Joe Worrall shares what Steve Cooper did that he really didn’t agree with at Nottingham Forest.

Steve Cooper is well-liked at Nottingham Forest, but academy graduate Joe Worrall had an unpleasant experience during his tenure.

Cooper has a positive reputation among Forest players, as evidenced by Callum Hudson-Odoi’s praise for the former manager’s influence on his career.

Cooper was praised by Nuno Espírito Santo for laying the groundwork for the Reds’ success in the Premier League and European competition.

However, not all have positive memories of their time under Cooper, with Worrall especially experiencing a difficult end to his Forest career with the Welshman in charge.

Joe Worrall remembers ‘difficult’ times with Steve Cooper in charge.

Worrall left Forest in the summer to join newly promoted Burnley in the Championship. Despite being a key member of Cooper’s promotion team, the Forest academy product has struggled in the top flight, which he partially blames on Cooper.

Worrall told Forest Focus: “He [Cooper] should’ve played me more, simple as that.” I used to have difficult conversations with him. It got to the point where we weren’t performing particularly well, and it seemed to be either me or Yatesy.

“I just felt that if we were going to have a chance of staying in the division, we needed some solidity in the back. He was switching from a four to a five, and I don’t think he used the same back four or back five for two or three games; it was chop and change all the time.

“[…] I’d run through a brick wall for Nottingham Forest, but I found it difficult at times to do the same for him.”

Tensions were clearly high between the two, but one game in particular caused a genuine schism between Worrall and Cooper.

How a match against Aston Villa sealed Joe Worrall’s fate with Forest

Worrall made 30 appearances in his first Premier League season, but the second season marked the end of his Forest career.

The centre back was left out of the squad to face Aston Villa in November 2023, which clearly marked the end of Worrall and Cooper’s relationship.

Worrall continued: “It was difficult to accept at the time. I should’ve talked to Tatey, Alan Tate’s assistant, about different approaches and my desired impact on the team, but I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me.

“It was a bit of a disappointing ending, but that’s how football goes. During that season, especially near Christmas, I experienced a difficult period both on and off the pitch.

“I could maybe have been a little bit different, but I also felt that I needed someone to support me at that time, and he certainly didn’t.”

Worrall is still a fan of the club, but he wishes his relationship with Cooper had not deteriorated so quickly.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk