Phil SumblerSteve Cooper brings his Nottingham Forest side to Swansea this weekend in his first visit back to the Swansea.com Stadium since his departure at the end of July following two years in South Wales.
During those two years, Cooper led the Swans to successive play-off campaigns with defeats to Brentford ending both of those promotion pushes – one at the semi final stage and of course that Wembley defeat back in May.
Cooper’s short spell out of the game after his departure from Swansea was ended in September when he replaced Chris Hughton at the City Ground and he will return tomorrow with another familiar face in Alan Tate who is his assistant manager.
“I have said what I have said about Swansea, which will only ever be positive, and whatever happens in the future, I will always be grateful and be positive about everything there,” Cooper told BBC Sport.
“Everybody’s moved on. We want to win on Saturday just like they do, for our reasons and for their reasons, but I only wish everybody well there.
I did my best, you accept in any job in management – Nottingham Forest, Swansea, every league – you know some people you’ll keep happy, some are not happy, some people want more, some have a different view.
“When you cross the line into management, that’s just how it is.
“I am not trying to underplay anything, I am giving you an honest view. I am just really focused on the game for what it’s worth, whoever we were playing on Saturday.”
