Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper has explained to the club’s YouTube channel what he said to Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson before the draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
Forest produced a brilliant second-half performance against the Champions League-chasing Blues. Serge Aurier’s goal gave them a deserved point after Raheem Sterling had scored in the first half.
It could and probably should have been more though. Gibbs-White cracked the bar with an unreal effort, whilst Johnson should have perhaps squared to Taiwo Awoniyi at one point in the second 45.
The point proved to be a decent one though. Having been thrashed at Manchester United in midweek it was important that Forest bounced back in some fashion against Chelsea.
Cooper has explained that prior to the game he spoke with both Gibbs-White and Johnson. He asked them both to take risks and if they made mistakes to make them positive ones.
He told the club’s official YouTube channel: “There were a couple of nearly moments for him, the final passes, he has to take those risks. I want him to be taking those risks.
“I told him and Brennan Johnson before the game to go out there and if you make mistakes, make them positive ones. They both did that.
“Morgan played well. Fitness wise he was good and he had a good impact on the game.”
Cooper tells Gibbs-White and Johnson to take risks
Both players will be extremely important to Forest between now and the end of the season. It was a nice surprise to see Gibbs-White return to action after a short spell out through injury.
His presence in the team is telling for Forest. The team always looks dangerous going forward with him in the side and the 22-year-old looks like a quality addition to the Forest ranks.
Johnson is also slowly but surely getting up to speed in the Premier League. He is forming a nice partnership with Gibbs-White and together the pair can really take Forest up a notch in the coming months.
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