Hello. Welcome to Garibaldi Redd, a Nottingham Forest podcast. We are live on YouTube and Facebook. The time's just gone six o'clock. Welcome along. And if you've been at work all day or you've been living under a rock today, Forest announced this afternoon that Steve Cooper has been relieved of his duties as head coach tonight. It is a decision that many of us might have been expecting, but we didn't expect it really to come out of the blue today. But after all the media speculation this morning, Steve Cooper has left Nottingham Forest as head coach. We'll just touch on the club statement before we introduce the guests. Forest released a statement which read, Cooper departs the city ground and have been played an integral part in Forest return to the Premier League cementing himself firmly into the club's rich history after guiding the Reds back to England's top flight. Evangelos Maranakis went on to thank Cooper for his contribution, his achievements, and said that he will always be welcome at the football club, MediaLynx today, also that Nuno, Esperito, Santo will take over. Fees and contracts are currently being agreed as we speak. Joining me on the panel, two Forest fans, Steve Oldham and Ross Levy, two people that have actually sat behind me at games for a long, long time since I was very young.

Steve, let's start with you. What have you made to the decision? Incredibly sad decision. It's quite an emotional day to day as Steve Cooper, the Parks Forest, isn't it?

Yeah, it is. But like I said earlier, these things always come to an end, whether it came to an end today or I thought would have heard something over the weekend after the Spurs game, but as time went on, I thought, okay, they might give me a little bit longer. Look, Steve Cooper will always be a legend at the club. In my eyes, top three in managers that I've witnessed, and that goes for Cluffy and Frank Clark, what he did for the club was brilliant. But unfortunately, we're in a business where there's not much sentiment, Max, in this game, and this is where we are. I think all of us wish him all the best. I think if we ever saw him back at the city ground would welcome him with open arms. On a level, so the younger ones can most probably understand. I think it's a bit like if Stuart pierce walked into the ground, he has that aura about him. I think same with Cooper. I think Steve Cooper will have the same. I'll be indebted to him because what he did for my two younger ones, they've fallen in love with the club and it is a sad day.

But we all got to move on and we've got to get behind the new man. Now, decisions has been made. Let's get behind the new man.

Yeah, the new man, of course, hasn't been officially appointed yet, but Nuno Esparito, Santo, has been in talks with Forrest for the last few days. I know that I've been told that I've been on the page for the last few days. We are live on Facebook, Nottingham Forest News and YouTube for the next half an hour or so, so feel free to get your comments in. Jack says, I feel like Cooper's papered over the cracks at the club with him gone. I really worry for the progress and collective feeling at the club. Tony says, Gutted, but it was inevitable. Our record was abysmal. Dorset Redd says, Absolutely gutted. Grip of 69 says, Cooper Silde's place in forest history as a legend. And I suppose he did as well, Steve, while we try and wait for Ross to get his connection back as these things do happen. In fact, Ross is back. He's magically appeared in a new place. Ross, what did you make of the decision? Just like Steve said there, and it's such an emotional day, but at some point, we expected it with the run of form we've been on.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, sorry, the tabs reading so many different articles and response for that. But yeah, I echo what Steve said. It's a very sad day. And what Steve Cooper has done for the club and the city has been absolutely remarkable. Certainly, for as long as I've been watching the club, he has galvanized the fans and really created a real spirit and energy that's his grand that I've certainly not seen before. But the record is unfortunately now speaks for itself, and it is time now for the club to get some results and to do so in a professional manner as well. There's been a lot of energy around the manager, around the team. They need to now just get find a way just to get some points on the board. And the emotions needs to perhaps take that pause because ultimately they've got to play Bournemouth who are in great form at the moment and can't let the emotions run away from them and they've got to turn up and try and get something from a Premier League game, which is no tough, no easy thing, but it's got to be done.

