“When we win we say this player did well, but when we lose we say the manager but the manager doesn’t come on the field, the players need to do better”- Nottingham Forest star backs Steve Cooper amid sack pressure as he claims players need to do better
Nottingham Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has said on Sky Sports that he’s willing to fight for Steve Cooper. The Reds face Tottenham at the City Ground on Friday night.
Kouyate was a surprise inclusion in the Forest team on Saturday as the Reds faced Wolves. The player didn’t disappoint as Cooper oversaw a very spirited display during a 1-1 draw.
The Molineux clash was the first time all season that Kouyate has started a game in the Premier League. It was the first appearance he’s made since October when Forest drew 2-2 with Luton too.
The experienced performer signed for Forest on a free transfer in the summer of 2022. He had made 141 appearances for Crystal Palace and before that played a further 147 times for West Ham.
Kouyate wasn’t really deemed a first-choice option for Forest during the 2022/23 campaign. He played 22 times for the Reds and was on the pitch when they beat Arsenal to secure Premier League survival.
Ahead of Friday’s game with Tottenham, Forest midfielder Kouyate has delivered his verdict on Cooper during an interview with Sky Sports.
Kouayte said: “It’s very, very hard because every time we win we say this player and this player (did well), but when we lose we say the manager and this is the thing; we the players need to do better on the pitch.
“The thing is the manager doesn’t come on the field you know and every time the manager gives his best, you know from his area.
“He’s like a big brother to us, you know, and now we have to give that back to him on the field. All the players we know that we’ve got to fight for him because we love him and he loves us too.”
Actions speak louder than words. Kouyate is the second Forest player to back his manager publicly after Morgan Gibbs-White raved about Cooper live on TalkSPORT yesterday.
Cooper will be touched by the noise coming out of his Forest dressing room. However, he desperately needs them to keep rolling their sleeves up as they bid to claim that elusive victory.
It’s quite interesting with Forest star Kouyate. Earlier in the season, it was thought that the 33-year-old might have dwindled as a player but on Saturday he looked really sharp.
The player did look a little fatigued in the second half but he gave his all. Perhaps more crucially, he showed a little bit of fight that perhaps other players haven’t shown under Cooper this season.
