Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper conceded he was still in charge of a “team in transition” while his side’s latest crop of signings remain in integration mode.

The Reds added 13 new faces during the summer transfer window including 21-year-old Brazilian centre-back Murillo, who displayed flashes of his promising potential during Saturday’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Cooper, who led Forest to promotion at the end of the 2021-22 season, made clear cohesion was his end-game, but nevertheless sees the task of team-building as an inspiring endeavour.

He said: “It is a challenge, but it’s an exciting challenge, because in the end you do want a consistent team that has played together for a while where the natural connections build and you don’t even talk about it, it tends to come naturally, because of the experience of playing with each other.

“So that’s what we want to do, but it’s a transition. It’s a team in transition for sure, but we know where want to go and where we want to play going forward.

“But while we’re doing that you’re taking nothing for granted and what you’ve got to do along the way is pick up enough points to be more or less where you want to be in the league.

“What we also have to bear in mind, and not lose sight of, is the fact that it is only our second year in the Premier League.

“One week I’m getting asked about second season syndrome and the next week I’m getting asked about what the expectations are, and neither are in our mind.

“It’s just about living in the moment, in the present, committing to a plan of where we want to go and recognising that there will be ups and downs.”

Few managers would be more eager to speed through the present moment than Palace boss Roy Hodgson, whose side are looking to stay up for an 11th consecutive season.

Saturday’s point ensured his Eagles would sit ninth at an international break that could not come at a more opportune time, with Hodgson’s side mired in an injury crisis further compounded after both Jairo Riedewald and Jeffrey Schlupp were forced off against Forest.

With Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Cheick Doucoure, Jefferson Lerma, Matheus Franca, Joel Ward, Dean Henderson, Naouirou Ahamada and Nathan Ferguson all out of action, Hodgson was questioned about the success of Palace’s own summer transfer window that ended in just four new faces arriving.

He said: “There’s being wise after the event. Had there not been any injuries, and we were sailing along with what we think is our best team, probably you’d be asking the question ‘when are you going to give x, y and z a game?’. I don’t hold that against anybody.

“But of course (chairman) Steve (Parish) and (sporting director) Dougie Freedman, they are talking about these things all the time, and I’m pretty certain that if they think there are lessons to be learned, they will learn them, but my job is to work with the players that are there in front of me.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper believes his side are heading in the right direction despite their trip to Crystal Palace ending in a “disappointing” goalless draw.

Cooper’s men had their chances at Selhurst Park, where Morgan Gibbs-White saw a shot come back off a post and a sprightly Murillo was denied more than once by Eagles goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

In the end, it was a closer result than some had perhaps expected from a Palace squad that, already mired in an injury crisis, saw both Jeffrey Schlupp and Jairo Riedewald forced off either side of half-time.

Cooper said: “We’re definitely the team that, if anyone deserved to win it was us. That was clear, with the chances in the game, so there’s a little feeling of disappointment in the dressing room for sure, but also knowing that performances and results like this last year were so hard to come by.

“So the fact that we looked like that tonight and the way we have played means that beyond the small disappointment of not winning, we see a team that’s growing and hopefully on an upward trajectory.

“I have to bear that in mind. We want to be winning games, especially when we have chances like we did tonight, how we played in the first half and how we ended the game.

“But I think we’ve also got to respect that we kept a clean sheet, and for us to play like that I think is something that overall will be a real positive.”

Roy Hodgson, who managed his 400th Premier League contest on Saturday, admitted he has rarely, if ever, experienced an injury crisis quite like the one plaguing the Eagles.

Having already been forced to make three changes to his line-up from Palace’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United due to injuries to Eberechi Eze, Joel Ward and Cheick Doucoure, the 76-year-old was forced into two more on Saturday evening.

As Schlupp hobbled off the pitch, Hodgson elected to bring on 21-year-old Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who before the Forest encounter had played just nine Premier League minutes for Palace.

Rak-Sakyi, who had a disappointing Carabao Cup outing at Old Trafford last week, was a silver lining for Palace and received a warm reception from the home support after he delivered dangerous crosses into the area and tried twice to hand his side an opener.

Ultimately neither side could take advantage of what few chances they had created, but the Palace boss was full of praise for his young substitute, who returned from a loan spell at Charlton at the end of last season.

Hodgson, who compared Rak-Sakyi to the injured Michael Olise, said: “I was delighted for him. There were a lot of clubs interested in taking him again.

