Steve Cooper to Burnley 'can't be ruled out' despite uninspiring feeling | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit isn't too inspired by the prospect of Steve Cooper taking charge at Turf Moor, but does hope that a move can be considered

Steve Cooper was sacked by Danish club Brondby in late May following a failure to qualify for Europe, and the rumour mill has been churning in the days following, linking him back to England.

It's understandable as to why Championship clubs would be interested in the 46-year-old Welshman to take over this summer, given his track record in the division with Swansea City and Nottingham Forest.

Cooper is yet to finish below a play-off place in each of his three seasons in the second-tier, the latter of which he took Forest from the league's base in September to Wembley success in the play-off final the following May.

Several second-tier clubs have gone into the summer with managerial vacancies, but the biggest job of them all is at Burnley, who will be searching for a Scott Parker replacement after he left Turf Moor in the final weeks of their poor Premier League campaign, which ended in relegation.

Burnley fan pundit uninspired by Steve Cooper, but hopes he is considered for managerial vacancy

Burnley have developed a reputation over the past few years as one of the best teams in the Championship, but have yet to truly crack the code in the Premier League.

The last two second-tier seasons have seen the Clarets pick up at least 100 points en route to promotion, but those campaigns have been followed up by immediate relegation. This summer, the new manager will have the pressure on him to replicate what Vincent Kompany and Scott Parker have done in the past, and then the challenge of going one better in the top flight.

Steve Cooper has shown he can get teams up into the Premier League and, with Forest, was able to keep them up in their first season, too. Therefore, FLW's Burnley fan pundit, Aaron Wright, believes that the Welshman has to be considered, even if he isn't too enthused by him.

"Steve Cooper did an incredible job at Forest, so he absolutely should be on the list. It probably is a bit uninspiring, though," he admitted.

"He wasn't interested in us two years ago, and that will stay with the owners of the club. His football in terms of style of play after Parker will be important, and in my mind, it's better in the Championship, so I can see it working."

Wright believes that a move for Cooper could see forgotten man Joe Worrall come to the forefront of the action, after the 29-year-old played arguably his best football at Nottingham Forest under the Welshman, playing key parts in their Premier League promotion and their first year back in the top flight.

The fan pundit also reckons that the 46-year-old would be well-suited to make some strong decisions regarding the futures of some of the players at Turf Moor who may be caught between two minds, wanting to stay or go, which would help the Clarets hit the ground running in August.

"He could make use of Joe Worrell, who is one of our higher earners. Their relationship has to be considered to a degree," he continued.

"Do I see it happening? Maybe not, but it definitely can't be ruled out, and I hope it can be considered. I don't think he'd shy away from making tough decisions that we'll have to make with the squad, too.

"So, in summary, he should be on the list. But, as a fan, does it inspire me? Not really."

Steve Cooper would have a lot of making up to do if he were named the new Burnley boss

As Wright mentioned, any potential links with Cooper this summer wouldn't be the first time that the two parties have been mentioned in the same breath.

Two years ago, before Scott Parker was appointed Burnley boss, the Clarets had an eye on Steve Cooper, but he declined their approach in favour of a move to Leicester City, where he lasted just 12 games before being sacked.

Not only will that ring in the minds of the owners, but it will also be something that the fanbase at Burnley will have in mind, too. Fans often don't forget, and if the Welshman has turned them down before, they may not be too keen on him being given the job this summer.

But, one way to get them back onside would be to orchestrate yet another promotion push, something which Cooper has experience of doing both with parachute payments, like at Swansea, and without, as he did at Forest.

There's no doubt that whoever gets the job at Turf Moor this summer will be given all the resources needed to secure a third promotion in as many Championship seasons.

If Cooper ends up being the main choice, he'll need to use them to his advantage to ensure he becomes a popular character in the Burnley dugout.