Steve Cooper demands more from Forest as they move into play-off places

Posted Thursday, April 07, 2022 by PA

Steve Cooper demanded yet more from his Nottingham Forest players despite a 2-0 win over Coventry lifting his side into the play-off places.

Brennan Johnson’s 15th of the season and a well-taken strike from James Garner, either side of half-time, secured a fourth consecutive Championship win for Forest.

But they did not have it all their own way and Coventry might have taken something from the game had they made more of their own chances.

Cooper has told his players they cannot rest on their laurels as they head into their final eight games.

“It was a really important win, that is the headline for me. It was a challenging game, tactically. They way they set up does really test you positionally,” said Cooper.

“I know Coventry are a rival, but I have a lot of respect for the way they play and the way they have stuck to that, over the years. They test you.

“We had to be positionally right and, in general, we were. But we turned the ball over too much in the first half, we did not make enough passes and took too many touches, so we never got fluidity. When we did, the goals were excellent.

“Brennan did excellent in a manic moment, showing great composure for the first goal. I thought we were better in the second half and created enough good moments to get the second goal. We saw out a challenging game fairly comfortably.

“It was an important win, with some really good bits – and some things we need to address. A clean sheet, two goals… there were loads of positives. But I am always going to want more.”

Coventry boss Mark Robins felt that the finishing power of Forest made the difference, as his side suffered a fourth game without a win to deal a blow to their own play-off hopes.

“I don’t think we were unlucky, it was that we did not take our chances when we needed to. When you are playing against a top team, they keep going. Forest have beaten Arsenal, Leicester and were unlucky against Liverpool (in the FA Cup),” said Robins.

“I have not seen too many teams do what we have done to them. We are a really good side, but you look at it and think ‘he has taken off Keinan Davis and Brennan Johnson – a £20m forward – and brought Sam Surridge and Lewis Grabban on.

“Then Joe Lolley comes on, who I had at Huddersfield so I know his quality. We have really good quality, but what we do not have is the quality to and be ruthless all of the time.

“We are ruthless some of the time – we do have that – but we do not do it all of the time. Forest have that. They can be ruthless because they have that extra little bit of quality.

“That is the difference between the two teams at the moment.”