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Nottingham Forest STILL exploring potential replacements for Steve Cooper and maintain interest in Rafa Benitez…
- Forest does not rule out staying with Cooper despite a poor start to the season
- But the club is looking at alternatives if they decide to fire him
- Sportsmail understands players are upset by the situation at the club
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Nottingham Forest continues to explore possible replacements for boss Steve Cooper and maintains a strong interest in Rafael Benitez.
The club are considering their next move since Monday’s 4-0 defeat at Leicester, which left them bottom of the league table. Sportsmail understands that members of Forest’s team have been upset by the sense of uncertainty, as it emerged Tuesday that the roles of Cooper and a number of senior figures – including chief executive Dane Murphy and head of recruitment George Syrianos – were under threat.
Forest’s next game is at home against Aston Villa on Monday and the club does not rule out showing confidence in Cooper for the time being. Sportsmail announced on Tuesday that the Welshman’s contract offer, who led Forest to promotion earlier this year, was no longer on the table. Benitez is available and has a lot of experience in the Premier League having led Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton.
Forest still investigating possible replacements for manager Steve Cooper
Cooper has come under pressure after Forest slumped for the fifth time in a row on Monday
Still, the turbulence of the past 48 hours is believed to have affected certain members of the team, the majority of whom enjoy working with Cooper.
The players feel that the sooner Forest sets a clear plan for the future, the better it will be for the team’s prospects.
Forest has brought in 23 new players since the promotion and has spent around £150 million since the promotion. In addition to Syrianos and Murphy, the role of head of scouting Andy Scott is also thought to be under review.
While they have shown promise in attack, they have been well below par in defence, conceding 21 times in the league and losing their lead in home games against Bournemouth and Fulham, who also promoted last season.
While reluctant to publicly criticize the players, Cooper lamented their lack of competitive advantage following the humiliation at King Power Stadium, which marked Leicester’s first win in the league this season.
Van Forest is thought to retain strong interest in former Liverpool and Everton boss Rafa Benitez