Cooper gets backing as Forest slides down Premier League

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has been given public backing by the club’s owner as the team slides down the Premier League standings. Forest hasn’t won any of its last eight league games and dropped to 17th place with a 2-1 loss at Leeds on Tuesday. Clubs typically don’t respond to media speculation about a manager’s position but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis wanted to put the record straight with increasing reports about Cooper’s future. Marinakis says “we wish to end the speculation and the false and disruptive reporting in the media to confirm that Steve Cooper remains our manager at Nottingham Forest.” Though he added, “results and performances must improve immediately.”