Benitez lined up for fifth English job as Cooper at risk of Forest axe

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Rafa Benitez is reportedly lined up as a potential replacement for Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest. Cooper’s future was plunged into further doubt following his side’s 4-0 loss to bottom side Leicester on Monday.

Victory saw the previously winless Foxes move above Forest in the table. Last season’s Championship play-off winners have picked up just four points from their opening eight games in their first campaign back in the top flight for 23 years.

Only Leicester have conceded more than the 21 goals Forest have let in so far this term. And Cooper is now on the brink of losing his job.

The Telegraph says Benitez is now being considered as the man to succeed the Welshman at the City Ground. Benitez has been out of work since being sacked by Everton in January.

If the Spaniard is appointed by Forest, it would be the fifth English club he has managed. He enjoyed most success at Liverpool, while also having spells at Chelsea, Newcastle and most recently the Toffees.

Benitez is already well known by Lee Charnley, who holds a senior consultancy role at Forest. Charnley was managing director at Newcastle during Benitez’s spell in the north east.

The 62-year-old would be arriving at a club who brought in 23 new signings in the summer and spent over £150million. The investment has so far not reaped the rewards on the pitch.

A brace from James Maddison and a goal apiece for Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka condemned Forest to defeat at the King Power Stadium. After the match, Cooper understood he was under pressure for his position.

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He said: “I completely understand the situation and the question and respect it 100 per cent. But my concern is we have lost another game for this club, not my own situation because I care more about the club more than my personal circumstances.

“We are on a run of results that are not good, I am not going to shy away from that. I’m not thinking about my personal situation apart from how I can be at my best every day, but the tougher it gets the more I work and the more it means to me.

“We are not the team we want to be. We are having phases where we’re letting the result run away from us, and we’ve done it again tonight.

“I refuse to be really critical of the players as a group, I don’t want to sound soft or fluffy but it’s tough for them to play with new players. This is a fresh challenge for us. Some of the guys have only met each other these last couple of weeks.”

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