Joe Worrall shares what Steve Cooper did that he really didn’t agree with at Nottingham Forest

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Steve Cooper is loved at Nottingham Forest, but academy graduate Joe Worrall experienced something under his stewardship that upset him.

Most at Forest have only positive things to say about the former boss, as shown when Callum Hudson-Odoi hailed Cooper for the impact he has had on the winger’s career.

Even Nuno Espírito Santo praised Cooper for the groundwork that he laid, which has helped the Portuguese manager push the Reds up into the European fight in the Premier League.

However, not all have positive memories of their time under Cooper, with Worrall especially enduring a tough end to his Forest career with the Welshman in charge.

Joe Worrall recalls ‘difficult’ times with Steve Cooper in charge

Worrall left Forest in the summer, joining now-promoted Burnley in the Championship. Having been a stalwart in Cooper’s promotion side, the Forest academy product endured a more difficult time in the top flight, something he partially blames Cooper for.

Speaking to Forest Focus, Worrall said: “He [Cooper] should’ve played me more, simple as that. I used to have difficult conversations with him, […] it got to the point where we weren’t performing particularly great and it was right okay, who’s copping this bullet then, and it seemed to be me or Yatesy.

“I just felt that if we were going to stand a chance of staying in the division, then there needs to be a little bit of solidity at the back. He was changing from a four to a five and I don’t think he kept the same back four or back five for two or three games; it was chop and change all the time.

“[…] I’d run through a brick wall for Nottingham Forest, but I found it difficult at times to do the same for him.”

Tensions were clearly strong between the two, but there was one game in particular that caused a true rift between Worrall and Cooper.

How a match against Aston Villa sealed Joe Worrall’s Forest fate

Worrall still made 30 appearances in that maiden Premier League campaign, but it was the second season that saw the true end to his Forest career.

The centre back was left out of the squad to face Aston Villa in November 2023, a moment that was clearly the breaking point for Worrall and Cooper’s relationship.

Worrall continued: “It was hard to take at the time. I probably should’ve spoken to Tatey [Alan Tate], his assistant, about different ways of approaching it […] and the impact I wanted to have on the team, but I felt like I’d had the rug pulled from beneath me.

“It was a little bit of a sour ending, but that’s the way football goes. […] there were little slithers of that season, especially just before Christmas, where I was going through a sticky spell on the pitch and also off it.

“I could maybe have been a little bit different, but I also felt that I needed someone to support me at that time, and he certainly didn’t.”

He has by no means stopped being a fan of the club, but Worrall must wish that his relationship with Cooper didn’t deteriorate as rapidly as it did.