Steve Cooper comes out fighting as pressure on his position builds… with the Welshman insisting Nottingham Forest deserve ‘a manager who cares as much as I do’ ahead of key clash against Everton

Steve Cooper insists Nottingham Forest need a manager prepared to throw heart and soul into the job as pressure builds ahead of his side’s meeting with Everton on Saturday.

The Forest boss is under scrutiny from the ownership after one win from nine league games – even though the team were bottom of the Championship when Cooper took charge barely two years ago.

The forthcoming matches against Everton, Fulham and Wolves could have a huge bearing on the plans of owner Evangelos Marinakis though Cooper remains hugely popular with the majority of fans.

‘I really like being the manager when things seem to be going well here,’ he said. 

‘But I want to be the manager even more when it’s on the back of a negative result or even a couple of negative results, because I think that’s what this club deserves – a manager who cares as much as I do.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis is ambitious to climb the table rather than face another escape act

‘You are never too far away from excessive praise and also the opposite and some clubs will be noisier than others. 

‘I don’t pay any attention to it. I didn’t last year and I won’t now or in the future either.

‘What’s relevant to me is our work, our commitment to the players and the supporters and doing our very best to make this season another progressive one. There will be ups and downs.’

Marinakis has spent close to £300million on transfers in the last three windows and is targeting a top-10 finish this term. 

The Greek shipping magnate’s ambition has never been in doubt but it has meant Cooper working with a reshaped squad in each of the last two summers.

Forest lost 3-2 to Brighton last time out and now face a huge game up against Everton next

Forest ended their first top-flight campaign this century by avoiding relegation and despite the recent poor form they could move 12th in the table this weekend if they beat Everton and other results fall in their favour.

Cooper added: ‘Nobody likes a couple of poor results, but they’re going to happen – especially where we are, with it being our second year in the Premier League and trying to progress. To progress even a little bit there will be all sorts of highs and lows.

‘It’s one thing to be a manager when it is all going well, but it is another to be a manager when it’s not. That’s what I want to be here, because of how much I care for the club.

‘We know our plan. We know our work. So far, the club has progressed and our aim is to continue to do that.’