The promotion-winning Forest manager could return to the Championship as Michael Carrick’s replacement at Middlesbrough.
With Middlesbrough growing dissatisfied with Michael Carrick’s recent form, a former Nottingham Forest boss could be on his way to the North East to save the club’s season.
After a fantastic few seasons at Forest, which resulted in the club’s promotion in 2022, Steve Cooper has emerged as a potential alternative for an out-of-form Carrick, if he fails to improve his dismal run at Boro.
Cooper could be called in for a rescue mission, as Carrick’s recent record includes five defeats in six games, ending in boos from fans at the Riverside Stadium following his 1-0 loss to Watford on Saturday.
In a post-match BBC interview, Carrick admitted: “There’s no sugar-coating it; we’re in a tough spot right now.” You could smell and feel it about today, and [we] need to accept the reality that results haven’t been as good as we’d like lately.
“I felt a lot for them because their attitude is top-class, honestly, they’re desperate to do the right things and in the sport when things aren’t going for you and you’re not in your peak mentality, the confidence dips a little bit and it becomes more difficult to play.”
After joining a bottom-of-the-table Forest team in September 2021, Cooper rapidly instilled confidence and an offensive style of play that transformed their season, earning a play-off spot before defeating Huddersfield in the final to secure a place in the Premier League.
Cooper was eventually fired following a series of dismal performances that began in the spring and lasted until the winter of 2023. He joined Leicester six months later in June, but after struggling to get started, he won only two of his first twelve games and was fired five months later.
Despite the recent string of less-than-ideal results, Boro’s earlier strong performance this season ensures they remain in eleventh place, with a game still in hand. Despite widespread speculation, talkSPORT has reported that Cooper is not currently considering the role, as he looks for some time off following his departure from Leicester just three months ago.
