Burton added on Forest's chances of finishing the season on a high: "We can stay up and that's why the board have acted now. We need someone to motivate the players again - another Cooper type with more tactical acumen." Three years on from his exit, Cooper still holds a special place in the hearts of the Forest faithful for ending their 23-year Premier League exile and creating an unshakable sense of unity in the dressing room, with many believing he deserved more time.
The man billed as the frontrunner to step into Dyche's shoes, Vitor Pereira, had a similar effect at Wolves. The Portuguese tactician inherited a squad facing relegation in December 2024, five points from safety in 19th, and guided them to a 16th-place finish, masterminding huge wins over Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United along the way.
Pereira is still highly respected despite a sour end to his time at Molineux, with bosses wielding the axe at the start of November. Wolves went into a steep decline, but only after the manager's transfer wishes were ignored and talismanic trio Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo departed.
BBC Sport claims that Forest have already opened talks with Pereira, who previously worked with Marinakis at Olympiacos, winning a league and cup double. There is no reason he couldn't galvanise the team like Cooper once did; it's certainly not as daunting a job as Wolves was.
Forest have more than enough quality to stay up, and enjoy a deep run in the Europa League, with Fenerbahce up next in the playoffs. Relegation is unthinkable. If Pereira or whoever gets the role next can steer the ship away from danger, the real work will begin in the summer, and getting rid of Edu should be the first port of call.