Cooper backing amid survival fight
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 2023 Marinakis publicly backs Steve Cooper as Forest manager.
Steve Cooper received public backing from Evangelos Marinakis at a tense point in Forest’s Premier League survival fight.
The statement confirmed that Cooper remained manager, but it was not a simple vote of confidence. Marinakis also made clear that results and performances had to improve immediately, leaving no doubt about the pressure around the club.
Forest were trying to stay in the Premier League after finally returning to the top flight, and the mood around the team had become anxious. Cooper still had strong support from many fans because of the promotion he had delivered, but the league table had made every decision feel urgent.
The backing proved important in the short term. Cooper stayed in charge for the run-in, and Forest secured Premier League survival in May 2023 with a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the City Ground.
His longer-term position did not last. Cooper was dismissed in December 2023 after a poor run of results, but the April backing remains a key moment in the survival story: the owner kept faith when pressure was high, and Forest did enough to stay up.
Sources
Nottingham Forest official site; The Guardian
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