Nottingham Forest ace gives Steve Cooper insight as defender display gets fans talking

Winger Joe Lolley has given an insight into how Steve Cooper has changed the mentality at Nottingham Forest as they gear up for a decisive few weeks.

The Reds were propping up the Championship table when the Welshman replaced Chris Hughton at the helm in September. Now, ahead of their final 10 league games, they are breathing down the necks of the play-off pack - sitting three points below sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers with at least one game in hand on most of their rivals.

They have lost just twice since the turn of the year, and the second of those defeats was to Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, when Forest pushed their Premier League opponents all the way to a result. Lolley feels they are in a good position for when the action resumes after the international break, both with Cooper at the helm and the players at his disposal.

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Nottingham Forest defender Richie Laryea was named man of the match for Canada in their World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.

The January signing played the full 90 minutes for his country on Thursday night as they fell 1-0 in San Jose. Despite the defeat, Canada remain in a good position to qualify for this year’s tournament in Qatar, with just one point needed from their final two games to clinch their spot.

Laryea has yet to feature for the Reds after making the move from MLS side Toronto during the transfer window. But he has continued to see game time for his country.

And he caught the eye with his performance against Costa Rica, earning the ‘performance of the match’ accolade. The visitors had been reduced to 10 men when Mark-Anthony Kaye was sent off in the 34th minute, and fell behind just before the break. But Laryea was described as having a positive