Former Crystal Palace boss ‘emerging’ as ‘leading candidate’ for Nottingham Forest job after Leeds United loss

Former Crystal Palace head coach Patrick Vieira could be back in a Premier League dugout soon with reports claiming he is the ‘leading candidate’ to replace Steve Cooper as Nottingham Forest boss.

Cooper remains in charge at the City Ground at the time of publication but it is believed the club’s hierarchy may be considering the 43-year old’s position following last night’s 2-1 defeat to fellow relegation battlers Leeds United at Elland Road. Forest are now on a run of eight games without victory and sit 17th in the league table where they are level on points with Bournemouth (18th) in the relegation zone but also Everton (16th) and West Ham United (15th).

According to the Daily Mail, last night’s result in Yorkshire could spell the end for Cooper and Vieira would be ‘in the running’ to replace him less than three weeks after being sacked by Crystal Palace. However, the current Forest boss confirmed after the match that he had not had any contact with the club’s hierarchy.

When asked about his future, he said: “I am not someone who thinks like that, Ialways think of the greater good of the football club. Any worry, frustration, disappointment I am feeling right now is that Forest have lost a game they could have done so much better in. That is how I am wired.

“I have trained myself to focus on what is controllable and work as hard as I can every day and believe in my work and stay true to it. I have been answering questions about myself for a little while now. I respect the question, but I am not the person who thinks about it. All the joy of winning and the disappointment of losing is what is right for the football club and not myself.”