{"id":299825,"date":"2023-12-19T16:24:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T16:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=299825"},"modified":"2023-12-19T16:24:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T16:24:42","slug":"nottingham-forest-sack-steve-cooper-and-hold-talks-with-nuno-espirito-santo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/nottingham-forest-sack-steve-cooper-and-hold-talks-with-nuno-espirito-santo\/","title":{"rendered":"Nottingham Forest sack Steve Cooper and hold talks with Nuno Espirito Santo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nottingham Forest have sacked boss Steve Cooper and are in talks to appoint former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo as his replacement, the PA news agency understands.<\/p>\n
The 44-year-old has paid the price for a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.<\/p>\n
The Portuguese is the preferred candidate to take over at the City Ground and has met with club officials ahead of a possible appointment.<\/p>\n
Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears set for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.<\/p>\n
Cooper has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.<\/p>\n
It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term, but with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek businessman has lost patience.<\/p>\n
Forest host Bournemouth in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday before festive fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester United.<\/p>\n
Marinakis was eyeing a top-half finish this season after spending north of \u00a3100million in the summer, but, after a solid start to the campaign, results have not followed and they have won just once since beating Chelsea at the start of September.<\/p>\n
Cooper has kept his dignity in tact following speculation surrounding his position and leaves the City Ground a hero after becoming the man to end Forest\u2019s 23-year exile from the top flight when he guided them to promotion in the summer of 2022.<\/p>\n
A difficult first year in the Premier League followed, where Cooper\u2019s job was under continual threat before a late-season rally saw them finish 16th.<\/p>\n
Expectations of a push towards the top 10 came after a heavy spending spree in the summer, but results have been disappointing and Cooper has paid the price.<\/p>\n