“I had to fight with him a little bit to persuade him that if he really wants to be a Premier League player he is in the best place and chances will come, and today he got that chance and I think he took it extremely well.

“He didn’t just do well on the ball, he also did his defensive work. Of course when you’ve got wingers, talented wingers, that is one of the things you ask questions about: is he going to be good on the ball for those few moments he’s got it, but also what is he going to be like when we’re working hard to stop them doing something with it?”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper felt it was another bad day for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited after some controversial decisions in his side’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.

The PGMOL were forced to stand intended fourth official Darren England down at the City Ground after his mistake on Saturday night when, as VAR in Tottenham’s game against Liverpool, he failed to act properly in overturning the decision to rule out Luis Diaz’s goal for offside.

And both managers were left complaining after the draw as Nicolas Dominguez’s header cancelled out Christian Norgaard’s opener, which came immediately after Moussa Niakhate was sent off.

That is the decision that irked Cooper the most, the boss insisting that his defender’s tackle, where he raked his studs down Yoane Wissa’s calf, was accidental.

Cooper said: “Honestly, if he doesn’t give him a second yellow, nobody mentions it. All of your colleagues on TV and radio have said the same.

“With it being the only Premier League game of the day, the PGMOL needed a real clean day and unfortunately they have got the opposite. We want to help referees, we will moan and complain as much as anyone else, it is just the nature of it.

“We’ll try and do it respectfully, but sometimes it’s hard. They have got to help themselves. I’m annoyed with the first yellow, he shouldn’t have lunged in. The second yellow would not even have been mentioned…of course it was accidental.

“You need football understanding to see that. It’s a contact game.

“Some have gone for us, so I’m not sitting here saying we’re hard done by. We all want refereeing to be at the right level and we all want to help them and they have to help themselves. The last thing they needed today was talking points about decision-making, but that’s what they’ve got.

“Come on, let’s work together and we will help. Some things have gone in our favour, not as much as have gone against us. This league is amazing and every part of it needs to be at that level.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank says he is “tired” of talking about VAR after he thought his side were denied a clear penalty.

Frank believes Wissa was fouled by Matt Turner early in the second half when he closed down the Forest goalkeeper and was caught by Turner’s follow through, while Brentford also had two penalty appeals turned down.

Referee Paul Tierney did not give anything and the incident was not even checked by VAR Michael Oliver.

“I am tired of talking about it, I understand you guys need to ask the question,” he said.

“I just want to talk about performances.

“I think the two handball situations, some managers would claim them as penalty, I won’t. I think I would really hate that if they were given against my team.

“But the Wissa one is a clear penalty, you can’t go through the man, that is an unfortunate mistake from VAR, especially when that is clear and obvious.

“Unfortunately our players are too honest, we need to be a little bit more nasty, I would never say that to the players, I like honest players.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper expected Callum Hudson-Odoi to have a big impact as his “moment of brilliance” earned a 1-1 draw with Burnley.

Hudson-Odoi reminded the Premier League what he is capable of with a fine debut goal, bringing his side level with a brilliant curling effort in the second half after Zeki Amdouni had put the Clarets ahead.

It is 18 months since the 22-year-old last played in England’s top flight as his promising Chelsea career petered out, but, after a year on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, he was back with a bang.

He was Forest’s brightest spark following his deadline-day move from Stamford Bridge and got his reward.

“Any new player will want to hit the ground running and show what they can do,” Cooper said. “We got Anthony (Elanga) and Callum in really good positions and we could have done more with them.

“I know he has quality and he can have moments of brilliance. We need that at times in the Premier League and we got one tonight. It is great for him, great for us obviously.

“He hasn’t played much football, he has trained well, but I backed him to do well tonight. He ran out of legs, I didn’t think we’d get that long out of him. We have got to push him to do more of that.

“You see goals like that in the Premier League, there is so much quality. It is a brilliant goal. We have had a few of those scored against us but we haven’t had too many of them for us. Beautiful strike, beautiful technique, great for him, great for the team. He will feel good about that.”

The point for Burnley enabled them to get their campaign up and running after three successive defeats, but they might be disappointed they did not leave with all three after they were denied a late winner by VAR as Sander Berge was ruled to have handled the ball.

They then ended the game with 10 men after Lyle Foster elbowed Ryan Yates deep into added time, with VAR also intervening.

Clarets boss Vincent Kompany was pragmatic in his response.

“I have a decent business brain and a decent coaching brain, but when it comes to the laws and legalities I switch off,” he said.

“A handball this way and handball that way, people come in and explain to us all of the time, but I have come to a decision to trust they know what they are doing and that they have the right intentions.

“It’s not something I want to discuss too much because I can’t change it now.”

Having played Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham in their opening three games, Kompany is seeing an improvement.

“You have to fight for every point in this league, but there is a range of teams that we can compete with at the moment from what I have observed,” the Belgian added.

“I thought today was at least even and depending what side of the fence you sit on you probably think you deserved three points.

“But, if we stay in these games, our team has got so much progress still to go and that is the exciting things for us. In these types of games we are there, but in the future there is room for much further improvement.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper saw growth in his side as they rallied to beat Sheffield United late on.

Forest looked like being held by the Blades after Taiwo Awoniyi’s third-minute opener was cancelled out by Gus Hamer’s delightful strike shortly after half-time.

But Chris Wood, whose loan move from Newcastle was made permanent in the summer, came up with the goods in the 89th minute when he headed home to seal a 2-1 victory and get his side’s Premier League campaign up and running.

Cooper does not think his side would have won that fixture last season and praised his side’s mentality.

“The last sort of 30 minutes of the game I thought we were by far the superior team, played high up the pitch, played good football, and created real dangerous moments in the game,” Cooper said.

“We took the game to try and win it. Of course we were by far the better team, of course we deserved to win, but I really liked the attitude of the team in getting over the line and getting the goal late on.

“I’m not sure we win that game last year at times, especially at the start of the season. It reminded me a little bit of (the 3-2 home defeats against) Fulham and Bournemouth, so hopefully that is a bit of growth in the mentality of the team.

“I really liked how we stuck to the task, there was only one team who deserved to win tonight.

“We took our foot off the pedal and gave Sheffield United a chance in the game. I am really glad we regrouped and did what we did in the last 30 minutes.”

The Blades have now lost their opening two games on their return to the top flight after two seasons away.

But they may feel hard done by as, after overcoming a chastening first 30 minutes, they competed well and had chances to take the lead when the score was 1-1.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side are a work in progress after their preparations for the season were hit by the sale of star players Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, meaning recruitment is still going on.

The Blades boss is confident players will come in, but knows the current situation is hurting their chances.

“I just feel for the players a little bit because they deserved more this,” he said.

“If you sign players in June or July, you have two or three months with them by the end of August. If you sign them in August you are looking at September, October into November before you are really happy.

“It is something I have prepared for. I wish we weren’t doing it in the Premier League, but it can’t scare us, it can’t be an excuse.

“There is a commitment to get the players in, we will get them in, but it’s tough.

“It’s tough recruiting, we could go and get one tomorrow, but it wouldn’t be the one I want. I am playing my part in that, part of my brief is to develop players and make money for the club as well.

“I have to believe in a player and he has to be able to come and add. We will get them, I just wish we had them.

“But it’s no one fault, we can’t control when clubs come and take our players. Circumstances have meant we have been vulnerable.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper wants his side to take advantage of having their fate in their own hands as they close in on Premier League survival.

Forest have had a tumultous time in their first season back in the Premier League after 23 years away and looked doomed after an 11-game winless run left them in the bottom three heading towards the end of last month.

But seven points from the last four games have seen them move three points clear of the drop zone and their safety could be achieved this weekend if they earn a positive result against Arsenal on Saturday and results go their way elsewhere.

Cooper said: “Wherever you are in the league – it was a different situation last year – when you’re playing for something you always want it to be in your hands and we have managed to create that for now and that’s what we’ve got to try and capitalise on.

“A lot of hard work and good things need to happen to keep it that way. We’ve got to have the confidence and motivation to make it that way.

“There’s a mini-league going on in our part of the table and we want to stay as a minimum where we are now. There’s so much that can happen in the next two games and we’ve got to concentrate on what we can control, concentrate on the present, giving our best every day.

“We are all doing that and that gives us the best chance.”

As well as securing their own fate they will end Arsenal’s slim title hopes with victory at the City Ground.

The Gunners’ chances took what looked like a terminal blow when they lost to Brighton last weekend, but Cooper does not think that negative result will factor into Saturday’s match.

“It’s not something that I think about and I don’t think many managers would think about their opponents’ situation,” he said. “So many times you’ve come against teams and you assume they’re in a certain situation and we’ve had the complete opposite.

“We’re preparing For Arsenal to be who they are and we have got to be at our very best. We’re in control of what we do and having a really good impact in the game and that’s where our intentions lie.

