Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has heaped praise on Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper. The two sides meet in today’s final Premier League match of the 2022/23 campaign.
Hodgson has been quizzed on Cooper during his pre-match press conference. Both teams can relax today at Selhurst Park, with the game nothing more than a dead rubber in the context of what both teams can achieve.
Forest could actually finish 15th with a win. They must win and hope that Bournemouth don’t in order to climb another place but crucially they can’t slip any further down the Premier League table.
Hodgson has overseen a remarkable transformation during his second spell at Palace. They were heading towards the Championship when he took over but they’ve secured safety at a canter.
Forest’s path to safety hasn’t been quite so convincing. However, the win last week against Arsenal at the City Ground means there will be no final-day drama from a Reds perspective this season.
MORE FOREST STORIES
Hodgson has praised the work done by Cooper on Trentside. He lauded the impact of the 43-year-old when quizzed on the job that the Forest man has done since arriving at the football club.
He told the media: “Cooper has done a very good job. I think in the last five games they have had an incredible upsurge in form. They’ve taken 10 points from their last five games. That’s top-of-the-table form not avoiding relegation form.
“They have taken everyone by surprise at the bottom who are fighting relegation because many clubs thought they wouldn’t do that well. Hats off to him, hats off to his players and staff. It was very touching last weekend when they beat Arsenal and you saw the scenes.”
Hodgson heaped praise on Forest man Cooper
The Reds boss deserves all the praise that he gets after this season. He’s been handed 30 new players and up until the final six weeks of the campaign, the head coach didn’t really know his best team.
Cooper has worked tirelessly, however, to ensure that Forest retained their Premier League status. Last weekend’s win over Arsenal was the reward for some seriously hard work and the players worship the gaffer.
The challenge today is for Forest to go out with a win and on a high. It won’t be easy against an in-form Palace team but ultimately the season’s goal has already been achieved heading into the last day.