President responds as Nottingham Forest eye his 47-year-old manager

Follow us on Google Discover

Torino president Urbano Cairo insists he is not aware of speculation linking Ivan Juric with a move to Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest, speaking to Corriere dello Sera. 

Following Sunday’s 4-1 home defeat to a ruthless Newcastle United, Southampton became the fifth club already this season to sack their manager; Ralph Hasenhuttl suffering the same fate that befell Scott Parker, Thomas Tuchel, Bruno Lage and Steven Gerrard. 

Having signed a new three-year deal only a couple of weeks ago, the chances of Steve Cooper becoming sacking number six look slim. That is despite speculation, via Tuttosport, suggesting that one of the most exciting tacticians in Serie A could replace the former England U17 boss at the City Ground. 

Nottingham Forest, the report says, see 47-year-old Juric as a potential replacement for Cooper.

The one-time Inter Milan assistant distanced himself from such speculation over the weekend, however. And Granata president Cairo insists that that he, too, knows nothing about a prospective switch to the East Midlands for a coach who still has two years remaining on his contract. 

“I don’t know,” Cairo says. “I have no news like that.”

Could Ivan Juric one day replace Steve Cooper as Nottingham Forest manager?

Nottingham Forest secured a potentially invaluable point at home to Brentford on Saturday; Matthias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen’s stoppage time own goal cancelling out Yoan Wissa’s would-be winner at the other end. 

That was not enough to lift Forest above Wolves at the bottom of the table. On a positive note, that 5-0 hammering at Arsenal side, Forest look a far more well-drilled, stable unit these days; having lost just two out of six games since October’s four-goal defeat away from home at Leicester City. 

A run that includes the outstanding 1-0 triumph over Liverpool.

“I’m glad (the table is tight),” Cooper explains, via the Daily Mail. “We’re nowhere near the points and results we’d hope to have at this stage of the season. 

“We were never too ambitious, if you like, with where we thought we should be. But it was certainly better than where we are now.

“On that front, I’m glad we’re still within touching distance. Because it gives us motivation and the challenge to improve on that. But maybe it’s tight for a reason, because maybe there’s a lot of teams who are not too far apart.”