Have Steve Cooper and Nottingham Forest justified their Premier League spending spree?

There is a genuine feeling that Nottingham Forest boss, Steve Cooper, has been vindicated by the extreme overhaul of his playing squad after promotion to the Premier League. Many newly promoted clubs to the top flight often hand the players that got them there the chance to retain their Premier League status. However, that wasn’t the case with the East Midlands outfit, who were hellbent on making the most of their Premier League return after more than two decades outside the top division.

Cooper and Forest’s hierarchy has overseen no less than 30 new faces through the door at the City Ground between pre-season and the end of the 2023 January transfer window. It’s an unprecedented number, resulting in many eyebrows being raised in Premier League circles. However, the 43-year-old has somehow managed to look beyond the initial media frenzy surrounding the club’s bold transfer moves and demonstrate his ability to mould the new-look squad into a team with a coherent style of play. It’s the sign of a top-class coach, with exceptional mental attributes.

Consequently, some might say that Cooper would make a good poker player, given his acceptance of the variance of results in the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign. After all, they did have just four points from their first eight league games. In poker, variance is part and parcel of the action, with the potential to play well and do everything by the book and still lose a hand. It’s the same in football, especially for newly promoted teams that may put teams under immense pressure but lack the elite-level quality to break defences down and make their territorial or possessional dominance count.

Cooper’s mental resolve is now being richly rewarded on and off the field

Cooper seemed almost unflappable during this uncertain period, even when the knives were already out, and certain sections of fans and the media were questioning the Welshman’s future at the City Ground. October 22^nd proved to be a pivotal moment for Cooper and Forest. Their narrow 1-0 home victory over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool handed the entire club a confidence boost, showing it can mix it with the Premier League elite.

Since then, Forest haven’t looked back, going from relegation certainties to survival hopefuls in the space of two-to-three months. The team’s EFL Cup run was an impressive one, with the Tricky Trees reaching the semi-final stage before a two-leg defeat to Manchester United. Nevertheless, their resurgence helped put the club back on the radar of players and agents alike going into the January transfer window.

Clever and calculated transfer business – not the reckless moves portrayed in the media

Forest may have been highly active again in this window, but they were also very savvy with their transfer business. According to Transfermarkt, the club paid out £19.9m in transfer fees in January. However, the true market value of these players is said to be around £64.2m.

The club’s most significant outlay was the £20m acquisition of Brazilian holding midfielder Danilo from Brazilian giants Palmeiras. Forest also raided Palmeiras for Danilo’s team mate, attacking midfielder Gustavo Scarpa. Cooper also sought to bring additional experience to the backline, with Brazilian defender Felipe signing on the dotted line from Atletico Madrid. The club has also used loans and free transfers wisely. Experienced Ghanaian striker Andre Ayew joined on a free transfer after his contract with Qatari side Al-Sadd SC was cancelled by mutual consent.

Experienced Costa Rican international keeper Keylor Navas was a high-profile but much-needed loan signing. Navas arrived from Paris Saint-Germain, with a remit to play while first-choice stopper Dean Henderson remains sidelined through injury. The likes of Navas, Felipe and Ayew all bring big-game experience and strengthen the overall spine of the Forest team for the run-in to May. Forest shrugged off the disappointment of their EFL Cup loss to Manchester United by winning 1-0 at home to Leeds United. Brennan Johnson’s goal moved Forest into 13^th place, six points clear of the relegation zone and above former Premier League champions Leicester City in the process. Navas pulled off a string of world-class saves to keep Leeds at bay and it’s those key moments of individual brilliance that Steve Cooper’s recruited to give Forest the ‘X Factor’ in their survival bid.

Have Steve Cooper and Nottingham Forest justified their Premier League spending spree?