Forest rise again thanks to World Cup-winning boss
THE only time Steve Cooper looks uncomfortable is when he is asked to explain the extraordinary impact he has made on Forest. One defeat in 15, 30 points from those games, a surge up the table from bottom three to touching distance of the play-offs. Cooper starts to shuffle his feet and quickly credits the team for buying into his philosophy.
The truth is that a bunch of undermotivated, under-performing players were in serious danger of going nowhere until the Welshman walked in through the door.
This is a coach who has seen the Liverpool way from working at their Academy and who can boast the title of World Cup winner on his c.v. after taking England Under 17s all the way in 2017.
Cooper is the epitome of a very modern football manager, happy to give youth a chance, willing to push players out of positional comfort zones, always asking questions.
Take 20-year-old Brennan Johnson, a homegrown product who clinched this win with his fifth goal of the season.
The attacker can play anywhere in midfield or up front and admits Forest’s fluid formation patterns are catching out rivals. Johnson credits one man for the transformation: his new boss.
‘He has just given me freedom in that final third to make things happen which I’m really excited about doing. That is the main thing. He is obviously a very good manager tactically,’ Johnson said.
‘Since the gaffer came in, I have felt really confident. Maybe the goals weren’t coming. I had a little stage when I wasn’t getting some but I’m just happy to help the team and I always want to score and assist as much as I can.
‘He wants us to express ourselves. He knows he had a talented group coming in. I think we are a good team. We just didn’t have much confidence and he gives everyone the belief to step up their game — which we have done.
‘There are quite a few players now that can play a few different roles, when we’ve gone to a three (at the back), gone to a four, and it definitely shows.
‘We can kind of switch mid-game and not be affected. It took a couple of minutes to readjust against Hull but we then got our flow back and deserved the three points.
‘I am not too sure how many teams can do that, change formation mid-game when there is an injury, but we definitely can. We work on two formations in training and it definitely shows in the game that we can do it quite comfortably.’
Forest also had to show character after Hull took the lead through their young gun Keane Potter-Lewis. A controversial penalty decision gave Lewis Grabban the opportunity to level and it was the 10-goal striker who crossed for Johnson’s winner.
There has been speculation about the youngster’s future but he said: ‘I’m enjoying it so much here,’ he added. ‘In January we have big games to come so there is definitely no room for looking elsewhere.’
Rivals Hull had been on a bit of roll before this match, six unbeaten in tandem with the planned £30million takeover which could be completed by Christmas Day.
They left still feeling very aggrieved over the penalty decision.
‘I think he (John Busby) couldn’t wait to give the penalty and that is twice this season he has given a big decision (against us). He admitted the mistake last time but that is not good enough,’ complained captain Richie Smallwood.