It has. It's got to be done. Indeed, just over 330 people watching. If you want to get your comments in to me, Steve or Ross, you're more than welcome to do so. Do you agree with the decision? Do let us know. Lee says, This is a massive mistake. This isn't all down to Steve Cooper. This boils down to poor recruitment, that other coaches and the players need to have a hard look at themselves. And finally, the owner and his son. That is the problem, Steve, a lot of people have talked about today is that, of course, Cooper departs. And we're so thankful for what this man's done, I've had the pleasure of attending games with you, Steve, for a long, long time. We attended so many in that promotion season, and he really just got what the city was about, didn't he? And I think that's why it's so emotional today. But then in the same sense, a lot of people are angry at Forrest and angry potentially at the owner, because this doesn't all boil down to him, does it? As that comment just said. This lies on the recruitment and the players we brought in as well.

Yeah, some of the recruitment I get. But listen, I'm a Steve Cooper fan before anyone starts shooting me down. I'm a Steve Cooper fan, I always will be. But let me put this out to those people. The recruitment didn't cost us two points against Luton. When we 2-0 up with 13 minutes to go and the manager brings four players off and we draw. The recruitment didn't cost us when we 2-0 up at Man U and we lose three to two. Now I get what people say. This is about a resort business and we're all in it. What Steve Cooper did and took this club, he didn't just take this club, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. He galvanized the fans. What were we having? I think us three were there that night when we lost 2-0 to Middlesbro. Do you remember it? Two nil to Middlesborough. That dreaded night. What was there? Was there 18, 19,000 there or something like that? Yeah, the attendance had dropped. Steve Cooper within about a few weeks had got us up to 28,000. He galvanized the city. I think I said to you, Max, did I not say to you in October we'll make the playoffs that year and we'll go through by...

Was it one of my famous one-liners? And I got it right. Mystic, Steve.

Let's not get wrong here. I don't think there's many people that are going to be anti-Steve Cooper out of Forest, but it's a result business. Unfortunately, one win out of 13, two away wins out of 24. The owner does not want to go back to the championship. We're coming up to a new transfer window. I just saw it. If it wasn't going to be today or this week, it would have been before January. I think the owners have made their mind up. I think we all agree on that. The owners have made their mind up. But he's done a fantastic job and I think he's great. I wish him all the best and he will be a success. Then that's it.

Yeah, he certainly will be. I do think he'll be able to walk in to a Premier League job or a very high championship job indeed. Keep your comments coming. Gavin says someone mentions coaches. Well, it was Cooper's decision to have an inexperienced back-room team. Andrew says here, genuinely, the best manager we've had for over a decade. This will come back to bite us. Patrick says, How much longer could we have gone that with Cooper our away form was poor? That's the concerning thing this season, wasn't it, Ross? That not only we saw poor away form last season, but we saw very poor home form that was beginning to mount. Three losses on the bounce at home for Forest: one winning 13, two away wins in 28, and a win ratio of 18 %. When we look at football and the results driven business, surely Marimacas had to make this decision?

Yeah, and the way for him is something that has... He faced in every single press conference in a game away from home that he did. And for all the improvements by comparison to the start of last season, unfortunately, the results weren't there. And okay, Crystal Palace, it was a nil-nil. Arguably, they should have just pushed on a little bit further to try and got the victory there. And same really with Wolf's last week. I don't know whether you guys think perhaps he will look back and regret his approach to away games, certainly also at the tail end of last season as well, Brentford away back in April, Danilo's goal. And then it was two era-based goals that meant that Brentford took the point. So yeah, I just wonder whether he would look back and regret that.

Yeah, that is probably something you're right, Ross, that he will look back at. When we talk about Steve Cooper as a man, Steve, I had the pleasure of meeting him not once but twice, interviewing him once, and just also spending some time with him. And he seemed to take a real interest in every fan, in every person that was associated with Forest in any way, whether that was someone that would commentate on Forest, report on Forest, or just a fan that attended games. He really got that... He got the feeling of Nottingham as a city, didn't he? And I wonder if that's something that we're going to miss in time to come, Steve.

