Steve Cooper: the tactics

This week ex-Swansea boss Steve Cooper became Forest’s 21^st full time manager/head coach since their relegation from The Premier League – how might he change things tactically and what might it mean for the current squad?

Initially at Swansea, Cooper favoured a 4-2-3-1, switching at times to a 4-3-3 system. A feature of these sides was patient play out from the back and a focus on attacking down the flanks. He changed to a 3-4-1-2 for the 2020/21 season, but retained this patient, wing-based approach.

The 3-4-1-2 system is interesting because of the way it’s developed in The Championship, and this is worth bearing in mind when thinking about the way Cooper’s teams play – where at elite level you would not call it a defensive system, Championship teams have taken to it in larger numbers because of the efficiency with which it’s shape covers the pitch defensively.

So at this level the 3-4-1-2, or other 3-4-3 derivatives, have quite a defensive ethos, and considering how Forest lined up against Huddersfield (likely they knew he was going to be appointed) it would be a reasonable guess that Cooper plans to use it again.

Forest did line up slightly different up front to the Swansea model, playing in a 3-4-2-1 as opposed to Swansea’s 3-4-1-2, but these type of systems are interchangeable.

The dominant facet of Cooper’s Swansea sides was their patience in possession. The back three spread and the defensive midfielder sits behind the opposition’s first line of press, making himself available as a deep lying playmaker - this was usually Matt Grimes for Swansea.

Grimes was the key man for Cooper – he took a large part of the responsibility to play the ball out of defence, and was responsible for this zone defensively during some passages of play.

Cooper likes the other players to push up the pitch to theoretically pin the opposition back, giving the defenders and midfield playmaker room to pass and probe from side to side. Often the wing-backs become involved, moving opponents around until space appears or an overload can be created down one of the flanks.

Width is used to stretch the defending team and create threat – as Cooper’s team develop possession on one side of the pitch, the opposite wing-back stays wide and high, threatening a switch in play and even being ready to capitalise deep in the opposition penalty area.

The wing-backs are used very aggressively, expected to run past the attackers to make up the attacking numbers, as otherwise the system is quite defender heavy.

Swansea’s style of play under Cooper attracted criticism - they were not quick to get the ball forward in the games I have reviewed, but they didn’t have a huge amount of possession either – probably due to the nature of the Swansea press rather than a tendency for direct play.

A more patient style of football should be welcome at Forest; the forward players here are no better suited to direct play than Swansea’s were under Cooper. The Welsh side relied on their attackers moving and getting involved with the wing-backs, drifting out wide to help establish possession. Most of the longer passing Cooper asks for appears to be switches in play often aimed at the wing-backs.

Out of possession, as I’ve already touched on, the 3-4-2-1 systems are very efficient at filling the pitch, although Swansea appeared to change their shape situationally, rather than sitting in a rigid formation – watching them I didn’t see the bank of four midfielders as often as I have for teams playing a similar shape such as Coventry or Barnsley. Swansea were more fluid out of possession – the box-to-box midfielder generally sits higher to press any passes through the middle leaving the playmaker to screen the defenders, and the wing backs react to what the opposition are doing.

Swansea didn’t press particularly high in the games I’ve watched, allowing their opponents to keep the ball more than many teams - as mentioned above, the reason for their average amount of possession.

When deeper under pressure Swansea often formed a back five, with the remaining players encouraging their opponents out into wide positions. They were competent at defending crosses, which was made so much easier because there were five players in their consequently more compact back line.

Are Forest suited to playing a similar system? This will depend on whether it suits their players.

Off the ball central defenders will enjoy playing three at the back if only because it will help them defend against crosses, which has been one of Forest’s vulnerabilities for years. They will also be able to step out of defence with more confidence to help in midfield, which has caused problems in the past. Defensively therefore, I think three at the back will be a hit.

However, it is essential that the group are comfortable in possession.

Forest have Joe Worrall, Tobias Figueiredo, Loic Mbe Soh, Scott McKenna and Rodrigo Ely for this position. The Brazilian Ely is an unknown quantity, but I think this style of play bodes well for the other players.

Swansea generally used the two wider defenders to play or even carry the ball forward – I can see Worrall and Soh sat either side of McKenna coping with this well. Riley Harbottle may also have a chance to break into the squad over the next year or so, as this style may suit him.

Forest’s wing-backs also look suited to this system. Max Lowe has played successfully as a wing back before and has already done a lot of damage for Forest going forward. Jordi Osei-Tutu has a good reputation for this facet of his game. Djed Spence and Mohamed Drager also appear better suited to attacking than defending – it’s almost as if Forest brought these players in suspecting a system like this was a possibility.

James Garner will play the midfield playmaker role – we all know the quality he has on the ball, and he is improving defensively. Although his ceiling is higher, I think at the moment he isn’t as well rounded a player as Grimes, who was Swansea’s standout player in this system, but in possession Garner will shine, particularly if Forest can pin teams back to give him room, like Swansea did at times.

Using this system would put pressure on Ryan Yates. With four players across the middle, Swansea did not employ a defensive destroyer, instead using Jay Fulton as the box-to-box midfielder.

Off the ball Yates can do this job easily, but the question will be whether he can make enough of a contribution with the ball, as he is not as well rounded a midfielder as Fulton - Cafu and Jack Colback will certainly see this as an opportunity to oust him from the team.

However, my admiration of Yates is no secret and I’m looking forward to seeing how he applies himself to this challenge.

What I would also say is that Swansea’s biggest vulnerability under Cooper was when their wing-backs were caught out of position on the turnover – Grimes and Fulton were sometimes unable to protect the defenders. Cooper may be inclined to utilise a more specialised defensively minded midfielder to compensate for this, now that he has one.

As mentioned above, Swansea often played with two strikers, and just one attacking midfielder. Forest look better suited to having this the other way around.

During the Huddersfield game Joe Lolley and Brennan Johnson thrived in this system, and the new head coach has worked successfully with Alex Mighten in the past, so that bodes well.

Cooper will not necessarily just go with two midfielders though – at Swansea he converted an attacking midfielder, Jamal Lowe, into a striker in order to fit his 3-4-1-2 system. We could see Mighten played here where his pace and trickery would be an asset.

The nature of Cooper’s patient ethos in build up play will suit all of Forest’s attacking players, as they should no longer have to battle for endless longer balls, instead they will be asked to combine with the wing-backs to establish possession on the ground.

This will suit Lewis Grabban in particular, he is excellent at dropping off, letting midfielders and hopefully wing-backs overlap him, only to arrive late in dangerous positions. He may benefit from this system more than anybody.

On the whole I would say Forest are much better suited to play Cooper’s 3-4-1-2 system, or something similar, than they were Hughton’s 4-2-3-1, although we may be disappointed if we are hoping for an all-out-attack style of play. The shackles might not come off as much as some hope.

There will be winners and losers in the current playing staff – we might see more youth given a chance as this is the Welshman’s forte. I’d love to see more of Finley Back, Tyrese Fornah and Ateef Konate in particular.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Forest go to Swansea in January for Grimes, who is out of contract next summer, or even Fulton if the players here prove unable to fill the box-to-box role.

Hopefully it will be 21^st time lucky and Steve Cooper will be the one to take Forest back to The Premier League.