The numbers behind Nottingham Forest’s decision to sack Steve Cooper

Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Steve Cooper following a run of one win in 13 games.

Cooper leaves the club in 17th place in the Premier League, albeit five points clear of the drop zone, with owner Evangelos Marinakis choosing to act ahead of the busy festive schedule.

Here, the PA news agency examines his Forest record.

Legacy intact

Cooper will go down as one of the most successful Forest managers in recent history, having secured the club’s return to the top flight after a 23-year absence.

The 44-year-old arrived at the City Ground in September 2021 with the club sitting bottom of the Championship, before guiding them to an unlikely fourth-place finish and promotion via the play-offs.

He went on to lead Forest to Premier League safety last season, a feat last achieved in the mid-1990s by Frank Clark.

Cooper leaves the Midlands side having overseen 42 wins, 27 draws and 39 losses in 108 games across all competitions.

He is the first Forest boss to reach three figures for number of matches since Billy Davies, who was manager between January 2009 and June 2011.

No place like home

Despite struggling for results this season, Cooper enjoyed unwavering support from Forest fans.

That backing has made the City Ground a tough place to go for visiting teams, with Forest having earned 39 points from 27 home games since returning to the Premier League in 2022-23 – more than Chelsea (37), Crystal Palace (33), Everton (31) and Bournemouth (31).

However, Cooper’s men have won just 13 points from 28 away matches during the same period – the fewest of any team to have spent both seasons in the top flight.

With the number of home victories drying up this term – two compared with eight across the whole of last season – Forest’s poor form on the road has seen them slide towards the bottom of the table.

Tough in transition

Cooper has overseen a significant overhaul in Forest’s squad since winning promotion in 2022.

He has used a total of 45 players in the Premier League since the start of last season – the joint-most of any club alongside Chelsea.

The Welshman has integrated an unprecedented number of new arrivals in that time, having handed league debuts to 36 players in total.

Twenty-four of those debutants were blooded in 2022-23, which is a record for a single Premier League campaign – surpassing Portsmouth’s 21 in 2005-06.