Yeah, I think we'll miss that. Like I said earlier, Max, he galvanized everything about the club, the city. What did he say? When Forest played, the city gets together, and he did that. I'm sorry, no one can tell me any other answer than that. Steve Cooper did that. We are going to miss that. I think the new manager, whoever it is, has got one act to follow. I said it to you earlier, Max, in an earlier telephone conversation, he's got no honeymoon period. He's got to hit the ground running because the fans are going to... They love Cooper. But yeah, Steve Cooper galvanized this club. He took it. And as fans, we're going to be indebted to that for him because he got us back to the promised land that we dreamt about. Yeah, he did.

I'd add to that, Steve, if that's okay as well, is Steve Cooper, Rob Edwards at Newton, Garreth Southgate, all a model of young managers that have come through the FA coaching system recently that I believe have really done their homework on how to do that and how to galvanize fans and how to get to really not just to coach, but also to deal with the media, to deal with the expectations of the fans as well. And I think it's been a fascinating model and case study for how to really... A manager, any aspiring manager is coming through the FA coaching system now like Cooper has been, how to not just, as I said, to be that coach, but also to really galvanize the fans as well, because that does bring results. And you see, Rob Edwards does very similar fist pumps and with that connection there. And so I just think it's been really interesting to watch how Cooper has interacted with the media. Even after Wolves, he said, F Friday Night A, he was well rehearsed in being able to interact with the fans through the media. And as Steve said, actually, for any manager coming in, they need to take a leap from that book, really.

And not just coach the players, but also to coach the fans to get us behind them as well. Because as you say, Steve, as well, that Middlesborough game is a useful reference point. It can't get to that where people are shouting at Marinac as in in the box. And there's that toxic atmosphere. And yeah, if we've learnt anything from it is that we certainly need to keep getting to listen very carefully to what the managers want us to be his fans to create that atmosphere. Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. And whoever does come in really has to hit the ground running. Of course, Nuno, Espirato, Santo, heavily linked tonight. If you've just joined us, we're live on Garibaldi Redd and Nottingham Forest News discussing the departure of Steve Cooper this afternoon. Darren says in the comments, Guttered, we'll always remember the great memories, though, Cooper brought belief back to the club and to the fans. Paul said he took over the team bottom of the championship and took them up the season. If the board had told that, they would have laughed to get them up. If we hadn't gone up that first season, where would we be now? We were worse at this stage last season, should have been given to the end of the season. Individual errors are knocked down to the managers and players need to have a look at themselves and hold their hands up. Let's move to the future, the future after Steve Cooper, which feels odd to be talking about. Anuno, Esperito, Santo, linked heavily. Steve, a manager that did incredibly well in his time at Porto, Portuguese manager, and then, of course, took over Wolves in the championship, got them promoted, champions of the championship.

And then he finished with Wolves at seventh twice and took them to the latter stages of the Europa League. Is this an appointment, Steve, that you think the Marinacas family are thinking will be long term for Forest and we'll be hoping that not only can he get some results this season, but also look to the future and hopefully have him into European success, which the Marinacas family always talk about.

Well, if it is him, Max, I think it's a must-win game for him on Saturday straight away. I don't think there's going to be much of a honeymoon period. Look, he was a good manager at Wolves. He did remarkably well. I don't think we can go too much on the Tottenham thing because I think there was a few things going off in the background there that didn't quite go well. All I can say is if this is who it is, this is who it is, and this is who we get behind. I think us three here, we do not want to return to the championship. I don't think we will. I'd be honest with you. I think he will get us up the league. He's got three tough games, obviously, Bournemouth, Saturday and then Newcastle and Man U. But yeah, if you put Steve Cooper to one side, I think this is going to move us forward because I think overall, we have to move forward. We only had to lose on Saturday max and loot and win, and then we are in big trouble. So yeah, that could still happen, obviously. But yeah, I think we've got to.

We've got to, as fans, accept that this is who we've got now if it becomes announced.

Yes, he's in talk with Maranacas, according to reports, this afternoon and will arrive into the city ground later on tonight, flying from his home in Portugal. Also as well, I think one thing to touch on Ross is.

