Steve Cooper is a dead man walking at Nottingham Forest where their summer spending spree is in grave danger of becoming a Greek tragedy.
Promoted Forest prop up the Premier League after a 4-0 hiding at local rivals Leicester, who climbed off the foot of the table. Boss Cooper’s job is now on the line with the club’s Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis considering a shake-up after spending £150million on 22 new players this summer.
Forest are actively considering replacing Cooper before Monday’s trip to Aston Villa after they were 3-0 down at half-time at Leicester as they slumped to a fifth straight defeat. Names in the frame include ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche, who started his career at the City Ground, and potentially ex-Newcastle and Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez.
Cooper,42, who took over a year ago when Forest were bottom of the Championship, ditched his trademark back three and wing-backs at Leicester but still saw his side torn apart. Defender Steve Cook, who was captain at the King Power Stadium, said: “The way we conceded goals and defended was unacceptable.
“The individuals that were on the pitch have to take responsibility. This is the Premier League so we need to stick together and demand more from each other. Against Aston Villa on Monday we have to put in a performance to dig us out of this hole which is slowly getting bigger.”
As well as Cooper’s future, shipping tycoon Marinakis is also scrutinising the recruitment team. The Olympiakos owner is not known for his patience and sacked Pedro Martins the manager of the Greek champions in July after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Image:
James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)George Syrianos, Forest’s head of recruitment, and head of scouting Andy Scott are both now facing uncertain futures. Syrianos joined Forest from Stuttgart before the start of last term while Scott, who has previously worked at Watford, Brentford and Swansea, was only appointed in January this year.
Marinakis has been deeply frustrated by the lack of impact made by their record number of new arrivals. Forest chased free agent Jesse Lingard for a month before landing the England international but he has made minimal impact in games despite impressing in training.
Morgan Gibbs-White, who cost a club record £25million, has caught the eye but many of Forest’s signings are unsuited to winning back possession or coping without the ball in a promoted team which has been exposed.
