Nottingham Forest have been predicted to face administration and endure back-to-back relegations if they sack manager Steve Cooper.
That is by beIN Sports presenter Richard Keys, who was speaking on the latest instalment of Keys & Gray: The Podcast.
It has been a difficult start to life for Forest on their return to the Premier League, with the East Midlands side currently rooted to the bottom of the table having won just one game and earned four points from eight fixtures.
That is despite the fact that the club signed 23 players across the summer transfer window, with Cooper’s job under threat until the club opted against sacking the former Swansea City manager, giving him a new contract instead.
But Keys believes that things will turn very sour very quickly if Cooper is let go this season.
“This is where Forest are heading in my view,” Keys said on Keys & Gray: The Podcast (16:32).
“I said the sequence of events would be, Cooper gets fired.
“They get relegated, they go straight through the Championship.
“They’re in administration halfway through next season.
“And they’re battling back from League One the year after.”
TIF Thoughts on Keys’ comments
We think that, whilst there is always a risk of financial disaster after signing 23 players, Keys may have jumped the gun a bit too early here, especially with Cooper being offered a new deal.
Whilst the current Forest manager’s job is definitely not entirely safe, a new contract would suggest that he has been given more time to turn fortunes around for the two-time European Cup winners.
Therefore, we disagree with Keys in this instance, but also think that Forest’s finances need to be managed carefully if they end up suffering relegation to the Championship at the end of the season.