ForestAreMagic

If Gibbs White is out for a few weeks/months, Leicester will be favourites

Overall, second biggest/closest after Derby. But South of Trent Bridge and in North Leics (where we have quite good support) it’s more about Leicester. One of our songs is usefully chronological: “We hate Derby County, we hate Leicester too, we hated Sheffield United but Forest we love you” If we both stay in the Prem for a few years (assuming no Derby there) I can see Leicester becoming the bigger rival again.

yeah I don’t think any of us think we’re close to those 2 😂. We’re poor at home for a start

Cooper seems to have learned since his first 3 months in the Prem with us - the wuppings have stopped. It’ll be interesting to see how he does away from home with you - seems like you’ve been competitive so far

You won’t care what us Trees think, but I think I and many others will be right. I’ve always thought you’ll stay up with Cooper, beat some big teams at home in the process (and probably us too) but you’ll rarely be thrilled by the football TBF my numerous leicester mates are generally more positive about him than I read online. They just want to stay up.

Putting all of this detailed analysis aside, sometimes a manager just doesn’t fit culturally, and the fans aren’t having him. We had it with Steve McLaren. He was just seen, rightly or wrongly, as a ridiculous Derby fan. We weren’t having him. He was basically booed from the moment he arrived and he lasted about 100 days. I’m sure we rationalised it with guff about substitutions and playing style, but it was simpler than that - the fans didn’t want him because they just didn’t want him.

Largely agree with you on the youth point. He obviously played Gibbs-White and Johnson once we got promoted, but they were outstanding. Beyond that he went for a mixture of Champo and top division experience. When we got to midseason it was all about signing serious experience like Navas, Wood and Felipe. He did a good job for us in season 1 in the PL as he had to build a team 95% from scratch. How he did in season 2 will always be up for debate amongst our fanbase. I never understood where the idea came from that Cooper didn’t want all the signings we made. He constantly spoke to the press about how we needed to strengthen. Most of our fans would have stuck with Cooper in season 1 even if we’d been relegated. Obvs your expectations are very different as you’re an established PL team.

I’m surprised to hear his subs have been bad - he was generally good on this at Forest, at least in home games Biggest weaknesses were: - away games - we usually set up like a League 1 team looking to do little more than damage limitation, with no real attacking intent. We got some real wuppings. - set pieces - we were extremely poor both at taking them and at defending them For what it’s worth I think he’ll keep you up. You’ve seen decent Prem football more recently than we had though - so I’m not surprised you’re finding it a tough watch, and unambitious

looked like the Newcastle player’s shoulder to me, not the Bournemouth player

The jury is still out a little on Nuno, but I ended last season thinking he was a slight upgrade. The football is certainly more enjoyable and we compete with most teams now, even if the results haven’t always reflected that. Interested by the comments about Leicester’s recruitment. Cooper (we believe) drove a lot of Forest’s recruitment, despite the jokes about Marinakis. He tended to go for players he’d known in past lives. When he’d known them from England (eg Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi) that was great. A couple from elsewhere were terrible though - Ayew and Shelvey. I very rarely disagreed with his team selections, and he was usually an effective user of substitutes.

There’s not much us Forest fans would criticise Cooper for, but we’d all agree that he usually set us up far too passively away from home. There were many occasions (including v Leicester) where we looked like a League 1 side - really terrible; in awe of the opposition; like we had no idea how to even attempt to get up the pitch. Then we’d play really good teams at home (Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal) and beat them.

Cooper is a manager who demands signings from his club. At Swansea I believe he left when he didn’t get them. At Forest he almost always got his way (plus he ended up with quite a few players that others wanted).

That’s true He had skeleton staff, and they were all beginners. No set-piece coach, no real strength & conditioning guys…and as a result an unimaginable number of injuries once we were in the PL and chasing games. Not his fault of course as we were a Champo club. Forest are still building up the back room team even now. I assume you’re better stacked in this department? With more stability, swanky training facilities etc he might be better up to succeed with Leicester.

You’re right that our crowd played a massive part in keeping us up, and Cooper did everything to crank us up. It was a love affair - from the Paul Smith clobber; to the constant complements about the city; to saying our ground ‘oozed football soul’; to the fist pumps as we sang our song to him (which, awkwardly, insulted Leicester) He’s got lots of qualities (adaptable, good with youth, good diplomat, plays good football if he’s got the players..). It will be interesting to see if the Forest baggage holds him back, with him being a hero for us so recently. Presumably you’ll forgive him if he starts well. He might need to say ‘Forest are &@“£ers for sacking me and I want revenge’.