His.

Departure today, Steve Cooper, this is. It all came out the blue. Of course, we've been expecting this for weeks, but this was reported this morning. It was reported last night that Nuno Esparito, Santo was in talk with Maranacas. And then it all came out this morning. And then before you know it -three o'clock, four o'clock this afternoon, he was gone. Difficult question. But for a manager that's done so much in the two years he's been at the football club, for the club to leak stuff to the media andand for it to be in the papers before it was officially announced, do you think that's disrespectful or do you think that's just part of the modern game that we have to accept these days?

I think Steve would have seen, for example, the lanyard left outside at Fulham. And from what we gather as well, there wasn't a positive dialog between the two at the moment. So I think if he had heard about comments about chat with Nuno, I don't think it would have come as any surprise to him. And he's always struck me as somebody that's very sincere in the sense that it hasn't been about him. And it was his birthday the other week, wasn't it? And the club didn't post celebrating that because he requested it was not about him. It was about the greater good for the football club. So I think it would have been very focused on preparing the team in the best possible way for what is a must-win game against Bournemouth. And also what I think is just interesting as well about Nuno is that he's been out of work for a bit of time, and Olympiakos have recently changed the manager. They opted for Carlos Cavaal, again with a bit of experience in English football as well. So I'm sure that the Marinac's family have had an almost interchangeable list really, between the clubs of potential next managers.

And just one thing I will say about Nuno, which I think should he be the next manager as well, is that from what I recall, he's a passionate guy. And I think that's really important because the Forest fan base is definitely one of the most passionate in the Premier League. I seem to recall back in the championship, there was a game against Cardiff where it all kicked off. And I think Nuno went running and celebrating right in the face of Neil Warnock. So what's not to love about that? So obviously we hope to never encounter Neil Warnock certainly in the Premier League or in the Championship. But a sense that there's going to be somebody that is going to care. We're not going to get somebody that's suited and booted and quite looted on the touchline. I think we'll come in with a bit of passion. And you'd hope at the to prove the Premier League, given how it went with Spurs. And the final thing I'd just say about Nuno as well, so speculative, but he's got a bit of experience working with some of these players. He'll know Morgan, Gibbs-Wyth, he'll probably know of Bolly, and you would have had some experience working with those players.

So at least he's not coming in and going, I don't know who any of these guys are. And if you can get a couple of people on board straight away and say, Look, I'm relying on you against Bournemouth to play, to perform, that's an extra 10 % straight off.

Yeah, it is. Let's hope Neil Warnock's not listening to this podcast, Ross.

I can do is helpful to get in touch.

And- You are, Neil. You are. Tell us your thoughts on the situation. You don't want me to get off. Yeah, you probably would. This comment reads, keep him coming by the way, on Facebook and YouTube, Gariboli Red. Nuno built a strong connection with Wolves and their fans with a high win ratio. Sad to see Steve go. But realistically, he's not the only one who can do that. And results were very poor. Steve, just like Ross mentioned there, he's had previous relationships, possibly with Morgan Gibbs White and Willy Bolly featured in his squad a lot. And something that hasn't been talked about is that he's Portuguese, Forest have a lot of Brazilian players. So this is an option and a solid option, really, when you look at it from the Marinacas family that it works. Do you expect him to turn it around straight away, Steve? You said there it's a must-win game on Saturday before it could get a little bit toxic as such. But this won't be an easy fix as well, will it?

No. I mean, you've got to understand two things. I'll just go back 20 seconds on what Ross said. Steve Cooper wasn't told today. Steve Cooper knew last night before all this broke out. That has said, we're changing whatever and he had a known and then the media would have been kept on a tab on it. The thing that I have to say in all this and what I will say is about this is that I think he will get us going in the right direction. Whether that starts on Saturday, because what have you got? You got three days, whatever, Tuesday, Thursday. He's coming in Wednesday, so he's got Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with the players. If you listen to people on social media, Morgan gives white, come stand in, all that, but just let that fly over your head. We don't know that. For me, yes, I think he would turn it around. I also actually think one thing that no one has said this, I think the players will want to put in performance on Saturday. You get the new manager bounds, obviously, but they are now playing for their positions. He's going to come up with different ideas, obviously.

