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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Amie Wilson

Premier League rivals ‘eye’ Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper after manager decision

Nottingham Forest’s Premier League relegation rivals Crystal Palace are interested in appointing Steve Cooper as a long-term manager in the summer, according to reports.

The Eagles confirmed the appointment of former manager Roy Hodgson on an interim basis until the end of the season. The 75-year-old is tasked with keeping the club in the Premier League with Palace one of the nine clubs involved in the fight for survival.

Palace currently sit in 12th place in the table, three points above the relegation zone. They have failed to win a game since the return of domestic football after the World Cup break, with Patrick Vieira shown the door after a 1-0 defeat to Brighton last week.

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The weekend saw them fall to a 4-1 defeat against Arsenal under the stewardship of caretaker manager Paddy McCarthy. The former defender has now been tasked with assisting Hodgson until the end of the season.

It seems that Palace will be on the lookout for a new boss come the end of the campaign. According to the Daily Mail , there is ‘little chance’ of Hodgson extending his stay at the club beyond the season.

The report then adds that Palace are ‘interested' in a number of managers currently in work, including Forest boss Cooper. It is said that the Eagles will ‘eye’ a possible move for the Welshman at the end of the season.

Cooper has earned plaudits for the job he has done with Forest over the last two seasons. He joined the club with them bottom of the Championship table, turning their season around and leading them to the Premier League via the play-offs.

While the Reds may still be fighting against Premier League survival this season, Cooper continues to be praised for how he’s handled the number of changes in the squad over the summer and some of the performances of his team.

The Forest manager put pen-to-paper on a new contract until 2025 back in October, and has given unequivocal answers when talking about his own future. “It’s just not something that crosses my mind,” he said earlier this month . “What I do know is how important this club is to me and my family, and how responsible I feel for just not letting anybody down.

“Obviously we’re all trying to succeed, but what motivates me is not letting anybody down because everyone has just been so good to me - both in and out of the club. You just want to do good by people.”

What do you think of Palace's reported interest in Cooper? Tell us in the comments section

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