BBC pundit Chris Sutton has expressed sympathy for Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper amid mounting pressure on his job.
What's the latest on Cooper and Forest?
Despite doing so well to get his team promoted from the Championship up to the Premier League last season, it seems as though the 43-year-old could be out of a job soon.
Indeed, his was worryingly given the dreaded vote of confidence by the Forest board recently. In a statement made by club owner Evangelos Marinakis, it was said that Cooper won't be sacked yet but form "must improve immediately".
The full message was: “No one denies that our Club is in a difficult position in the Premier League, but we wish to end the speculation and the false and disruptive reporting in the media to confirm that Steve Cooper remains our manager at Nottingham Forest.
“We have all been disappointed with recent performances and it is very clear that a lot of hard work needs to be done to address this urgently. Results and performances must improve immediately."
Worryingly then, NFFC lost at home this weekend against Manchester United in a 2-0 defeat which leaves the club 18th.
While talking about the pressure on Cooper on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton claimed that Marinakis' public comments have put the manager in a tricky position.
The pundit said (28:57): “I think he's been hung out to dry, Steve Cooper.
"This backing, or so-called backing – which it clearly wasn't and because, you know, then he's told that he needs immediate results – that's put him in a hell of a position. You know, it really, really has.”
Will Steve Cooper be sacked soon?
It certainly won't be much help for Cooper or his players to know that the manager is essentially in line for the sack unless results can turn around swiftly.
That statement came out on April 5. Since then, have lost back-to-back league games against Aston Villa and Man United, meaning they haven't won in the division since February 5, ten games ago.
As a result, the club are stuck inside the bottom three, on 27 points, with only seven games left to play this term.
No doubt, with all this pressure, Cooper would have been hoping for a bit of luck on the weekend against the Red Devils but he certainly did not get that.
Indeed, Harry Maguire looked to have surely given away a first-half penalty but his handball was missed by the referee and VAR.
When talking to BBC Sport after the game, the exasperated Forest manager said: "I definitely think it was a penalty, and then a second yellow.
"I do not know how VAR did not spot it, at this level they should be doing better."
It seems as though the PGMOL may have hung Cooper out to dry, just like Marinakis…
