Big spenders, big names and a big ask for Cooper
KENNY BURNS was sure he was being watched.
The Glaswegian was right. Nottingham Forest’s boss at the time – Brian Clough – liked him as a player but sent sidekick Peter Taylor to find Perry Barr dog track in Birmingham to discover just how deep his gambling habits were.
Taylor went incognito but discovered that the rebellious Burns was enjoying a light flutter. Nothing serious.
He reported back to the game’s greatest-ever manager, who not only signed the striker but turned him into a centre-back who retired with two European Cup winners’ medals to his name and a Footballer of the Year trophy.
It was a similar story at Derby with Archie Gemmill – who later became another legendary Forest figure.
Clough had been tipped off by Taylor that the young Scot was going to Everton from Preston North End.
Old Big ‘Ed refused to leave the midfielder’s house until he had signed and eventually, after threatening to sleep outside in his car, was offered a bed for the night.
When he awoke, Derby’s boss went downstairs in his vest and boxer shorts – offered to carpet the front room in Gemmill’s new hose and bought him a television. Job done.
The lengths that Clough and Taylor went to, particularly in those early years when they were the best in the business, to source talent, do their background checks and clinch signings, was the stuff of legend.
But today, as Nottingham Forest await their re-entry into the elite after a generation spent trawling the lower leagues, those stories are particularly pointed. Sure, the City Ground will be a jubilant sea of red as West
Ham are welcomed for the first time as Premier
League opponents.
It is long overdue.
Twenty-three years is one generation of supporters who have seen nothing other than lower league fare.
But what will they be watching, exactly? It’s unclear whether boss Steve Cooper himself knows.
Since the former Liverpool academy coach somehow turned a start from hell – one point from Chris Hughton’s first seven games – into Championship play-off glory, there has been a revolving door by the banks of the Trent.
In fairness, Forest had little choice but to overhaul a squad that was desperately-lacking proven Premier League experience. Their promotion may have
been unexpected but it was built on the back of solid professionals such as Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates and Scott Mckenna.
But the turbo-charged boost the campaign received came thanks to the loan market. Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence, Manchester United’s James Garner and Keinan Davis from Villa played important roles as Forest sneaked over the line.
And, yes, some of the new recruits will be known to Cooper. Jesse Lingard, Wayne Hennessey and Dean Henderson for starters.
The summer’s priciest capture – striker Taiwo Awoniyi – worked with Forest’s boss at Anfield.
You could go through the entire list – Forest are heading towards a spend of £100million – but Cooper is fielding almost an entirely new XI.
Forest’s blueprint has been a prime example of how a Championship club shouldn’t approach it.
Wolves came up with a structure, invested wisely, survived. Watford and Norwich City are two recent examples of those who haven’t. Fulham came up, spent like Forest and were soon sent back down.
Cooper has been forced into a wholesale rebuild. And he must be keeping his fingers crossed that this hastily-assembled group can come up with the goods.
Clough would have appreciated Cooper’s first miracle. It’s asking a helluva lot for him to do so
again.