Will it help the Brazilian lads? I don't think that'll be an issue. I think they were all right with themselves. I don't think there was any issues with Cooper and the Brazilian lads. But yeah, it'll turn it around, Max. Where it starts on Saturday, no disrespect here, and please do not shout me down here. This is not getting rid of Steve Cooper and replacing him with Nathan Jones. And I don't know disrespect to Nathan Jones or anything like that, but we've seen what happened at Southampton. I do think this is something a little bit a lot more forward thinking. I hope we've covered a lot of ground in what the club are doing.

Interesting take. Thomas says, Thank you for all the memories, Steve Cooper, and what you've done for Forest. Let's all get behind the lads in this club on Saturday. Come on, you rads. Dan says, Very risky from Forest if we lose our next five games, then what do we go through the merry go round of managers? Tristan says, Love him for getting us up, but with the players we've got, our performances have been horrific. And with that squad, and it seems like we're talking about not only on this podcast, Ross, but amongst the Terraces and the Forest fans a lot, is this squad good enough on paper compared to last season? Forest Without Brennan Johnson, one of our main attacking threats, of course, after selling him to Spurs. So is this squad good enough on paper, Ross? And do you think a name like Nuno, Esperito, Santo, really can get something out of them, get a tune out of this squad, which is in poor form at the minute, which is in a real rot?

The squad's definitely good enough on paper. And the squad has the potential to be six points, eight points higher up the league, if not more. And that's just from the points dropped already this season, as Steve alluded to, Luton, Man United, the squad definitely on paper, it should be punching higher than what it is. And is Bruno going to be the individual to get that squad going. In his past couple of jobs, he hasn't lasted very long. And I think that can be a positive thing for the club because he will know and want to get in and build some roots and get those results immediately. Because he'll be under no illusion that after a few games, if things aren't working, that the pressure will already beginning to build. So I hope he uses that as a positive thing to really motivate him. And look, he's got no better time than the festival run of fixions, whereby they will have to run off empty, run off adrenaline, and finish one game, go straight on to preparing for the next. And they've got to just really use that as motivation to keep going and to try and get those points.

And I think because Spurs have turned very quickly, he'll know managerial roles in the Premier League are short term mostly. He'll be fully aware of that. That should, I hope, add extra motivation to getting results as quickly as possible so that he can stay as long as possible, even if in the long term he's not there for 5, 10 years, which if he is, then that would probably be very surprising. But yeah, that's what I'd say.

Yeah, I spoke to some Walls fans today actually just via text message, and they said, I mean, not one had really had a bad thing to say about him. Walls fans really seem to enjoy Nuno. But remember, this guy took them from the Championship to the Premier League, worked, of course, with George Mendes, the Super League agent that the Marinacas.

Does- He still is, ain't he?

He is. This is where reports are saying that the appointment is coming out of. Of course, the Marinac's family have worked with Mendoz before. We've seen it with Portuguese players. Go on, Steve, do you want to jump in there?

I just want to say one thing about the squad, if I may, just quickly on the squad. This squad is far better than what it was last year. I know Brennan Johnson's gone. Okay, get that. I'm most probably going to state the obvious here. We need a striker and a MENA striker, and we'll get one don't you worry, we'll get one. I'll tell you something else we need, and we need to get one very quick, a goalkeeper. Yeah, because we have been... And that is where I feel sorry for Coupes. His goalkeepers, he got to the stage where he got in the office and he just span a bottle and whichever one it landed on, he picked, because both of them are number twos. And we saw that Friday and that's where they need to... Everything else fall into place. The midfield is fine. The defense is fine. I mean, there's this new Brazilian coming. Apparently, that's done. He's a Brazilian international, so he's coming. But a goalkeeper and a center forward, and then you've got to keep tie away fit will be fine. Okay?

