Nuno Espirito Santo sends Steve Cooper message as pledge made to Nottingham Forest fans
Latest Nottingham Forest as Nuno Espirito Santo unveiled as new Reds head coach
New head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has pledged to win over any Nottingham Forest fans holding doubts about his appointment.
The Portuguese was appointed on Wednesday morning as Steve Cooper’s successor and immediately got to work by taking his first training session. He will not have long to get his ideas across as his first game at the helm will be at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.
He will walk out at a City Ground which retained a great affection for Cooper right until the end. And Nuno is eager to build on the legacy which has been left by his predecessor.
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“We didn’t mark ourselves to expectations,” he said, when asked whether owner Evangelos Marinakis had set out any goals for the season. “That’s a day to day process.
“What he told me was that what Steve did here is huge. Getting Forest back in the Premier League is fantastic work. We are trying to improve his legacy, which is amazing.
“Steve’s popularity is fair. What Steve did here at Forest is amazing – getting Forest back in the Premier League and keeping Forest in the Premier League.
“It’s normal (to have that popularity), and it shows how good Forest fans are with the respect they showed Steve even when things weren’t going well. That says a lot about our fans.
“Winning fans over is part of football. Fans judge us for what we achieve but also, more than anything, on what they see.
“What I can promise them is an organised team that is going to give everything they have on the pitch. I hope the fans can see that, starting on Saturday.”
In his message to Reds fans ahead of his first game at the helm, Nuno said: “Thank you. I know the atmosphere at the City Ground is amazing and what we expect at 3 o’clock on Saturday is their support.”
