Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper recognised that Sunday's Championship play-off final win over Huddersfield Town is life changing.
Forest beat the Terriers 1-0 at Wembley to secure their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
They have not played a top-flight match since the 1998-99 season, with their 23-year gap between Premier League seasons being the longest for any club.
Their success on Sunday highlighted the astonishing turnaround inspired by Cooper, who took over the club in September when they were second from bottom in the Championship – only Derby County, who had been deducted 12 points early in the season, were below the two-time European champions.
But since then, Cooper has won 60 per cent of his 45 games in charge, the best win ratio of any Forest manager (minimum 15 matches) since the club joined the Football League in the 1982-93 season.
In that time, Forest's 27 victories across all competitions is more than any other Championship club, and Cooper – who lost to Brentford with Swansea City in last season's play-offs – was fully aware of the gravity of securing promotion.
"It's relief and pride – this isn't about me, but it's changed my life, potentially anyway," Cooper told Sky Sports.
"My family are here, the players' families are here – this football club is about belonging to a city. It comes together on matchday. We've taken over Wembley today and are in the Premier League.
"This football club is built on positive eras from the past and we want to build on that. We are proud of that but at the same time we need to think, 'what if?'
"Can we get the Premier League? Can we play attractive football? What if we can develop young players? And that's what we've done showing an attitude and a commitment to not get beaten. We deserve this."
While Cooper will attract many of the plaudits for the undeniably brilliant job he has performed since September, he was quick to pay tribute to his players and the atmosphere they have helped to cultivate in the club.
"It's a glamorous world being a footballer and a manager but it's also a harsh and spiteful one," he continued.
"I just wanted the players to know I will be their biggest supporter and give them everything through thick and thin.
"It doesn't mean I'm soft with them or don't demand of them but everybody loves to be loved. That's what we've tried to do with the players."
Fulham boss Marco Silva will continue to demand more from Andreas Pereira as the Brazilian looks to maintain his form heading into the closing weeks of the Premier League season.
Pereira scored both goals in Fulham’s 2-0 victory at West Ham last weekend, which was a first win in four matches.
The former Manchester United attacking midfielder had not found the net since August, but is top of Fulham’s assists with eight so far.
The consistency of Pereira, who was born in Belgium, has seen him recalled into the Brazil national team, featuring in both March friendlies against England at Wembley and then Spain.
Silva feels the 28-year-old, who had a successful loan spell at Flamengo before signing for Fulham in the summer of 2022, still has plenty more to offer.
“Andreas, last season made a huge impact. Before he joined us, he played more as a second midfielder and not so offensive,” the Fulham boss said.
“This season, he is going to have one of the best assist records for us – and we will demand more.
“Last week, he showed the desire to arrive in the right areas.”
Fulham host Liverpool on Sunday looking to further dent the Reds’ ambitions.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta and also slumped to what could prove a costly home defeat against Crystal Palace to lose ground in the Premier League title race.
Fulham have pushed Liverpool in each of their three meetings this season, being narrowly edged out 4-3 after a dramatic finish at Anfield in their league match at the start of December followed by what was a tight Carabao Cup semi-final over two legs.
“Probably some of them (have been) too open for a manager to enjoy, but yes, at Anfield and at the Cottage as well, they have been really – in some moments – emotional games, in other moments entertaining,” Silva said at a press conference.
“Tight games always, in some of them dramatic ends of the match. But even last season, it was really tough for them to come to play at Craven Cottage (in the) Carabao Cup this season, too.”
Silva added: “We want to make life really difficult for Liverpool, to give them a match.
“Let’s hope we can get a different result than the last games that we played against them.
Fulham could yet challenge for a top-10 finish.
“I think we are in the best moment of the season,” Silva said. “We haven’t had big injuries in the last month and a half, or two months.
“It, of course, creates a competition inside our squad that helps myself and the players to reach a different level and good headaches for me to decide, which is always the better situation to plan a game and prepare for the next game.”
Jurgen Klopp: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota give Liverpool ‘a chance’
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota gives their title hopes a much-needed boost.
Defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend saw Klopp’s side drop to third as Manchester City moved into a two-point lead at the top of the table.
