Steve Cooper has been backed to deliver promotion to Nottingham Forest after the Reds’ valiant performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Forest pushed Jurgen Klopp’s side all way in a pulsating clash at the City Ground on Sunday, with Diogo Jota’s late goal eventually sending the Anfield club through to the semi-finals, where they will meet Manchester City. It’s now back to the Championship which resumes in early April following the international break.
Forest are three points outside the play-offs and have games in hand over their immediate rivals. Former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino has seen enough to feel confident the Reds will be playing top-flight football next season for the first time this century.
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"He [Cooper] has a great chance of getting Forest up,” Cascarino told The Times’ podcast, The Game. “They can get through the play-offs. I think they'll make the play-offs and they would be my favourites to go through if they get there. He [Cooper] comes over so well and his teams are really well set up. He's got a great chance of being a Premier League manager.”
Philip Zinckernagel’s miss just before Jota’s goal was a key moment in the game, and Cascarino says it may take some time for the Dane to get over it. “In the moment you don't think ‘how will I get over it?’, you think ‘I hope I get another chance’,” he added.
“I still have a dream of me missing a one-on-one for Gillingham against Neville Southall when I put it past the post. I've had that dream so many times. You don't get over it. You're reminded about it often as well, which doesn't help. The difference with top footballers is being clinical.
"Jota was clinical. If Forest had taken their chances they would have won the tie quite comfortably. That was ultimately the difference.
"You won't get a better chance of beating Liverpool as they were nowhere near their best. They're a terrific team though."