I think people are basically saying ‘we hate Derby more’. The Derby rivalry is a lot more poisonous. When popular Forest players like Commons and Tyson have gone there, our fans have really turned on them - unlike Wes Morgan and others that have gone to Leicester. A lot of Forest fans were quite pleased you won the league (unthinkable if it had been Derby), and no one will turn on Cooper if he goes to Leicester. But no denying we’ve got a few songs about hating both clubs

All Forest fans in South Notts, Loughborough etc hate Leicester more than anyone. Elsewhere it’s Derby then Leicester. Sheffield United and Leeds come next.

20pc ish thought it was, sadly, time for him to move on - due to the start of the season and in some cases fans who thought we should ‘make the next step’ The rest thought it was premature or harsh, partly because the owner seemed to destabilise everything by meeting other managers 6 months later I think a small majority see Nuno as a slight upgrade, but not a dramatic improvement. We’re more competitive in big games, and more attacking. Maybe every manager has a shelf life - Steve had possibly run out of steam, not because he’s a bad manager, just because that’s what happens now. We’d have loved him to spend many successful years with us though.

Cooper wasn’t blameless on the transfers. It seems that he asked for Jonjo Shelvey, for example. But I think he’d do OK for you. He’s adaptable, a good talent-spotter, and a good politician when dealing with fans, players, mad owners etc. Biggest risks from my POV would be: - we weren’t just bad, we were APPALLING away from home in the PL under him. - I can see that he’d get less time from your fans than another manager would. If Forest were to employ, say, Brendan Rodgers, it would be the same. It’s hard to believe that a manager has a special bond with your club if he’s managed your rivals a year ago. Probably a different situation to MON, who’d not been at Forest for 10 years when you employed him; or Wes Morgan, who was an unknown defender

Gary Megson 💀

Cooper worked with a minimal coaching staff - Leicester would have to build that from scratch if yours have gone to Chelsea. He had Steven Reid (now back at Forest under Nuno), Andy Reid (a beginner) and Alan Tate (another beginner really, fired with Cooper). One of our biggest problems in our first season back was lack of coaching team.

Predictions if you get Cooper: - you’ll win loads of home games including against some big clubs - you’ll get walloped in lots of away games - you’ll stay up, endangering Forest in the process - you’ll feel conflicted about all of this because he hates the Leicester, he hates the Derby and he thinks Forest are magic

In the Championship he played an attacking game with very aggressive wingbacks. We were good at steamrollering teams but also good on the break as there was loads of pace in the team. In the PL we did this for about 6 games but were far too open against Leicester, Spurs and others and got some heavy beatings. So Cooper moved to a low block where we often had about 25pc possession and we were very reliant on the counters of Johnson and Awoniyi. Part of the reason he was sacked was the owners wanted a more possession-based game, and they were frustrated by us not laying a glove on teams away from home. He said that the City Ground oozes football soul and that his deep care for the wellbeing of Forest will always endure. Could see this meaning he wouldn’t get much patience at Leicester.

Based on watching Forest at Leicester quite a few times down the years, your ground can create an atmosphere when the fans are up for it. Bowls aren’t ‘soulless’ when everyone gets going as they keep the noise in. Filbert Street was more intimating, in the ‘I’m not safe here’ sense. Being next to that Kop was 90 minutes of abuse and having things thrown at us. Then leaving was terrifying as there was basically a couple of pieces of corrugated metal separating us from all the nutters leaving. The last Forest game there I was there with my Dad, and as we left he just said ‘keep left, and run’

Head over heart for me. I love the CG but if necessary, we have to move. If we do find a way to develop the site, there’s a genuine possibility IMO we approach local rivals about a temporary ground share. Notts, Leicester and Derby supporters all hate us but all 3 clubs - like Forest - would welcome a few million quid for use of their stadium. Leicester could most easily turn it down obvs as you’re a PL Club. I don’t think it will happen though - I think we’ll move to a new build.

Agree. I reluctantly think we have to move from the CG to get a stadium that generates loads of revenue. But I don’t see how it can be 6 miles outside Nottingham. Yes the local MP for the area, and investors etc, seem to have asked Forest to be part of a wider 15 year regeneration scheme that will replace the abandoned HS2 project.