But with results faltering, the performance by Alexander-Arnold in the Europa League win over Atalanta, particularly in the first half, has offered renewed hope.
The defender was making his first start since mid-February after a knee injury and, while Jota has yet to have the same impact in three relatively short substitute appearances after a similar two-month lay-off, the clinical nature of his game could offset some of the deficiencies currently being experienced by his fellow forwards.
“We need Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, but we need him in a really good shape and form and that’s what he has to get up to,” said Klopp ahead of the trip to Fulham.
“It’s not about him and it’s not his fault if he wouldn’t be, it’s just the situation. So how quick can we get him rolling if you want – the same for Diogo.
“We have to find a way to help the boys in the best way, to bring them as quick as possible into their best form or shape and from there we have to go.
“Without them we wouldn’t have a chance. With them we have a chance, with them in a really good football moment the chance gets bigger and bigger.”
Klopp remains positive about their chances despite recent failures and feels six wins could see them snatch the title from the grasp of their rivals.
Although a Europa League exit on aggregate was disappointing there were positives to take from the game.
Alexander-Arnold’s display, drifting infield to dictate play and even popping up in the centre-forward’s position on occasions in Bergamo, was one and a first clean sheet in 10 matches was another.
With struggles up front continuing – Liverpool have scored only two goals in the opening 15 minutes in a league game this season – a more solid backline offers a better platform and that is why Klopp is optimistic.
“I don’t have a lot of qualities but I am always completely honest. If I don’t feel great the players feel it pretty quickly,” he said.
“I cannot really deny or just keep it under the carpet so that means after the game against Palace people ask ‘What do you tell the team now?’.
“But here we are a few days later and I feel absolutely great, I see the good in the situation where we are. It is fantastic.
“The boys know that I don’t tell them things which I don’t believe in and I am 100 percent sure we can really win all of the games we will have to from now on.
“What should influence us more: the last game, the last week or is it the chance in front of us?
“I am fully (of the opinion) that there is a next chance for us and we can turn things absolutely around in all departments. We can make it still an outstanding season.
“It will be a good season but of course how you look at it is in the end is massively influenced by the last part of it.”
‘Excited’ Gareth Taylor wants his Manchester City team to take advantage
Gareth Taylor has urged Manchester City to step up and seize their moment in the Women’s Super League title race.
Chelsea returned to the summit on goal difference on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa but Taylor’s team will play twice before the current champions get the chance to add to their 46-point tally.
While Chelsea switch their attention to Champions League semi-final action with Barcelona over the next two weekends, City host West Ham on Sunday before they travel to Bristol City on April 28 with the aim of being six points clear going into May.
Taylor told a press conference: “Wednesday night changed things around a little bit again but of course we play now two games before Chelsea play again, so it is an important moment for us to step up and do our bit.
“That is all we will do. Attack the next game, give it our very best and do what we can.
“Yeah, I’m excited about this next period and think it is a great opportunity for us.
“If we had looked at that at the beginning of the season, knowing that most of the time the WSL goes to the final game, I think it is a fantastic position for us to be in.
“We’ve worked so hard and we don’t want to lose that opportunity. We want to continue with it and take it all the way.”
City will have first-choice Khiara Keating in goal after she was able to shake off the knee issue which forced her to leave England national team duty earlier this month.
View this post on InstagramGrace Clinton will be a notable absentee due to the terms of her loan at Spurs from United and she will also be unavailable at Wembley on May 12.
Tottenham head coach Robert Vilahamn has made no secret of his desire to keep the England international beyond this season-long loan but his opposite number Marc Skinner talked up his future hopes for Clinton in a United shirt.
Skinner said: “When we signed Grace two seasons ago, it was that we saw this level of potential for sure.
“It’s really interesting talking to people around her and so on, there is still loads more we can give to her and we can keep adding to her.
“But I can’t stress this enough, the whole reason she went on loan was to be able to do that.
“We couldn’t give her the minutes that needed her to be able to do that but she has now proven she is in that space, she has had that exposure and I look forward to welcoming her back to do that for Manchester United.”
Sunday’s other fixture will see third-placed Arsenal host Leicester with the Gunners eager to close the gap on Chelsea, which stands at six points with four fixtures left to play.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
