Steve Cooper expects to be in charge at Wolverhampton Wanderers — and has challenged his Nottingham Forest players to show fans what it means to them to play for the club at Molineux.
The Forest head coach finds himself under serious pressure after a run of just one win in 11 Premier League games.
But Cooper wants Forest to prove they have the character and determination to produce a positive response to their painful 5-0 defeat at Fulham on Wednesday, when they head across the Midlands this weekend.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis left his seat early at Craven Cottage as he saw the team produce their worst performance of Cooper’s two-year tenure.
“I have not spoken to him (Evangelos Marinakis),” Cooper said on Thursday. “I spoke to Miltos (Marinakis, Evangelos’ son) on the phone about the game; we had a conversation purely about the match. I saw Ross (Wilson, chief football officer). But I’ve not heard from anyone else.
“We are ready to do our day’s work.”
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Cooper says he has had no indication that he will not be in the dugout at Wolves and has begun the business of preparing his players for that game. And he says he will not give any thought to the idea that the result at Wolves could influence his future.
“I don’t think like that. That’s not a good way to think. It is like saying to a player you have to play well in the next game or you won’t play again for the club,” added Cooper.
“It is not a thought process I believe in using, we are disappointed with the result and the performance equally. But more than ever you need to show belief and character in what you want to be, what you want to stand for and what the club and supporters need to see as well.
“That’s my thought more than ever. There will be a lot of questions asked and a lot of stories written and I respect that. That is the life of a manager.
“It should not be any other way. But you have to say honed in on your work and on your preparation for the next game. If I let anything else creep into my thoughts, it means I am not giving 100 per cent to the job.”
Cooper was also asked if he felt let down by the players, following the performance at Fulham.
“It is not me being let down, it is the supporters. But that is from all of us and it starts with me,” he replied. “We fell short in every shape and form.
“The fans who were at Fulham will probably be at Wolves as well and that is a significant financial outlay. Situations like this provide opportunities and the one we have in the short-term is to show supporters what it means to play for this club on Saturday.
“Beyond that, for everyone connected with the club, the challenge is to show that on a more consistent basis. We really need to show the will, fight and desire to represent this club in the way it deserves. We have to grasp that and not hide away from it.
“It will be a sign of our strength of character, our resolve and all the words you tend to use in elite sport. We have to show that now. We want to see people stand up and be counted. I know I will.”
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(Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