It'll be interesting to see how they approach that, Steve, because to have a crucially match fit striker. I mean, Ariji just wasn't match fit when he came through the door on transfer deadline day and would have been struggling for match fitness because he missed the tail end of last season as well. So to find a Premier League quality, Premier League experienced and match fit striker that fits what Bruno is looking for, that fits the wage bill current, that suddenly on your guess who board becomes quite difficult. I completely agree.

It's- I'll mention you one name. Jordi Mendes.

The super.

Agent, Manack is an astute businessman. He's got his client in and you watch.

Steve, just touching on that with Mendes, we've seen him before, worked with Forest in the Championship, with Atta, Caravanca mainly, with the likes of the Portuguese lads. We had Carvalho and Gong Kovas. They didn't work. They were a disaster.

For Forest. Championship.

It was, Steve. But then in the same way, do you think for a Premier League football club to be relying on an agent that failed in the championship, that this is the right move still?

Well, I don't think we're going to be getting Diaz and those type of things coming through a door. Listen, I was just saying as an example, let's not face it, Nottingham and Farsfield Football Club is a Premier League football club. And what happened in the championship is massive. No, I don't think it is. I don't think the club are going to just say to Mendes, Right, you're the main man go and get us everything through the door. I don't think that works like that. What I think will happen, it will always be good to have him because they can use him as his experience, even if they don't use him, even if they want to try and get rid of a few players out the door. I saw, was it on Monday that they reckon all the full loans are going back. Is that right? All the full loans are going back. That was the alarm bells for me, Max, with Cooper, because I thought if all the full loans are going back, they're creating space for coming in. No, I don't. I think Forrest will be independent, but I think Nuno will be a little bit...

He will know. I also said after the Man U game, we don't play a League game until the 21st of January. Is that true? It's Brentford.

Yeah, it is.

We have one cup game.

We've got the cup game before.

He will assess that squad. I just think on my personal level, I said to you on Friday night, Max, we're desperate for a good goalkeeper, and obviously, we're desperate for a center forward. We know that. Everything else fits into place for me for that where we are, and that would get us up the league. We just can't score goals.

That is the big problem.

You've got to score goals to win. Something else, Max, I'll say this, I think at the minute, unless Nuno can do a brilliant job in three days, on Saturday, if we're going to win on Saturday, we got to score two because Bournemouth will score. So to win that game, we got to score more than one goal. Now we must probably win one-nil on Saturday.

Yes. New manager bounce. And remember that Forest, since coming into the Premier League with Steve Cooper as manager, conceded 40 points from a winning position. Again, that's a very concerning stat. Ross, when we look at Nuno, in more detail and think about the style that he might bring, he often would play three at the back with Wolves. But this is a manager that a lot of people, from an outsider point of view, are saying, Hang on a minute, this is quite light for light with Forest. This is a little bit like we're getting rid of Steve Cooper, maybe obviously because of the results, but also because of the formations and the tactics that Steve Cooper has been implementing. But Nuno will come in and potentially play the same style as Forrest, slow block and play quite defensively. And he won't know his starting 11 yet. He'll probably be relying on first team coaches for that on Saturday. And I suppose that's a bit of a problem as well. What do you expect Bruno to bring to Forrest in terms of a style of player, Ross?

Yeah, it's a good question. And certainly if he emulates that style, if he's got only a couple of days on the training pitch, it does make sense to start with what the players would already know in terms of one another's position and where they are on pitch. And as Steve says, then after that break, he's meant to be able to then impose his style. But at the moment that the priority has to be that motivation. And I think he will bring that energy. He'll come in and I think he will be a motivating, inspiring guy, as I said with Wolves, he certainly had the players and the fans eating out of palm. And if you can do that and get your experience to January and just get a few points over that Christmas window, then that's brilliant. And then he's got the time then to impose his style. And then see where recruitment lies. And Steve, again, we're sitting there on the head is that the last few windows have been a bit bizarre. Last January, strange, and over the summer as well, it was just a lot of Ina initially, and then not a lot.