“I expect to come up against a team that has been at the top for a lot of the season. Look at how many points they have got and goals they have scored, we’re coming up against a top, top team.

“Put all the context to our situation and theirs to one side and we know we have to be at our very, very best, bare minimum.

“When you prepare for a game you do more analysing than you do normally and they do some brilliant things in the way they set up tactically, the players they have and everything else.

“We’re fully aware of that, we felt it in the game away from home. I think we’ve come on a bit since then but we have to be more than ready.”

Cooper has no fresh injuries to contend with and will have Emmanuel Dennis available after his recovery from a knock.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper insists there is no problem with Jonjo Shelvey despite his recent omission from matchday squads.

Shelvey was left out of the win over Brighton at the end of April as a result of his tantrum at also being left out of the previous match at Liverpool, but he has not returned to the squad since for games against Brentford and Southampton.

The midfielder had been carrying a knock but is back in training, with Cooper saying there is not room for everyone in his squad.

“Jonjo is training. We have got players and squads to pick, which is what we want, but always outside of that there are players who fall on the wrong side,” Cooper said.

“That is the life of a manager trying to make the right choices, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. There’s no problem, we’re all good.”

Shelvey’s omission may be a result of the impressive recent form of Orel Mangala, who is showing his quality in a deep-lying role.

Big things were expected of Mangala following his summer move from Stuttgart but he took time to find his feet.

“We’ve always believed in him,” Cooper said. “It’s really difficult to play really well every single game, as we’ve seen with most of the lads – and there’s no shame in that, because that’s how football is.

“For sure, he’s in a good place and is showing good determination. It’s not just what you see on the pitch, there’s a lot of good stuff off the pitch as well, in terms of his preparation and the analysis he likes to do.

“Like everyone else, we are going to need him. We are going to need everybody. Everybody is playing their part.

“He is showing good confidence at the moment. With the position he plays and the type of player he is, if he’s feeling confident then I think that’s really good because then it allows him to do the things he’s good at well. Let’s hope that’s the case.

Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest’s assignment at Chelsea on Saturday is not made any easier by the London club’s recent struggles.

Forest head to Stamford Bridge looking for the three points that could virtually secure their Premier League status and will fancy their chances, despite their dreadful away record.

Chelsea ended a nine-game winless run at Bournemouth last week, but they have not won any of their last five league home matches.

Cooper says he does not take any notice of the problems Frank Lampard is enduring.

“We are playing Chelsea away so that is always going to be a tough game at any time of the season, you look at the squad they have, the changes they can make, the team they can start with, they have players all over the pitch who can make a difference and we have to be ready for that,” he said.

“I never pay any attention to any context around a team we play against apart from them being at their best because I always think you have to prepare for that.

“That’s what we’ll be doing. We want to go there with our best intentions of getting a result we really need and want.

“We have got to know what it takes from our guys to do well and try and minimise the strengths they have because there is a lot.”

Forest will give Serge Aurier every chance to be fit after he limped off in Monday night’s win over Southampton with a knock.

“Serge walked off and we’re doing everything we can to see if he’s available,” he said.

“Maybe in a different time of the season and if Neco (Williams) was fit it might be a different situation, but we are going to give him everything we have to be available. But that might be touch and go.

“(Gustavo) Scarpa is back in full training now so he won’t be far off being available. (Emmanuel) Dennis has been injured, he picked up a knock in training before Southampton and he is still not available.

“Still a bit of a mixed bag, it’s definitely been worse but not something we’re paying attention to.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is in no doubt as to how big Monday night’s clash with Southampton is in his side’s bid to beat the drop.

Forest are currently in the bottom three and the visit of the Saints to the City Ground looks set to go a long way in deciding which division both clubs will be in next season.

Victory for Forest would move them out of the relegation zone and virtually condemn their visitors to the drop, while defeat would send them nearer to an instant Championship return.

Cooper says everyone at the club knows how important the game is.

“Of course we do,” he said. “What’s really important is about ignoring any situations that we’ve found ourselves in throughout the season, whether it was preparing for the return to the Premier League, the initial start and going through a difficult run early on to getting a few points and managing to come out of that, injuries, the run that we went on and the last few weeks.

“We’ve always talked about the present, and the present situation is we’re in the last month of the season with four games remaining and be open and have conversations with each other about what’s needed and what’s required so that we can be aware.

“We don’t want any surprises.

“We know that Monday is really important, we knew that last Saturday and the Wednesday before that was really important. We have to use that importance as real motivation and real desire, while at the same time really focusing on what it takes to achieve what we want.

