Fulham away - Cottage industry or Craven misery?

Presumably because Rhodri was missing again. As soon as he isn't in their team they look a totally different team.

We've won 1 of the last 11 and lost 5 of the last 6. We're in some trouble and the manager is shaking up the team every match with the opposite effect to that desired. If he wanted to he could put a team out of GK, Niakhate, Felipe, Boly, Aurier, Toffolo, Mangala, Yates, Danilo, MGW, Wood, and have Worrall, McKenna, Neco and Kouyate on the bench. Is that our best team? Almost certainly not, but this narrative of how it's not his fault because he's got a whole new squad with no top flight experience doesn't wash this year because he has pretty much the same squad as last year with a bunch of additions on top, and he's the one who chose to start 8 players tonight who weren't at the club last season.

We are obviously missing Brennan and Taiwo, and there's a perfectly decent argument that we're not as good in goal as we were last year, but the manager doesn't escape blame for the mess we're in right now.

With this owner, Cooper doesn't have that chance. I, like you, would not be surprised if he was gone before the weekend.

I get why we took the approach we did last summer, but I think doing similar this season (a) has killed some of the team spirit we had and (b) makes us less likely to bounce straight back.

I don't know if Cooper is the best person to keep us up (I don't know who the owner has in mind as alternatives, for starters), although I tend towards tricky's view that it's a bitch of a job for anyone right now, and Cooper at least showed he can do it last time round (remember 0-4 at Leicester?)

I definitely would want Cooper in charge as one of, if not the best option, to bring us straight back.

I'm sorry, but that's a completely incorrect characterisation. This is a team full of current and future internationals with experience in some of the world's top leagues and competitions. We are not Luton or Sheffield United, this is a very expensive team stocked full of talent that is currently as bad as or worse than them despite far more experience at this level and in comparable leagues, including in some cases the Champions' League.

We are currently and consistently performing well below the level that this quality of team can and should produce, and that is on the manager.

This I do agree with. Obviously injuries are disrupting who and how we play, but the manager is choosing to mix his sack of players up a lot. It doesn’t seem to be helping.

Of course… we understand there to be some pressure to change how we play, so SSC may be operating in a world where he is supposed to both do that AND integrate the (theoretical) upgrades.

Is it a wonder that the most successful new player is Murillo, a man playing the position least impacted by changes in style who has just been able to come into the team and do what he knows how to do around other players who know what he does and, broadly, how he does it.

Unfortunately, the last two games have been beyond gutless. We looked devoid of any energy, passion and we looked scared. Mangala was the only one trying to break forward. Toffollo didn't make a mistake. Everyone else was playing at a 1/3 speed. One thing about us last season was that even though we were devoid of quality the intensity and spirit was there. There has been nothing in these last 180 minutes to suggest that is going to be the case this time. It really was a horrible game to watch.

Coops is not surviving this. Not a chance. The last two games have been his worst since we got back into the prem and yes I am including Wet Sham and Fester last year. I saw a team still striving to learn and play.. I felt nothing in this game was going to upturn. Murillo is a superstar. He needs someone to fucking pass to. No-one showing to turn and be progressive. Too many mistakes in dangerous areas. Fulham were not better than us until the goal and then a light swtiched on at the Cottage and the light switched off for us. I didn't see any fight other than the magnificent Brazilian. Also Felipe was very muted. Not passionate. What has happened?

I didn't believe that this would go downhill so fast with Taiwo injured . I knew it was a major problem but holy crap we are absolutely the worst offensive team without him and Bennan.

I am sad, but I think we went down without a fight. That is what is doing Coops in.

I would take the German who likes the super press. Lopemardy can fuck the fuck off. I don't want that vile Spanish cnut anywhere near the team. Yeah, didn't think it would come to this but I think it has.

Chicago: Looking down the pit.

It's hard to tell on the telly, but I wasn't convinced that MGW was tonight

I appreciate that a decision might already have been made, but on reflection I wouldn't be against giving him a little more time. The Leicester result was a lightning rod last season, and it's possible that this one could be as well. Either way, massively grateful for what he has achieved.

I assumed the away section were hoping for a second coming of the Leicester watershed.

That was pretty bad last night. I would of course stick, we'll have another 37 different players next August regardless of division and Cooper has managed to string it together 2 times out of 3. People seem to forget that the best thing to happen in the previous 25 years was Billy Davies.

For me it depends on Cooper. Is his heart still in it? Does he have the energy to try and galvanise things yet again?

Looks a bit stressful. I'd probably take the payout and go to Costa Rica for a few months.

I think for Marinakis it depends whether he can convince anyone he thinks would do a better job. He, after all, said as much after the Palace game.

I would just caution against the impression than new means better. We have a quarter of a century of experience to the contrary.

And under Marinakis we were a shitfest until Murphy (briefly) and Cooper came along. And even now we sign a gazillion players every transfer window and are just a shitfest with a good guy as manager. Apparently that Nixon fella reckons we're going for a Marinakis/Mendes Portuguese super project. Yippee!

Good luck to anyone attempting that. But in Lopetegui's first game he picked Sa, Semedo, Kilman, Neves, Moutinho and Podence, all of whom had a significant amount of premier league experience and with Wolves and therefore mostly playing together.

Unless the new man turns things around quickly, the premier league will discover that, actually, Forest's great atmosphere and fans who stick with their team whatever happens, was really just about Cooper.

Yep, pre Cooper Forest fans had a reputation for being whiny, mardy gits who wouldn’t think twice about booing a double European cup winner. We’ll be back there in a trice.