The first manager to be fired in the Premier League did not happen until December 5, 2023.
Chris Wilder took Paul Heckingbottom’s position at Sheffield United after he was fired.
Even though the first top-tier management casualty of this campaign happened more later than normal, you can be certain that you won’t have to wait long for the next one.
In fact, when a Premier League manager is fired, it typically feels like a bottleneck is being broken, leading to a quick succession of other firings as anxiety and panic spread.
It is already widely reported in the media, particularly on BBC Sport (see below), that Nottingham Forest has followed suit, two weeks after Sheffield United pulled the button.
Nuno is expected to succeed Steve Cooper, who was fired by Forest.
Steve Cooper has presided over five losses and one tie in the team’s last six Premier League games, following a very acceptable 13 points from their first 11 games.
Paradoxically, Nuno’s old team, the Wolves, hosted that one draw or point.
The new Forest manager will now play his first away game against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, after a match against Bournemouth on Saturday at the City Ground.
***In fact, the formal announcement announcing the sacking was released while I was writing this.
Official announcement from Nottingham Forest, December 19, 2023:
After more than two years in charge, Steve Cooper was relieved of his responsibilities as head coach of Nottingham Forest today.
Cooper leaves The City Ground having been a key player in Forest’s promotion back to the Premier League and ingrained himself deeply into the Club’s illustrious past after leading The Reds into the top division of England.
Steve led Forest to an incredible ascent up the Championship table and into the play-offs, which culminated in a thrilling victory over Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium in May 2022. Steve was appointed head coach in September 2021. After that, he managed the side for fifty-five Premier League games.
“Everyone at Nottingham Forest would like to thank Steve for his superb contribution to our football club,” stated club owner Evangelos Marinakis. His success in leading Forest back to the Premier League will surely go down as a landmark moment in the history of the team.
We express our gratitude to Steve for his unwavering devotion and hard work during his tenure with us, along with the remarkable bonds he established with both the city of Nottingham and our supporters.
Steve will always be welcomed at The City Ground and will always be a friend of the Club. We hope he succeeds in all of his future endeavors.
In due course, the Club will release more information regarding the selection of a new head coach.
Steve Cooper, the manager of Nottingham Forest, was fired, and negotiations to replace him are underway with Nuno Espirito Santo, the former manager of Wolves.
Forest made the decision to take action after dropping five of their last six games, and they informed Cooper of their choice on Tuesday.
Nuno, 49, lost his job in November at Al-Ittihad, a Saudi Pro-League team.
Oliver Glasner, the former manager of Eintracht Frankfurt, has also been floated as a possible replacement, but Nuno appears to be the front-runner for now.
With one victory and eight points from 13 Premier League games, Forest, now ranked 17th in the league, is in good standing.
They are five points clear of Luton, who are now in third place and have a game remaining, despite having only gained one point from their last six games.
Naturally, Newcastle United’s FA Cup opponents, the Mackems, have appointed Michael Beale as their new manager ahead of the match.
