TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan went to town on Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper live on air yesterday.
He was playing down the achievements of the head coach after the Reds secured a 1-0 win over Fulham to secure a play-off place.
Forest might not stop there. They’re now just three points behind Bournemouth in second and the two sides meet next week.
Cooper made the bizarre admission that Cooper would go down as a perennial failure if he doesn’t achieve success in the play-offs at the third time of asking.
Jordan, to quote him, is talking complete and utter codswallop!
Since Cooper waltzed into the City Ground he has erased a dark cloud that has been hanging over the club for far too long.
Clearly, his remit is to win football matches but in the post-pandemic era we live in, it’s about so much more than that.
The behind closed doors era was tedious, mind-numbing and being 20 minutes behind the live coverage on I-Follow made for some unpleasant Saturday afternoons.
Now, with Forest flying and Cooper saying all the right things, the Reds are selling out left, right and centre at the City Ground and on their travels.
Jordan is wrong about Forest genius Cooper
Jordan is employed by TalkSPORT so naturally, he’s prone to saying things for effect.
There is, of course, no getting away from the fact that if Cooper doesn’t go up through the play-offs this year, it will be three unsuccessful campaigns.
Jordan, however, should seek some context.
Swansea last season were never fancied to beat Brentford. They punched well above their way and still made a fist of it in the final.
Likewise, the 2021/22 campaign. Cooper came to Forest when confidence in the dressing room was lower than a snake’s belly.
He has quickly identified a style of play that allows the attacking quality in the squad the freedom to express themselves. Due to that tweak, the team has thrived.
Naturally, now Forest are so close Cooper and his team will want to finish the job – that goes without saying.
Cooper has brought the feel-good factor to the banks of the River Trent.
As a result, there’s a real sense that if things do go awry this season the club will remain in good hands with Cooper at the helm.
Jordan is wrong about the Forest boss but you can bet Cooper will be desperate to ram his words down his throat.