“It’s about how we win, that’s what we’re focused on.”

If Forest do stay up it will be because of their home form, where they have taken 24 of their 30 points so far.

The City Ground atmosphere has played a part in that and Cooper says each matchday has been an event.

“It’s an event, a real togetherness,” he said. “I feel it and I mean it, that you feel part of something that’s bigger than a football team, and a player and a coach or whatever.

“You feel really proud of what can be achieved on a matchday. It’s a belonging of something big in the city and I think it drip-feeds out of the stadium as well. That’s a good feeling and gives me a lot of joy.

“That’s why we’re so desperate to get the performances and more importantly the results because we know the effect it has on everybody connected to the football club and further than that.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper says there is “no ill feeling” with Jonjo Shelvey after their recent falling-out and the midfielder will be available for the visit to Brentford.

Shelvey, who has been carrying a knock, was left out of Wednesday’s win over Brighton as a result of his tantrum at also being omitted from the previous match at Liverpool.

Cooper says the incident has been blown out of proportion and their relationship is fine ahead of the crucial run-in.

Asked whether he was left out against Brighton as a result of his behaviour prior to the Anfield trip, Cooper said: “And a knock to be honest. Sometimes things are not exactly what they are and we have to accept that.

“Everyone is good, we are looking forward. He is really well liked in the dressing room and we need everybody in the situation we are in, with the injuries we are picking up.

“There is no ill feeling in any way, shape or form, regardless of what may or may not have been said. We need everyone to stick together and get behind everybody and that’s what we’re doing.

“Jonjo is available. He was carrying a knock last week and there was one or two other things, it is not a big a drama as was said, in some ways it was a training ground thing, but it is past us and we are looking forward to going to Brentford. He is 100 per cent available.”

Neco Williams will not be available after he suffered a fractured jaw in the win over Brighton and will miss the rest of the season following surgery.

The injury came just as the Wales international had regained his place in the team.

Cooper said: “Not good, when you saw the collison on the pitch, you feared the worst and unfortunately it is bad news, with the fractured jaw.

“He has had an operation and it has gone well in a difficult situation for him and it rules him out for the season and now he is on the road to recovery.

“It is a difficult situation for him, he got himself back into the team recently and was playing well and a confidence about him and had a spring in his step. It’s a blow for us and a blow for him.”

Forest will assess Moussa Niakhate, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Seagulls, and Taiwo Awoniyi, who suffered a shoulder problem.

On Niakhate, Cooper said: “It is still inconclusive with that one, we will have to see with regards to tomorrow but we definitely did the right thing, he felt something in the game and we were able to make the change but regarding the extent of his availability we will have to see on that.”

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi does not know whether his side have the squad depth required to cope with a hectic run of games.

The Seagulls’ European dream suffered a big blow on Wednesday night as they were beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, where De Zerbi said his players lacked energy just three days after they lost the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester United on penalties.

They now have eight games to play in a month as they aim to qualify for European football for the first time in their history.

Asked whether his squad is light, the Italian replied: “I don’t know. For sure I am honest and I don’t want to speak in this way when we lose the game.

“I am proud of my players even though we lost. We will speak with (chairman) Tony (Bloom) at the end of the season. We are suffering too many injuries in this moment.

“I said this game was the most important game of the season. I knew the game was very, very, very tough. It was very tough for the energy but for the head too. The big teams are used to playing today, tomorrow, at four o’clock in the night, at nine o’clock in the morning, in the afternoon with the rain or sun. We are working on this.

“I think we can reach this level. I am speaking with Tony (Bloom). If we want to reach this level I think it is better to say I know the way. I will work hard to reach this level. I am not speaking about the table, I am speaking about the mentality.”

For Forest, victory gave their survival chances a much-needed shot in the arm as they climbed out of the bottom three.

Boss Steve Cooper was delighted that his side stuck to a plan to deliver a first three points in 12 games.

“We were never going to have a competition of possession or passes with them, because that wouldn’t have been the right plan,” Cooper said. “I asked the players at half-time to continue, not to get too frustrated – because some parts of the game they wouldn’t have enjoyed greatly – but I said they would get their rewards.

“We scored the second goal completely from the plan. The little box they play in midfield, with the centre-backs and the midfield players, is good, but if you do get it, it’s a really open pitch. We managed to take advantage of that.

“The players stuck to the plan brilliantly. It’s not as if we’ve been winning every week, so for the players to show that mentality and confidence in the game…We should take a lot of heart from that.”