Steve Cooper could receive as warm a reception from the away end as he might from the home section when he walks out of the tunnel at the King Power Stadium tonight.
Wins over Bournemouth and Southampton have helped to appease those Leicester City supporters who might have had doubts about the merits of his appointment following Enzo Maresca’s departure to Chelsea after leading them to promotion.
Had Cooper not secured his first two Premier League wins as Leicester manager, the mood might have been darker.
For Forest fans, he is the man who ended 23 years of exile, taking a side fighting relegation and turning them into Championship play-off winners.
He could still walk into many pubs in Nottingham and not have to buy a drink, even if the chant Forest fans used to sing, which included the line “he hates the Leicester”, might no longer resonate in quite the same way.
When asked about facing his former club at his pre-match press conference, Cooper straight-batted his reply. They had analysed Forest just as they would any other opponent. “I am just focused on what we need to do,” he said.
Nuno Espirito Santo was more forthcoming. “(Cooper) put us in the Premier League and we are trying to follow this amazing work of Steve,” he said.
The last point is the most pertinent one. Cooper was very probably the most popular manager since Frank Clark, who succeeded Brian Clough in 1993 — and followed up promotion from the second tier by forging a Premier League title challenge in his second season in charge.
But Nuno is quietly and steadily building on the legacy he inherited from Cooper. When the Forest hierarchy took the decision to part ways with Cooper in December 2023, they were aware that it was tantamount to putting down a sick family dog. But Nuno did a solid job in guiding Forest away from the threat of relegation when there were numerous distractions, including the spectre of a points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability regulations and several refereeing controversies.
There was always the sense, among the former Wolves head coach and his staff, that — if safety could be secured — this summer would represent an opportunity to stamp their influence on the club. Last season, Nuno was an occasionally tetchy figure with the press. The comparison with Cooper — an open, talkative and passionate figure — was not helpful, but now Nuno is a more relaxed figure who talks, more often than not, with a smile on his face.
And why not? After eight games, Forest are eighth and could climb to fifth, albeit perhaps briefly, with victory tonight.
The primary target is to reach that 40-point landmark; to ensure there is not a third consecutive fight against relegation. Because there is also a lesson to be learned from last season. After eight games, Cooper’s Forest had nine points. It took until November 5 — and 11 games — to reach 13 points, but it was still a more than reasonable start and included an impressive 1-0 win at Chelsea.
It prompted one journalist (ahem) to write a piece predicting relegation would not be a concern. They then collected one point from the next seven fixtures, while conceding 18 goals — a run that cost Cooper his job. That memory should inspire a small degree of caution, but things feel different under Nuno, as though Forest have taken a step forward and evolved into something more. A similar collapse just feels unlikely.
Forest are unbeaten in their past six away Premier League games (winning four), which is their longest run without an away defeat in the top flight since February-October 1995 (12 games). Forest have averaged 1.36 points per away match in the Premier League under Nuno, after averaging just 0.46 under Cooper.
They are a more streetwise, savvy team. They are compact, organised and difficult to break down. The tight 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday felt like the kind of game where previous incarnations of this Forest side might have slipped up.
Nuno has inspired a remarkable run of form from striker Chris Wood, who has scored seven of Forest’s last 10 Premier League goals. Only Liverpool (three) have conceded fewer than Forest (six). It is the best start Forest have had to a top-flight season — defensively speaking — since 1980 when Clough’s side also conceded six goals in their first eight league games.
“It makes us realise this effort we made in pre-season in Spain, in 40C heat (104F), was worth it,” said Nuno when asked, in his pre-match press conference, if he is proud of that defensive record. “What we are seeing now is about how you have to be proud of something from day one. We committed ourselves to be better defensively.”
Serbian captain Nikola Milenkovic has had a layer of steel and leadership to the back four since signing from Fiorentina for a bargain £12million ($15.6m). He is the perfect partner for the more swashbuckling Murillo in the centre of defence. Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno has added a similar attacking mentality at left-back, which has long been fellow full-back Ola Aina’s trademark. Neco Williams is pushing hard for an opportunity but Forest’s back four is stable.
Opposition sides have accrued an expected goals value (xG) of 8.81 against Forest this season, the same as Manchester City. Only Aston Villa (8.71) and Liverpool (6.16) have a lower value, suggesting Forest’s defence is not giving up many high-quality chances.
Does Nuno believe in building his sides from the back, at having defensive strength as a starting point?
“This is the third or fourth step,” he said. “The first is to build a squad that can give you options and solutions. You also want the understanding that this is about the team; it is not about any one line, or about how you attack — it is about the bond you have as human beings. Once you have that, then you can start building from the tactical and technical aspect of things.”
When Nuno was Wolves manager, after leading them to promotion from the Championship in 2017-18, they subsequently secured back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League and a spot in the Europa League.
To dream of such heights, Nuno says Forest must avoid distractions and continue their improvement. For now, with Elliot Anderson thriving in whatever position he is asked to play and Matz Sels, the Belgian international, establishing himself as a trusted No 1, everything feels positive.
Cooper’s Forest links will ensure he must continue to work to win around some Leicester fans, but they appreciate his honesty.
His replacement at Forest is doing a very good job of winning the hearts and minds of the Forest faithful himself.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
