Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis hands Steve Cooper a public vote of confidence – but tells manager ‘results and performance must improve IMMEDIATELY’
Steve Cooper has been granted a stay of execution by Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, but has warned he has no room for error in the fight to survive.
The Forest boss has been on thin ice since the 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle before the international break and they have since picked up just one point from games against fellow contenders Wolves and Leeds.
For the second time this season, Marinakis considered removing Cooper, but backed out – although he made it clear that the manager needed to improve results immediately.
“No one is denying that our club is in a difficult position in the Premier League, but we want to put an end to speculation… to confirm that Steve Cooper will remain our manager at Nottingham Forest,” Marinakis said in a statement. a statement released early Wednesday afternoon.
“We are all disappointed with the recent performances and it is very clear that a lot of work needs to be done to address this urgently. Results and performance must improve immediately.
Steve Cooper has won the trust of the owner of Nottingham Forest
Evangelos Marinakis supports Cooper, but also sent his manager a warning about the results
“Now is the time for everyone connected to our club – from us as owners to the board, our supporters, backroom staff, coaches and players – to come together and fight to secure our status in the Premier League.
“There should be no time for distractions, rumors and speculation. There is only time for hard work, determination, dedication from Steve and the players to get the results we need and, of course, the continued great support from the Nottingham Forest fans.’
The 2-1 defeat at Elland Road means Forest have taken six points from a possible 42 points away from home, and they are only above the relegation zone on goal difference as they prepare for Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday.
Cooper is arguably Forest’s most popular manager since Brian Clough.
When he took over in September 2021, Forest were bottom of the table and he led them to promotion eight months later.
Subsequently, Marinakis spent £160 million on 30 new players and, until the recent seven-game winless run, Cooper seemed to have molded them into a cohesive unit.
But Marinakis’ latest message casts doubt on the 43-year-old’s future at the City Ground.
Forest lost 2-1 to relegation rivals Leeds on Tuesday night after taking the lead