Harry Redknapp sends Steve Cooper 'strange' message ahead of Nottingham Forest reunion
Harry Redknapp reminds Steve Cooper of the 'good job' he is doing in his opening months as Leicester City boss as part of his prediction for Friday night's clash with Nottingham Forest.
The Foxes' East Midlands rivals make the short journey to the King Power Stadium for a showdown on Friday night - a clash which this season has become even more nuanced after former Forest manager Cooper was installed as City manager, and has already battled with severe scrutiny.
Before the season started both teams were tipped to battle towards the lower end of the Premier League table, though Nuno Espirito Santo has managed to elevate his side to eighth place. Leicester, on the other hand, have seen an overall bleaker picture painted of their campaign so far, yet sit only four points behind their next opposition.
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That is owing to the club's points tally being greatly boosted by back-to-back wins over Bournemouth and Southampton either side of the international break.
And so, with this concoction of factors to consider, nothing is able to 'split them' for Harry Redknapp. In his predictions for BetVictor, he believes the meeting will end all square at 1-1.
Having taken charge of Premier League clubs West Ham, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur and QPR during a managerial career that lasted almost four decades, the ex-coach offered all the reassurance he could to Cooper for his first clash with Forest, as both managers picked up due praise.
He said: "This will be a strange one for Steve Cooper, I know how it feels to face an old side and it’s never particularly enjoyable. He’s doing a good job at Leicester though, that was a big win for them last week at Southampton.
"Nottingham Forest have had a fantastic start to the season. They aren’t the most prolific side in the world but boy are they organised and hard to score against. Nuno Espirito Santo has done an excellent job in that regard."