Steve Cooper gives Nottingham Forest examples to follow in Premier League survival battle
- Planet Sport writer
- 20 April 2023
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has asked his team to look to past examples in a bid to not return to the Championship.
Steve Cooper says his Nottingham Forest players are not having to go into unknown territory to stop an instant return to the Championship.
Forest's 10-game winless run has seen them slip from the relative comfort of mid-table to the bottom three and in real danger of only lasting one season in the Premier League after 23 years away.
Things do not get much easier for them as on Saturday they visit Liverpool, who are rejuvenated in their pursuit of Champions League qualification after beating Leeds 6-1 on Monday.
But Cooper, whose side are only in the relegation zone on goal difference, has sat down with his squad and explained that their safety quest is not mission impossible.
"It is a tough run and one we are desperately trying to change," Cooper said at his pre-match press conference.
"But what we have done with the players this week, we have obviously faced up to it because you have to, but we have also made them aware that this can sometimes can happen.
"We have given them examples of teams that have done similar in recent years and how they have managed to come through.
"That is the key, to try and end the run and change it. I have told the players we are not having to do something that hasn't happened before and we're not on our own.
"There are other teams in and around us who are probably feeling the same as us. But you have to take care of your own business.
"We are facing up to what has been a poor run but still (have) an opportunity to turn it around.
"It has been done on numerous occasions in the past and we have to be the next one. Teams have gone on difficult runs this season and ended up turning it around.
"When you are in the bottom half it is quite common you have a run like we are on now. The key is to stop it and that is what we are trying to do.
"But that is down to us, hard work and belief and making it happen. We can't wait for it to happen, we have to make it happen and we are doing everything we can for that to be the case."
Forest will not be aided by any players returning to fitness at Anfield, though they did not pick up any fresh concerns in last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.
"We haven't got any new injures, and unfortunately nobody is quite ready enough to return," Cooper said.
"We are as we were before the Manchester United game."