by In the end, the statement announcing Steve Cooper’s departure from Nottingham Forest could have included the phrase “mutual contempt”.
Cooper’s tense relationship with Evangelos Marinakis finally ended: after two years and three months, he becomes the second loss of the season in the Premier League. He will always be remembered as the hero who brought this famous old club forward, uniting players and fans and propelling them into the top division after 23 years away.
Cooper made those fans fall in love again, at a time when Forest was exhausting the avenues to fail in the Championship. Ending that painful period in the wilderness means Cooper’s achievements are the most significant since Brian Clough’s magical tenure. [and that is not ignoring the impact made by Frank Clark post-Clough in the 1990s].
Keeping Forest in the top flight, after a season that saw 30 new players arrive, was arguably even more impressive and allowed the club to continue building.
There may never be another Forest manager who enjoyed the relationship Cooper had with his fans. He was the ‘Pontypridd Pep’ who understood the club’s rich history and taught them to dream again. Inevitably, however, when coaches leave football clubs, the situation clearly falls apart in the future. Not many at this level survive a run of one win in 13 games, regardless of past achievements, and Cooper is sacked just two weeks after the Forest owner’s discarded accreditation pass was found in nearby bushes following a 5-0 beating by Fulham.
The narrative of Cooper’s departure away from Nottingham will be framed as another club panicking and stretching itself beyond its means. Of course, it’s much more complex than that. In recent weeks, Cooper and Marinakis barely spoke to each other. Their relationship had long since broken down, to the point where even phone calls were ignored.
Marinakis has been with Cooper longer than anyone at the club imagined. The Greek billionaire has a fearsome reputation for being “trigger-happy”, something that bothers him.
At Olympiacos, the Greek powerhouse he has, it may be justified. In Forest, this is undeserved. He has high expectations and the results have not been good enough in recent months. Since completing its takeover in May 2017, it has sacked Mark Warburton, Aitor Karanka, Martin O’Neill, Sabri Lamouchi and Chris Hughton.
In reality, none of them could have any complaints; in fact, one could argue that Lamouchi and Hughton, in particular, were given more than enough time to change the results. Marinakis will feel the same applies to Cooper.
Perhaps it was just the fear of a fan backlash that allowed Cooper to continue limping along.
For the many fans who pay money to see their club each week, there was also a feeling that this was yet to come. It is possible to value someone a lot and feel gratitude, but also feel like they have lost their way. The fan base has become increasingly divided and Cooper did not deserve for the situation to become toxic. As is well documented, he came very close to losing his job many times last season.
The 4-0 defeat at Leicester last October was the most notable occasion on which Rafael Benitez was lined up as a possible replacement. With Cooper’s future uncertain, Wolves and Southampton turned to intermediaries to consider his possible appointment. A hectic few days ended when the Welshman signed a new £2.5million-a-year deal.
There were plenty of other pivotal moments: after a 4-0 defeat to West Ham in February, Marinakis came very close to wielding the axe. After a 2-1 defeat at Leeds on April 4, even Cooper thought he was leaving.
Replacements were considered, including Patrick Vieira and even former Wolves manager Bruno Lage, but Cooper survived. He knew Forest’s work behind the scenes and used it to create a siege mentality on the club’s training ground.
‘I have given you the players’
Over the summer he lost even more control over signings as Forest were unhappy with some players he had previously recommended. Backroom staff were added who were club appointments.
He angered Marinakis in the opening day defeat to Arsenal with post-match comments about the club’s transfer business.
Cooper was frustrated when seven new players arrived on deadline day, as he felt he left them playing catch-up to understand his methods. They were also picking up injuries after a shaky preseason. However, in terms of pounds spent, he invested more in his team than most managers in Europe’s top five leagues. Marinakis has spent more than £250m on fees alone since promotion and has plans for Forest to become a top ten club.
He is an owner whose mentality is: “I have given you the players, now it is your turn.”
Without a doubt, it is demanding. Marinakis could not understand tactical decisions, team selection, game management and the inability to avoid mistakes. It didn’t seem like a consistent, identifiable style of play. When they were without forward Taiwo Awoniyi, the entire setup seemed to collapse and Cooper reverted to a low block.
Forest have won just two of their 28 away games since promotion, losing 19 of them.
Tension began to grow in the locker room. Scott McKenna, the Scotland international, was excluded after the club made it clear that he would not get a new contract. Cooper then had a major disagreement with Joe Worrall, the Forest captain. Worrall was informed on the morning of the match against Aston Villa on 5 November that he would not be in the matchday squad. Worrall reacted angrily and did not attend the game because he was not in the right frame of mind.
Reporting to the training ground days later, he had a heated confrontation with Cooper and was instructed to train with McKenna outside the first team before games. From ‘day minus 2’, and sometimes even before, they were given personal programs and were only called to train with the first team when the numbers were low.
That situation occurred just weeks after Worrall endured the tragic death of his uncle. Two of Forest’s promotion heroes had been coldly discarded.
Some players also clashed with Cooper and the coaching staff over what they considered inconsistent team selection.
Two summer signings, Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos and £11m signing Andrew Omobamidele, have not made a single league start, while Nuno Tavares and Gonzalo Montiel – the latter a World Cup winner with Argentina – They only have one each so far. There will be inevitable questions about hiring and they are totally understandable.
As results have plummeted, the atmosphere at the training ground is said to have become “tense” in recent weeks.
Cooper sidelined former chairman Nicholas Randall KC and club director Jonny Owen – two key figures who fought for him at board meetings last season when his position looked bleak, particularly after the Leicester defeat.
A 2-2 draw at home to Luton, in which Forest conceded two late goals after some strange substitutions, was hugely damaging. Chaotic defeats to West Ham and Brighton added to the pressure. After Brighton’s home defeat, furious clashes broke out in the tunnel between Cooper’s coaching staff and Roberto De Zerbi’s team.
After the 1-0 loss to Everton at home, some fans booed Cooper and the team. It was unusual and felt significant at the time. The tough defeat against Fulham, when Marinakis stormed out after the fourth goal, was the final blow.
Although Cooper managed the Wolves and Tottenham games, he was on the verge of retirement: it was not about Marinakis judging him match by match, but about finding the right replacement.
Where next?
Nuno Espirito Santo is set to return to English football following his departure from Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad last month. He will have something to prove after his unhappy time at Tottenham. He worked wonders for the Wolves before a falling out with president Jeff Shi, and for three years it was exciting to watch.
Julen Lopetegui, former Wolves and Real Madrid coach, was the first to be questioned. He is said to be hoping for a “bigger” job and considers himself a candidate for Manchester United (if Erik ten Hag leaves) or West Ham.
Marco Silva was widely admired but a potential transfer ended after he signed a new contract with Fulham in October. Former Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner held talks, but Marinakis was not convinced.
What about Cooper?
Leaving Forest will hurt but, equally, it will be a relief. If Forest had sunk into the bottom three during his tenure, he would have been uncomfortable. He was in danger of tarnishing his legacy.
Their reputation remains relatively high and Crystal Palace are known to have admirers. Palace would not have to pay any compensation now if they replaced Roy Hodgson with the 44-year-old.
When Cooper inevitably returns to the City Ground in charge of another team, the reception will be incredible. Visit to the palace on March 30.
He is assured a place in Forest history. With each punch after victories, he brought the club and its fan base closer.
He will always remain “Super Cooper”, but in the end there was no room for feelings. Marinakis wanted more than what his Premier League promotion manager could offer.
