
Head coach Steve Cooper has hailed the example set by Ryan Yates for Nottingham Forest’s next generation of talent.
The midfielder put in an outstanding display as the Reds secured a memorable 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime. And it capped a mini run of games in which he has been one of the team’s most consistent performers.
Yates, wearing the captain’s armband, was superb alongside Remo Freuler and Cheikhou Kouyate in the centre of the pitch, setting the tone early on as he quickly got stuck in. He almost got on the scoresheet, too, forcing a save from Alisson late on.
Cooper's message to Forest players after win
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.
READ MORE: Cooper sends Forest youngsters 'incredible' message after Liverpool win
READ MORE: Cooper delivers verdict on 'brilliant win'
“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.
Shearer slams Liverpool attitude
Alan Shearer has slammed Liverpool for failing to turn around the deficit against Nottingham Forest, while praising the Reds' "work-rate and hunger" in their 1-0 win in the Premier League.
Steve Cooper's side returned to winning ways in great style as Taiwo Awoniyi's strike proved to be the difference. Forest have moved from rock bottom and into 19th place.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have endured a difficult start to the season, having struggled to replicate last season's form with only four wins to their name in 11 games. Shearer suggested a different team turned up to the one who secured a win over Manchester City last weekend.
"It’s difficult to work out Liverpool," Shearer told Premier League Productions. "Last week they were full of energy against Man City. But Forest had work-rate and hunger to get the ball.
