Meticulous planning, replies to every single fan letter and embracing the club’s glorious past… How Steve Cooper has taken Nottingham Forest from fearing League One drop to beating Chelsea in the Premier League in just two years

When Steve Cooper entered the City Ground as the new manager of Nottingham Forest on September 21, 2021, the club were bottom of the Championship and the brief was to keep the ailing giant out of League One.

Two years later, Forest is in its second season in the Premier League, after being promoted for the first time this century.

Last month, Forest broke the transfer record by signing Ibrahim Sangare, one of Europe’s most highly-rated central midfielders, from PSV Eindhoven for more than £30 million.

Before the international break, Cooper’s men won 1-0 at Chelsea, one of their best results in years.

As he approaches his second birthday, it’s safe to say Cooper has exceeded the original job description.

Not that the Welshman spends much time reflecting on his achievements.

During the recent two-week break, Cooper met with owner Evangelos Marinakis in London. The pair communicate regularly and despite Marinakis’ demanding nature, their relationship is largely good.

Forest wouldn’t be where they are today without Marinakis’ ambitious investment and he has finally found a coach to make the most of it.

Cooper was also spotted dining in Nottingham with Callum Hudson-Odoi, a member of his 2017 World Cup-winning England Under-17 team.

Hudson-Odoi was one of seven new signings on transfer deadline day and has turned to Cooper to revive a career that has been in disarray since Bayern Munich wanted to sign the 22-year-old in January 2019 from Chelsea and wanted to present him with the number 10 shirt.

Cooper likes to meet regularly with all his players and will often talk to them via FaceTime or phone calls to gauge their mood and what makes them tick.

He also joined members of European Cup winners Nottingham Forest for one of their weekly Thursday lunches and spent time answering some of the letters he receives from Forest supporters. Cooper tries to respond to everyone.

It’s at Forest’s training base – the Nigel Doughty Academy on the outskirts of the city – where Cooper really comes alive.

“He started his coaching career early and has worked incredibly hard to refine his process over that period,” said Coventry defender Jake Bidwell, who played for Cooper at Swansea from 2019-2021. ‘He’s so confident.

‘When we lost a game, nine times out of ten it was because we didn’t execute the plan. On Monday you went to training and knew exactly what the week would look like.

‘Nothing has shocked us. He had always done so much homework that he could predict exactly what would happen in a given game. He took my game to the next level.”

Many players would say the same. Brennan Johnson – sold to Tottenham for £47.5m this summer – and Ryan Yates are two Forest Academy products who are doing well under Cooper.

Brazilian midfielder Danilo found the pace of the English game a little tricky in central midfield, so the coaches used him in a more advanced role.

Danilo would play a crucial role in Forest’s survival last season, scoring three goals in as many games in the run-in.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi speaks highly of Cooper, who also had an important influence on compatriot Conor Gallagher, as well as James Garner, Djed Spence and Rhian Brewster. The list goes on.

Cooper leads the training and marches among his players to direct operations. He fully supported the owners’ decision to invest £2 million in new pitches at the training ground, while changing rooms and meeting rooms have been modernized both there and at the City Ground.

There is also more emphasis on nutrition than in the past as Cooper and sporting director Ross Wilson look to create a Premier League mentality at the club.

Cooper and his team are on the training pitch early and after the sessions are completed they will review them and prepare for the upcoming matches.

These analyzes are generally divided into four categories: owned; from possession; transitions; and set pieces.

Meetings are an essential part of Cooper’s approach and he will speak individually to his players and staff as often as possible.

His attention is not exclusively focused on the training field either. During the week, Cooper visits the City Ground to enter the club shop and greet the office staff.

This is not done for effect: Cooper has taken Forest to his heart and is even considering what the club could do to make the matchday experience even better for fans.

In fact, Cooper thinks of little else than family and football. With his family still living near Wrexham, the 43-year-old spends most of his weeks at his East Midlands base.

Cooper will work late into the evening and spends most of that time watching games.

Three concepts – faith, self-esteem and ownership – underpin his work, and Cooper found them in short supply when he joined Forest.

But from day one, he decided to see the job as an opportunity rather than a burden.

Instead of shying away from history, why not embrace history? Instead of worrying about other managers who have failed, why not be the one to turn the tide? The owners were prepared to invest heavily. Why not make good use of that?

The result was a stormy campaign that ended in promotion via the play-offs. After Cooper arrived, Forest picked up more points, scored more goals and conceded fewer than any other side in the Championship.

The fractured bond with the supporters was stitched back together, and the remarkable atmosphere at the City Ground drove Forest to crucial points so often last season.

What is Cooper’s ultimate goal with Forest? Look at that victory at the Under-17 World Cup in India. With current Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White in the team alongside Phil Foden, Hudson-Odoi and Guehi, England defeated Spain 5-2 in the final and played some spectacular football.

Pep Guardiola is believed to have been following the tournament closely and it is intriguing to note that Cooper also used Foden in a wide attacking role.

That performance is the blueprint for how Cooper would like to play. In Forest’s position that isn’t always possible, and they stayed upright by becoming an effective counter-attacking force. That style also led to the victory at Stamford Bridge.

But the current team offers Cooper new possibilities. There is more room to adjust formations and play more progressively, especially at home.

As he prepares his team to take on Burnley on Monday, Cooper is just getting started.