And then loads of January transfer, deadline day. So what Cooper is sacking today really doesn't really answer as well is, what is that long term strategy for recruitment, head coach style of play, and where the club wants to be in 2-3 years' time. We know roughly that they want to be pushing that top 10, but is the behind the scenes infrastructure geared towards that? And has this head coach appointment today helped them to implement their strategy for Nottingham Forest? And we don't know. We don't know that. And hopefully, Ross Wilson, the executive, has got a good enough steer as well to be able to help the marionac. It's not just merge between decisions, but get that long term plan in place. And is a part of that, we don't know, but one thing is sure. Get behind them and try and get through this Christmas period with a few more points, some energized displays. And then in January, take a bit of a pause, get that goalkeeper, get that striker, but not just lurch into recruitment as well. I mean, it's a bit of a ramble, but lots to do. A lot.

To do indeed. You don't envy the job sometimes of a football manager. Good point here from Pete. He says you can get whatever players are on Menders's books that you want. It doesn't mean they'll perform. It's team ethic, team spirit, and team mindset that gets the results. Our promotion season, the team ethic that got us up, Chelsea with all their top player shows you it's just more than super agents and big names. Robert here says the alarm bells should be the deterioration of the relationship with the squad. I can understand the new players, but the relationship of the likes of Warrl is the bigger issue for me. We've got to touch on that. Steve, this was reported earlier today by The Telegraph by John Pursey, who reported that Steve Cooper fell out with Scott McKenna and with Joe Wharrell to the point where Joe Wharrell was told he wasn't going to be in the match day squad for the Villa game where Forest won 2-0. And that ended up with Wharrell training away from the squad. Problems like that often seem to be leaked and appear in the media when a manager is under pressure.

But you're shocked that Forest's club captain would have fallen out with a manager like Steve Cooper?

Yeah, I am. It didn't see that article, Matt. I didn't see that- It was news to me. Yeah, it was news to me. I heard whispers of it and then there were photos of him on the training ground with the players. I just took it as tongue-in-cheek. Listen, player power, players, whatever. I don't know the ins and outs of that, what happened. I suppose the Aston Millie... Was that the game after Luton?

It was.

Was it directly after Luton? Yeah, directly after Luton.

I think so, Steve.

I suppose, well, Joe did take a bit of a barrage against Luton, didn't he, for his performance coming on? I'm not saying he deserved it in anything whatsoever. Don't have a go at me here. But yeah, when you start falling out with your players and your club captain, you might have... And if results are not going well, you tend to get an issue, a problem, don't you? I think you're getting that problem. If you fall out with someone, Max, and you're getting the results, then it's not an issue, is it? It's that side of the fence. There isn't a middle ground. Well, it's that or it's this. And I think he fell out with Warrell. And you.

Know- It's a very good point, Steve, isn't it? It's a very good point. And it's the same that a lot of people have talked about today that potentially Cooper has been over the cracks for the Marinacas family and for off-the-pitch issues. All of these off-the-pitch issues come to light when the team on the pitch isn't playing. It's the same with all football clubs. The same with Chelsea, the same with Man United. It always happens. And just touching on that, Ross, Cooper did a brilliant job of creating a squad atmosphere, a squad culture, a city that was combined and that was all rooting for Forrest. What do you think? The new manager, the new head coach that will probably be announced tomorrow or the day after, and it looks like it will be Nuno Esparito Cento, what do you think he has to do to get the fans on board?

