Nottingham Forest’s chief exec and his recruitment team could ALL be axed

Nottingham Forest’s chief exec and his recruitment team could ALL be axed after the club spent £150m on 22 players but sit BOTTOM of the league – with popular boss Steve Cooper also set to be fired

  • Nottingham Forest bought 22 new players this summer but it hasn’t worked yet
  • Forest sit bottom of the Premier League table after eight matches this season
  • Scrutiny has intensified on Forest chief executive Dane Murphy, head of recruitment George Syrianos and scout Andy Scott via the club’s ownership

Nottingham Forest chief executive Dane Murphy and the roles of his recruitment staff are under threat as the club considers a management restructuring.

The future of boss Steve Cooper continues to be discussed with Forest bottom of the Premier League following last night’s 4-0 defeat by Leicester City. However, Sportsmail understands that after £150million was spent on 22 players during the summer, other senior figures at the club could also depart this week.

American chief executive Murphy, head of recruitment George Syrianos and scout Andy Scott are all in the possible firing line as the club’s owners take stock of the situation and look to arrest their malaise.

Nottingham Forest chief executive Dane Murphy could get fired following the club’s poor start to the season – despite his overseeing of 22 new arrivals to the City Ground this summer

Murphy, 36, a former midfielder with New York Cosmos, joined the club from Barnsley but his input has come under greater scrutiny in recent weeks and he is expected to hold talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis amid concerns they need greater experience. Former Newcastle United chief executive Lee Charnley has been helping out at Forest on a consultancy basis and he could yet come into the reckoning as a possible replacement should decisive action be taken.

Head of recruitment Syrianos joined Forest from Stuttgart where he was head of data and analytics and was key to some of the signings hailing from the Bundesliga this summer – notably former Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin for £17.5m.

Head of scouting Scott, 50, previously worked with Swansea, Watford and Brentford.

All face an uncertain future as Marinakis searches for answers in his bid to ensure Forest’s return to the top flight is not a fleeting flirtation.

The owner had a dinner meeting with manager Steve Cooper at the Carlton Tower Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge on Saturday evening as he stressed the need for swift improvement.

Cooper was candid in assessment of his side following Forest’s defeat at Leicester and remains popular among supporters.

He readily recognises the need for change in performance levels and hopes he will be given more time.

Rafa Benitez is among the candidates who would be considered if Cooper goes but the Spaniard, who last worked in the Premier League with Everton, would take some convincing to join Forest in their current situation.

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk