Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest Past Hindered Leicester Tenure

Matt Davis, vice chairman of the Foxes Trust, stated that Leicester City supporters were unable to overlook Steve Cooper’s history with Nottingham Forest. Cooper, 44, was removed from his position on Sunday, having served only 157 days since succeeding Enzo Maresca in the summer. This appointment marked his first managerial engagement since departing Forest in December, following a tenure of just over two years at the City Ground. In 2022, Cooper guided Forest to their return to the Premier League after a 23-year hiatus, and subsequently secured their top-flight status in the 2022-23 season before Nuno Espirito Santo assumed the role. Sources informed BBC Sport that the former Swansea manager conceded that his connection with the fanbase was compromised due to his history with Forest, a sentiment echoed by Davis, who acknowledged the difficulty from the outset. Matt Davis commented: “He would never win some fans over because of the Forest connection, others would give him less time because of the Forest connection and others didn’t think he had what it took.” “Events with Cooper had the focus and the vast majority of fans were pleased the decision was swiftly made.” “I couldn’t see success coming with Cooper.”