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Nottingham Forest 'sack Steve Cooper as talks with Nuno Espirito Santo advance'

Forest 'sack Cooper as talks with Nuno advance'
© Reuters
Nuno Espirito Santo is reportedly in advanced talks with Nottingham Forest over taking up the role of manager, with Steve Cooper's sacking set to be announced.

Nottingham Forest have reportedly sacked manager Steve Cooper, but official confirmation from the club has not yet arrived.

The Welshman's job has been under serious threat for a number of weeks, and Friday's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur appears to be the final straw.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis gave Cooper one more opportunity to turn the club's fortunes around on the pitch after a 5-0 drubbing at Fulham, but they are still yet to win a game since.

A draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers followed, before a 2-0 defeat at home Spurs last time out, as Forest were unable to break down a side that played with 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

After just one win in 13 games, The Athletic claims Cooper has been informed that he will be relieved of his duties, as the club have already lined up Nuno Espirito Santo to replace him.

Al Ittihad coach Nuno Espirito Santo reacts on November 3, 2023© Reuters

The former Wolves and Spurs boss was sacked by Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad last month, following a defeat to Iraqi side Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the AFC Champions League.

Nuno's last stint with an English side lasted just over three months, at Tottenham, where he lost five matches in a seven-game period before being dismissed.

The Portuguese manager was well-renowned for his time at Molineux though, where he took Wolves to seventh-placed finishes on two occasions, as well as reaching a European quarter-final.

Nuno will have a big test ahead of him if he is to reach the level of adoration Cooper that received at the City Ground though.

After taking Forest back into the Premier League for the first time in over 20 years, not a bad word has been said about the outgoing boss by any portion of the fanbase, despite their poor start to the season.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper celebrates on August 14, 2022© Reuters

Cooper took over with Forest bottom of the Championship in 2021, before improbably leading them to the playoffs, which they won, beating Huddersfield Town in the showpiece occasion at Wembley.

It was a tall order to keep Forest in the Premier League last season too, despite spending big, but even though Cooper was under pressure on more than one occasion, he steered the club to safety with a game to spare, following a famous win over Arsenal at the City Ground.

Forest currently lie one place above the relegation zone after Everton's win over Burnley on Saturday saw them leapfrogged, and they are just five points above the dotted line with Luton Town still having a game in hand.

With Marinakis targeting top-half finishes for the club, a run of just eight points from a possible 39 was always going to test the limits of how much goodwill Cooper had stored in the bank.

Ahead of their clash with Bournemouth on Saturday, the club are set to have a new man in the dugout, as talks with Nuno are now at an advanced stage, according to the aforementioned report.

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