Yeah. So for me, Steve Cooper wasn't just a fantastic head coach. He was fantastic at all the PR around it as well. So through his interactions with all the media outlets, he came across as professional, courteous, and he correctly identified that it was more than just about him, it was about the club. And you see that through other coaches as well, as I said earlier on the podcast as well, are coming through that FA coaching system. Rob Edwoodster is very similar with Luton from what I gather as well. And also, Garreth Southgate as well. You know that M&S look that just really making it not just about him, but about the wider context. Head coaches need to do that to save their job these days. They need to get the press, they need to get the fans on board, because otherwise if the fans turn, the owners will go, They don't like him, so I'm going to sack him. So Steve Cooper did an incredible job and had more lives than a cat, and then he got out of the job because he had the fans on board. And then because the owner was like, I think this is going to be a PR issue if we sack him, early on in the Premier League tenure, it's been very easy to do that.

But because he's been well coached with dealing with the media, dealing with PR matters, he was unsackable. And of course, he was a fantastic head coach as well. I'm not just saying he was playing the media, but I'm saying that was a big part in why he was in the job for as long as he was. So what does Nuno need to do now or whatever new incumbent needs to come in, they need to come in with energy and with passion and that desire also to connect with the fan base and to know that that brings results. The city ground is a fantastic place to be a head coach if you're willing to engage with the fan base and also if you're willing to also show that energy and that passion. So I think it needs to do exactly what Steve has done, be professional, be courteous, be honest, and to try to bring the fans on board with the journey for the rest of the season. And then hopefully the results that there'll be that relationship to fans and on the pitch and the results will come. And of course, the away from that as well.

Fingers crossed. Four points from the next two will be great.

Four points from the next two.

Fans will be thinking, Okay, okay. You know, Steve.

And just finally then to finish us off. Do you agree with what Ross said there? And huge game on Saturday against Bournemouth. It seems like I spoke to Dave on the podcast, and he said it seems like we just never are able to beat Bournemouth. But new manager bounce, how can you see it going? And do you think that the new no, if he is the guy to come in tomorrow or when it's announced, he is the guy to turn it round for Forrest?

Well, first, the last question. I do think he'll turn it round. I'm not saying he is the guy to turn it around. I was hoping Steve Cooper would have turned it around, but that's not happened, so we have to now move on. Do I think they'll beat Bournemouth on Saturday? I actually thought they'd beat Bournemouth on Saturday if Steve Cooper was in charge, because I just thought what Bournemouth might have witnessed on Saturday with the looting captain might have just played on their minds a little bit and think Forrest would have known. Itry. Look, I think we'll get four points out the next three. Fingers crossed. Minimum.

I'm just going to show this comment, Steve. Jonathan says this is very positive. When Villa Sack-Gerald, there was 16th and they went on an April run. Forest do the same this year and make the Europa League. Who knows? Maybe one day.

There is one other thing as well. I just want to say something in the back room staff just quickly. We talked about the Spurs one. He had a guy with him and I can't remember his name at the back room staff. And my mate from Wolves, I don't know what his name was, my mate from Wolf said, if he brings his number two that didn't go to Spurs, you'll be fine. He didn't go to Spurs. I can't remember his name. He's number two. He didn't go to Spurs with him for some other reason and didn't go to Spurs. But the Wolves fans have said to me, so I don't see what your problem is at the minute, Forrest, with having him. He says, We love him. We'd have him back tomorrow.

Seems very positive. Ross, thank you for your time. Fingers crossed, Forrest can turn it around, mate. And thanks very much for coming on.

Great, man. Thanks for having us and come on, you're ready.

Yes, indeed. We'll be fine, boys. Keep the faith, everyone. Keep calm. Go and have a drink. All right, keep calm. Trust Steve. He knows.

Trust Steve. Thank you for all the comments on this live edition of Garibaldi Red on Facebook and on YouTube as far as today. Sack, Steve, Cooper, as head coach, we'll be back later on in the week for a Bournemouth preview. And of course, if Nuno, Esperito, Santo, the manager that's heavily linked, is appointed as forest manager. But fingers crossed whatever manager comes in, we'll get behind them and hopefully better times. Remember to drop us a like, follow and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast and on YouTube, and we will see you very soon. Thanks for tuning in to this special edition of Gariboy Redd. Have a great rest of your evening, whatever you're doing.