Evangelos Marinakis slams ‘false and disruptive reporting’ in show of Cooper support

Nottingham Forest have released a statement about the future of Steve Cooper.

The statement reads:

“No one denies that our Club is in a difficult position in the Premier League, but we wish to end the speculation and the false and disruptive reporting in the media to confirm that Steve Cooper remains our manager at Nottingham Forest.

“We have all been disappointed with recent performances and it is very clear that a lot of hard work needs to be done to address this urgently. Results and performances must improve immediately.

“Now is the time for everyone connected with our club, from us as owners, to the board, our supporters, backroom staff, coaches and players - to come together and fight to secure our status in the Premier League.

“There can be no time for distractions, rumours and speculation. There is only time for hard work, determination, a commitment from Steve and the players to getting the results we need and, of course, the continued magnificent support of the fans of Nottingham Forest.”

This morning Patrick Vieira was odds on favourite to replace Steve Cooper amidst continuing speculation from The Telegraph and The Sun that the Welshman was close to being sacked.

This news will no doubt come as a huge relief for a large number of the Garibaldi faithful, who have been vocal in their desire to see Cooper remain in charge.

Having achieved what many believe to be five years of progress in 18 months, the feeling amongst the fanbase is that Cooper must remain at the helm in the long term to enable a stability that has long been absent at the club.