Nottingham Forest won’t change their approach when they head to Sheffield United in the play-offs on Saturday.
The Reds will still look to get on the front foot and play to win. But head coach Steve Cooper says he will be mindful of the two-legged nature of the semi-finals, with the return fixture to come at the City Ground on Tuesday night.
The Welshman is keen for his squad to understand the “context” around the game as they aim to make sure there is all to play for on the banks of the Trent. And he knows there is a balance to be struck, too, between embracing the occasion and getting caught up in the emotion, given the nature of what is at stake.
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“It’s a balance. We aim to play a certain way, with and without the ball, which is a hard way of playing,” Cooper said.
“Sometimes we do it well, sometimes we don’t, sometimes we’re a bit in between. That’s just how it is.
“That won’t change. But I’m not going to ignore the fact these games are a bit different, with it being two legs in quick succession. Playing the same team in quick succession doesn’t happen normally.
“You do have to understand the context around the two-legged affair. You do have to understand the context around what it means. You have to understand the context about the emotion.
“You have to try to get the balance right between managing all of that, plus go and play a game of footie as well! That’s what we’re trying to do.”
