The search for a new head coach at Nottingham Forest has been ongoing for over a year since Steve Cooper’s departure. Despite a 4-0 loss to Leicester in October 2022, Cooper’s contract was renewed due to his popularity and the team’s improved performance. However, he was ultimately let go on Tuesday.
Last season, there were attempts to find different options for the role, including Rafa Benítez, Sean Dyche, and Bruno Lage. However, due to a lack of interest in the position or the realization that they would not significantly improve upon Cooper, plans for change were abandoned. In the end, the decision came down to former Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner and Nuno Espírito Santo, with the latter being chosen.
Nuno has a number of key elements in his favour that explain why the Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, made his eventual selection. The Portuguese has experience of managing in the Premier League, will be able to communicate with Forest’s contingent of Lusophones, took Wolves into Europe and has big‑name clubs on his CV. At Wolves he earned promotion and two seventh-placed finishes, which is the level Forest want to reach.
Nuno’s tenure as Tottenham’s manager for four months, followed by his firing from Al-Ittihad due to a rough start to the season after winning a title, does not paint him in a positive light. His lack of success in the north London team greatly contributes to his eagerness to come back to the Premier League, as he believes it unfairly damaged his reputation.
When Nuno arrived at the club, it was constantly changing. 23 new players were signed after promotion, which made the team disorganized and made it difficult for Cooper to choose a starting lineup. After losing against Leicester, Cooper questioned if he was the right person for the job. It seemed like he might not have a say in the decision, but he bounced back and the team was able to avoid relegation. During the summer, 13 more players were signed, but Cooper still did not have a clear idea of his strongest team. He kept making changes in both formation and players as he tried to find a successful combination.
Cooper had to navigate through a lot of changes in the higher-ups at his job. The CEO who advocated for his hiring, Dane Murphy, left and the recruitment head responsible for building the team he led, George Syrianos, was fired. He was then replaced by sporting director Filippo Giraldi, who only stayed for eight months.
Ross Wilson is in charge of managing football operations and is facing a challenging task of maintaining stability. This is due to the fact that Cooper was responsible for keeping everything on track. However, with only one win in 13 games, Marinakis felt the need to take action as his relationship with Cooper had become tense.
Nuno will not receive the same amount of financial support from Forest as they have in past years due to financial fair play regulations and recent spending. Any funds available in the upcoming month will need to be prioritized for the areas in greatest need. It is crucial for the club to acquire a backup striker for Taiwo Awoniyi, and they are also contemplating signing a right-sided center-back. However, it is likely that they will need to sell players first.
The expectation is for a smooth change from Cooper to Nuno due to their similar playing styles, although Forest believes their new coach is more skilled at organizing defense.
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It could be argued that Glasner is better suited to the available players, as he frequently used a 3-4-2-1 formation while coaching at Eintracht Frankfurt. While Nuno’s Wolves typically utilized a 3-4-3 in the Premier League, he may need to make some adjustments in order to fully utilize key player Morgan Gibbs-White, who is a follower of Cooper’s tactics and is believed by Nuno to excel in a central role. Although Nuno’s style of football is often perceived as unexciting, fan response to his lineup choices has been lackluster. However, he possesses the qualifications necessary to manage a forward-thinking club with a talented roster capable of improvement.
Marinakis did not originally choose Cooper as his manager; he had to be convinced to choose him over Chris Wilder. On the other hand, Nuno was specifically chosen by Marinakis and is supported by the Forest leadership. This backing will benefit him greatly, although he may not reach the same level of popularity among fans as his predecessor. Cooper successfully revitalized the club and was also beloved by supporters off the field. He was often approached for photos in restaurants, spoke with enthusiasm about Forest, and made many gestures that endeared him to the community. He made a significant impact on the city.
The original intention was to locate a candidate who was significantly better than Cooper, and Nuno does not seem to fit that criteria based on his recent performance as a manager. While Glasner may have been a more daring choice, it is reasonable for Forest to prefer someone with previous experience in the league. It is now Nuno’s responsibility to demonstrate that their trust in him is justified; otherwise, this hiring could turn out to be a lateral move. One thing is certain: Nuno has big shoes to fill.
Source: theguardian.com
