Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has the sympathy of those high up at the club, says Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Cooper signs new deal

The Reds suffered a dispiriting 4-0 defeat away to Leicester City earlier in the week, leading to speculation that Cooper could be sacked.

Instead, the club announced he had signed a new deal at almost out of nowhere on Friday, with the Welshman now expected to remain with the Reds until the summer of 2025.

Speaking before the new deal was confirmed, Sheth seemed to somewhat predict the show of faith from Evangelos Marinakis and Co, revealing club chiefs appreciate the difficult job of bedding in so many new signings.

The Latest: Sheth shares what he knows

Chatting to Give Me Sport, the Sky Sports transfer guru explained how Forest's owners recognise the issues facing the boss, namely the arrival of so many new faces:

"I think there is a degree of sympathy for him. Yes, he was involved in all of those signings but they are now eight games into a new Premier League season, in a league they haven’t been promoted to for 23 years and, once promoted, another set of ambitions kick in, asking ‘Is Steve Cooper, the guy to take us forward?’

"Well, Steve Cooper was the guy to bring them into the Premier League and they’ve now signed over 20 players. In such a short space of time, can he realistically be expected to turn Nottingham Forest into a winning team in the Premier League with so many changes in that playing squad?"

The Verdict: Right decision

Showing faith in Cooper is both refreshing and the right thing to do, considering the 42-year-old has worked such wonders since taking charge last September.

He guided them back into the Premier League after becoming the manager when they were bottom of the Championship, so he should have plenty of credit in the bank rather than be a knee-jerk sacking like so many these days.

Granted, if results or at least performances don't improve in the coming weeks, starting against Villa, a decision will have to be made, but for now, Cooper should be seen as the man to take the team forward.