Just over 12 months ago, Dane Murphy had a big decision to make at Nottingham Forest and appointing Steve Cooper over Chris Wilder looks like a masterstroke.
The Reds were warned by some that they were making the wrong call. Cooper was viewed as a defence-minded coach and one who hadn’t really earned his stripes.
Fast forward a year and Cooper is now a Premier League boss, whilst Wilder has been sent packing to the job centre with his p45.
Middlesbrough have made the call to sack the 55-year-old with the club wedged inside the Championship’s relegation zone.
Wilder will forever be etched into Sheffield United folklore. He took them into the Premier League and then kept them there.
His second season in the top-flight wasn’t particularly impressive and they badly suffered from second-season syndrome.
Wilder’s recruitment hasn’t always seen him covered in glory either and he’s come unstuck badly at the Riverside Stadium.
Cooper is determined to revive Forest’s fortunes, starting at Leicester in an East Midlands-derby tonight.
The Reds have lost four on the spin but there doesn’t appear to be any danger that he will be following Wilder down the job centre any time soon.
Dane Murphy decision looks like a masterstroke
The Forest Chief Executive looks to have made a masterful decision here. He did well to ignore the hype regarding Wilder 12 months ago.
It was reported at the time that the ex-Sheffield United man would welcome a chat with Forest when Chris Hughton left.
Murphy only had Cooper in his sights though. He identified the Welshman very early on as someone who could be perfect for the club.
Wilder is an honest man but sometimes that’s his biggest downfall.
The club were well on course for the play-offs last season but he refused to rule out rumours linking him with the Burnley job.
That did his team no favours at all and he’s the complete opposite of Cooper when it comes to that kind of situation.
It’s so refreshing to hear Cooper continually talking about how lucky he feels to be at Forest.
He should know though, that Forest are equally lucky to have a burgeoning coach like Cooper overseeing their team.