Steve Cooper admitted that he displayed a photo of Nottingham Forest’s 4-0 defeat at Leicester City to his squad before kick-off yesterday.
This time last year, the Reds were humiliated by the Foxes at the King Power Stadium, with Cooper facing major uncertainty around his future at the club.
However, fast forward a year and the club still remain in the Premier League with Cooper at the helm and the club moving in the right direction.
The Reds boss admitted that whilst he was disappointed his side couldn’t take all three points, he is happy with the progression his side have made under his leadership.
Cooper on why he presented the image before kick-off
Speaking to Colin Fray from BBC Radio Nottingham after the game, Cooper explained why he chose to remind the squad of the demolition they suffered that night.
“I showed a screenshot of Leicester away last year before kick-off mentioning to the lads to not lose sight of where we’ve come from.
“Even though we played away, I asked the lads to try and keep possession. The Leicester game was a real reference point of change for us and it’s allowed us to build and progress.
“I know exactly what I want it [playstyle] to look like in the future but it’s a lot of work to get there.
“Hopefully in some ways, we’re only getting started. There were some good moments tonight, let’s capture them, build on them and see where it takes us.”
Huge progression under Cooper
The Forest boss nailed it in his post-match interview talking about the progression we have made in such a short period of time as a club.
In two years, we’ve gone from relegation candidates in the Championship to a solid mid-table Premier League side, all thanks to Cooper and the hierarchy’s financial backing.
It’s a slow process in being able to challenge the elite sides in this division, but Cooper’s side have shown progression this season in looking to be more comfortable and expressive in possession.
They’re small steps in the right direction, but under Cooper’s guidance, we’re certainly in good hands.
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