Jamie Carragher believes Steve Cooper "deserves a lot longer" in charge of Nottingham Forest after getting the club promoted back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
Cooper is under increasing pressure following the 4-0 defeat to Leicester City on Monday night, the team's fifth straight loss. It has been reported that he is "on the brink of losing his job", with Rafa Benitez named as a possible replacement.
The Reds showed a lack of cohesion on the pitch and after signing 22 players in the summer, gelling the squad together has proven difficult. But the Liverpool legend Carragher believes the 42-year-old should be given more time by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
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"There will be a lot of questions asked about it, certainly from the outside, because of the expenditure," Carragher told Sky Sports. "When a team comes up from the Championship you expect them to be fighting for their lives throughout the season.
"But because of how much money Nottingham Forest have spent, there may be an expectation that they shouldn't even be in this position. The players that have been brought in, yes some of them have Premier League pedigree.
"I think he [Cooper] deserves a lot longer than he's got to prove something in the next two or three games because when you actually think of what he has actually done for Forest, how long they have been out of the Premier League, 23 years.
"It was not just getting them up, they were bottom of the League when he came in. He's been bottom of the League last season, a completely different proposition, but the way he spoke then about the club, you'd think he was a fan in some ways.
"So there's no doubt what he did last season, he really embraced the legendary European Cup figures and he's got a real connection between himself and the supporters. I don't think that will be broken and I don't think Forest fans will be calling for Cooper to go or anything.
"I think they realise more than anyone what he has done, right now there may be calls from outside but you just hope the owner will give him more time just because of the fact of what he did last season and it's a unique situation.
"He knows more than anyone that sooner or later results will have to turn."
Should Cooper be given more time? Let us know in the comment section...
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