A Cooper-less Christmas

Squint a little, use your imagination, and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis might be mistaken for Santa Claus. Bushy beard, full face and rotund body seal a physical resemblance. Giver of gifts could be another similarity.

The present that we – the supporters – have received wasn’t on a Christmas ‘wish-list’. That would simply have read: ‘more wins please’. But, there you go, the season for giving also includes receiving things you don’t want or need. Remember hand-knitted jumpers from auntie X, a book from an uncle who thought you liked reading for pleasure?

What has happened at the City Ground, though, is a far more serious matter. The bond that Steve Cooper established with fans was profound and heart-felt and reciprocated on every level. Not unique but not ubiquitous either, in the cut-throat world of top-flight professional football.

Cooper was the orchestrator of a two-year story that had the weight and drama of a full opera, with a cast of thousands. It encapsulated hope, belief, disbelief, relief, joy and sorrow. And pride. Who could not be fascinated by the unfolding Forest parable of promotion and then pride in surviving a first season back in the Premiership, that most competitive of leagues?

He oversaw and managed the largest influx of players into a club that has ever been known in so short a period. Not all personnel were of his choosing but he moulded and cajoled them into a unit fit for purpose. At the time, it felt like some re-enactment of a First World War recruitment drive, signing up significant numbers to knock into shape ready for action at the front. Cast him as captain. He led from the front and was tireless in seeking to find combinations of players who could unite to become an effective force. The relief at the end of last season, in the stadium and throughout the city and beyond, was palpable.

A short summer break and then the opening to the new season. Any Forest fan would have used the word ‘consolidate’ or something similar. Belief was in the air and it said: ‘we have established our credentials and will aim for mid-table solidarity as a platform for the near-future’. Steve Cooper would have no reason not to agree with, or aspire to, that target.

But here’s the rub. It’s well-known in the creative arts industries, and no doubt in many others, that the second time round is more challenging than the first, be it writing a novel, play, film, making a product and so on. First time round has the benefit of newness, surprise and originality. The second time, generally, cannot simply be a repeat. It might enhance a reputation but it needs to demonstrate development. Could it be that, for all his his endeavour, Cooper had reached the end of what he could achieve with the players at his disposal?

His commitment to the club and to the cause of putting Nottingham Forest back on the map of principle players in the Premier league was never in doubt. He knew what it meant to the city to have the Reds back where so many feel they belong. In getting them back into the Premiership, though, who knows what it took out of him? In recent post-match interviews he’s looked both exhausted and haunted.

Despite being given a long-term contract last season, when many wondered if his days were numbered at the City Ground, Cooper has had the sword of Damocles hanging over him for most of this campaign. Sat in the Trent End last Friday evening, as Forest struggled to gain some purchase in their game against Spurs, I wasn’t alone in wondering if this was the match that would decide his fate. I still applauded him and was moved by fans cheering his name long after the final whistle.

Yet, the stark fact was that Forest had lost again and at home. It did feel like (to nearly use the title of one of Africa’s most famous novels about society crumbling in the face of ‘progress’) things were falling apart. Were we watching the best combination of Forest players in the right formation, given that we’d had wholesale change for the previous fixture against Wolves? Could we feel confident about the team’s performance in future games? No. Something had to change and now it has.

Who knows whether new man, Nuno Espirito Santo, is right for the job of managing Forest? Some of his credentials impress, others don’t. It’s difficult not to recall his short tenure at Spurs but he worked wonders at Wolves. His name roughly translates as ‘Holy Spirit’ from Portuguese and we can only hope he brings something special to the City Ground. He might not be the seasonal favourite saint, Santa Claus, but we should wish him well as he inherits goodwill at the club that is beyond anything I’ve felt or experienced in the past decades.

To welcome Nuno will not diminish what we have felt for Steve Cooper. He will live in our collective memories for what he has achieved. He is a man of integrity and honesty and the game needs more like him. I doubt it’ll be long before he’s managing another top club and we should applaud that. For now, though, it’s all eyes and ears directed to the City Ground for Saturday’s encounter with Bournemouth. Plenty of Forest players will want to demonstrate their commitment to the team and to their new manager and, of course, to the fans.