Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Mark Whiley

EFL chairman ‘sick’ of Nottingham Forest mockery as he defends transfer strategy

An EFL chairman launched a strong defence of Nottingham Forest’s recruitment drive as he lavished praise on head coach Steve Cooper and the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

After winning promotion from the Championship, Forest signed a host of new players and recently set a record for the most debuts given by a club in the single Premier League season.

The Reds struggled for results early on, with Cooper’s position coming under increasing scrutiny at one stage. However, owner Marinakis’s decision to stick with the Welshman has been vindicated, with the Reds rising to 13th in the table, six places above the relegation zone.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest break Premier League record previously set by Harry Redknapp

READ MORE: Keylor Navas ‘didn’t accept’ PSG situation ahead of shock Nottingham Forest transfer

And Forest’s approach has been lauded by Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who discussed the Reds on his latest The Hard Truth podcast

“Look at Forest, they are flying now, and fair play to them,” said MacAnthony, whose side are just outside the play-offs in League One. “The Forest hierarchy have had a lot of criticism but they’ve still stood by their manager.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

“Yes, they’ve signed a lot of players. I’m sick of reading people joking about it, ‘oh they’ve signed another player’. They’re a Premier League club, they knew they needed major construction. It was a big job and Steve Cooper has done an absolutely magnificent job. They’ll stay up.”

When the podcast host said it would have been easier for the Reds to sack Cooper, MacAnthony replied: “One hundred per cent but fair play to the ownership, fair play to him and fair play to the Forest players, they’re tough to beat at home.

“And that’s what you’ve got to do to sustain it in the Premier League, winning at home, clean sheets at home.”

Who has been Forest's best new signing this season? Have your say in the comments below

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.