Cooper’s magical Forest reign feels like it’s ending as it should

Every defeat feels a little closer to the end of this wild, spectacular period of Nottingham Forest’s history, but at least Cooper is going out with his principles in tact 

December 16, 2023 11:43 am(Updated 2:24 pm)

If this is to be the end of Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest, a wild, magical journey that has fizzled out to make everyone feel glum, he at least went out on his own terms.

Just as at Wolves last weekend, there was fight from a team largely selected from last season’s roster. Cooper was serenaded with his song before and after kick-off. They love him here and they always will.

Over the last two games, Cooper has returned to his typical pragmatism. If you’re going to get sacked soon, so the logic goes, you might as well stick to your guns.

Forest sacrificed possession and did concede two early chances, but battled to grow into the contest and began to make Tottenham panic with their midfield tenacity.

This was Angeball vs angerball. Forest appointed a set-piece coach this week, and he will quickly learn that central defender Moussa Niakhate has a standing throw-in technique like a catapult.

As is the theme of Forest’s misfortune, the chances created fell to those who would put finishing a long way down their resumé and, when they did score, VAR intervened due to an offside. Ain’t that just the way that things go down.

Ryan Yates has been the personification of the attempted fightback. He is something precious around here, at a club that has signed 44 players since the start of last summer: an academy graduate.

That can mean nothing at all or it can mean everything. When you watch Yates haring around the pitch, celebrating tackles in front of supporters and broken when his team concede, you know how much it means to him.

These are not the games that will decide Cooper’s fate, whoever is waiting to go next. They only ever asked to compete against better teams, and have.

It was the dispiriting collapses against Luton, Everton and Fulham that may cause the departure of the most popular manager Trentside since Cloughie through this extended goodbye. That will be a source of great lament during the winter and beyond.