Steve Cooper 'cannot pick' certain Nottingham Forest players as he is warned over 'ineptitude'

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper cannot afford to pick certain players in what looks to be his last stand at the club on Saturday

That is the verdict of our panelist Michael Temple as he looked ahead to the Premier League match at Wolves with former Reds midfielder David Prutton, who urged the team to get back to basics. Speaking on Thursday's Forest Focus podcast, Temple said Ibrahim Sangare and Ola Aina in particular have to come out of the side after their performances in the 5-0 defeat to Fulham - a result that leaves Cooper barely clinging to his job.

"There's certain players he can't start now," Temple said. "He can't start Sangare. He can't drag his record signing in two games having seen what we've seen in terms of not being brave enough or intense enough.

"He probably has to start Morgan Gibbs-White even if it's been a failed experiment playing him on the right hand side. He probably wants to start both wingers. I was interested to see both play at Fulham and it was probably his plan to pair them with Gibbs-White and Awoniyi.

"He's got to find another midfielder. I think Yates can be the lightning rod when we need nothing left on the pitch. I'm not sure about Felipe. The second Jimenez at Fulham goal had shades of the Worrall incident against Luton which cost his place.

"We've seen Ola Aina put in one of the most passive performances I've seen all season. Toffolo has a lot of credit but his marking for Iwobi's first goal and the lack of pressure on the cross for Iwobi's second puts him in the spotlight. It's about motivation.

"He needs to get across how important this is not just for the club, but to the reputation of every player. He can't underline the importance of that enough. I think we'll see him retreat to the players he trusts regardless of their fee, wages or technical ability. He's going to call for effort and desire."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUiEiYUYNNA

Prutton watched the Craven Cottage collapse and says it does not matter who is to blame for the current situation, the players must show some kind of resolve or relegation from the Premier League is possible.

"Whether he's dug himself a hole or the players have dug it for him, that depends how you view Steve Cooper, but i's got to be a resilient team. You need to cause the opposition problems still," he said.

"As a player, your first port of call is to be hard to beat and in a position where if they score they've had to work for it. There can be no passengers. There's got to be fight.

"The fundamentals never change. Get about the pitch and make sure communication is good. Make sure runners are marked and picked up at set pieces. Give yourself as much chance as possible to win, which is tough in the Premier League.

"At Fulham, they spent a long time gifting good players chances and being toothless. It's a toxic combination. Ineptitude and inaction is a deadly combination. It's what gets you relegated."