Sporting Director

This is on the BBC sports page:

" Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper will remain in his role following meetings at the club.
The 42-year-old's position was in doubt after his side fell to the bottom of the Premier League following Monday's 4-0 loss to Leicester.
However, it has been decided he should be given more time in recognition of his achievement in getting Forest promoted after a 23-year absence.

The club have also named Filippo Giraldi as sporting director.
Giraldi's appointment is viewed as an attempt to guide the club through their current difficulties and give them the structures needed to progress as a Premier League club.

For once, common sense prevails.

Serious question, with regards to the new acquisitions, do you think they were Steve Cooper’s choices or the owner forcing them on Cooper. Whilst you obviously needed more bodies after the loanees returned to their parent clubs, it seems absurd to bring in so many players.

It's easy to be wise after the event; recruiting players who were almost immediately injured [ in one instance during pre-season training ] does raise valid questions over recruitment.
The Premier League in 22/23 is a far tougher proposition than anybody connected to the club had thought it would be.
Probably more coaching staff are required when 20 new players have been brought into the building. Players have been dropped after switching off at the wrong time and their replacements [ although supposedly having Champions league pedigree] are not proving to be a improvement.
Who signed who? the fans will probably never get to find out.
Some were brought in by Dane Murphy in conjunction with Cooper, while more than likely others were not. This seems to be how the owners operate with Olympiacos, 30 players brought in pre-season and 3 managers so far.

Steve Cooper is looking like a victim of his own success.

RFB, thanks for the honest answer. It’s always going to be an uphill battle for the newly promoted teams to the Prem and it’s always going to be difficult to attract the right players as they don’t want a relegation on their cv’s. Which in the main inevitably leads to some, not all players who are only interested in the money and it doesn’t hurt them like it does the fans.

Feels a bit like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The end result feels inevitable.

comment by Red Forest Bear [More Salt On That?] (U6288)
posted 11 hours, 50 minutes ago
It's easy to be wise after the event; recruiting players who were almost immediately injured [ in one instance during pre-season training ] does raise valid questions over recruitment.
The Premier League in 22/23 is a far tougher proposition than anybody connected to the club had thought it would be.
Probably more coaching staff are required when 20 new players have been brought into the building. Players have been dropped after switching off at the wrong time and their replacements [ although supposedly having Champions league pedigree] are not proving to be a improvement.
Who signed who? the fans will probably never get to find out.
Some were brought in by Dane Murphy in conjunction with Cooper, while more than likely others were not. This seems to be how the owners operate with Olympiacos, 30 players brought in pre-season and 3 managers so far.

Steve Cooper is looking like a victim of his own success.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Of the 23 players brought in, 19 are currently at the club. Aquilera, Bowler. Hwang and Scarpa are out on loan. The last three of those signed for Olympiakos.

Of the remaning 19, we had injuries to Mangala, Niakhate and Richards. Meaning Bade and Lodi were loaned in to plug the gaps and when Cook looked past it, we signed Boly. Realistically then, we only signed 16-17 players.

On other signings our hand was forced over Samba, Spence, Garner and Davis by player ambitions or club's unrealistic valuations. As such, we needed a new Goalie, RWB, CM and Forward.

Based on that I'd say Samba leaving amd Hendo coming in was Cooper's. As he looked to have fallen out with Samba ever since the sending off.

Niakhate, Richards and Williams are all his. As would be Mangala, MGW and O'Brien. Awoniyi up top also. This is based on their age and profile.

I'd say Aurier, Boly, Dennis and Lodi aren't his based on attitude / character.

In fact, if I had to put a pin on something, I'd say that the dressing room is Cooper's current undoing. Where there was unity, there is likely now division to some degree.

As soon as players hit the EPL ego gets involved for some. This can be the been there done it, I'm better than I think am's or the few without ego.

Geez...I'm hungover.

You've obviously watched some games live while I haven't. I did listen to the Leicester game on Talk Sport.

This was free to air or internet transmission, they were scathing regarding Forest's tactics and some of the performances; it gave a different perspective to R.N.

Let's just go back and touch on Awoniyi. If you read the Athletic then Tails did an in depth article on him and he was billed as a upgrade on Kenian Davis, but with a greater goal threat.

OK the guy hasn't settled in yet and has to adjust to the speed of the game in the Premier League, but his first touch is dodgy and he isn't holding the ball up, so Davis at 15 mil might have been a better deal.

The biggest problem is team spirit & poor morale to use a military term. Concede and heads go down & players switch off. We need give away 2 or 3 goals in quick succession, unlike last years team which kept going.

Spence could have been a star in this team and yet he prefers to disappear into Spurs reserve team, that says it all really.