Cooper annoyed by average Forest
HEAD coach Steve Cooper was left “slightly annoyed” at his Nottingham Forest’s side performance as they drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion.
It was a third successive stalemate for the Reds, who stretched their unbeaten run to six games but could not find a breakthrough against the 10-man Baggies.
The hosts had the better of a first half lacking in quality, though they struggled to create many clear-cut chances.
Forest improved after the interval and had the numerical advantage when Jayson Molumby was sent off for a second yellow card with 20 minutes to go.
They couldn’t find a breakthrough, leaving Cooper frustrated at the final whistle.
“It was an average game. I thought we were average for large parts of the game, particularly in the first half. I didn’t really like our performance,” he said.
“I didn’t think we played with enough intensity. I didn’t think we made enough passes. We maybe slightly lacked a bit of belief.
“It’s been three games in a week, that can be tough physically - but it’s the same for them.
“I didn’t feel under threat in the game. I know they had a couple of good moments in the first half, but I didn’t feel like we were ever getting peppered in the game.
“I just felt the game was there to play a bit better than what we did. “I’m slightly annoyed at it, really.” The Reds have still lost only once since Cooper took charge in September and have made great strides under his stewardship.
The Welshman felt the progress they have made wasn’t on show at The Hawthorns, however, calling on his team to prove they are better than their display in the West Midlands.
“I’m just disappointed with the performance, really. I just think we are a better team than that; we can be a better version than that,” he said.
“I don’t want to apologise for expecting the best all the time.
“The players are feeling it as well; they are not overly happy with it. They work really hard, they give their all, they are a good set of guys who are very together and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with challenging them to do better - that’s basically what we are doing.
“They take it and I think they know.”