Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has urged his players to have “no regrets” as they approach their Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Sheffield United at the City Ground.
Forest head into the game with a 2-1 advantage after goals from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson on Saturday but Sander Berge’s injury-time strike has given the Blades hope.
Cooper is adamant he will not deviate from the attacking policy that saw Forest sweep up from the foot of the table upon his arrival in September to the verge of the automatic promotion positions.
“I told the lads, when you get an opportunity you must grab it and don’t have any regrets,” Cooper told the Nottingham Post.
“It doesn’t mean we are going to win and succeed, but at least you are going with the right intention. We have a certain attitude about how we want to be and we don’t want to get away from that.”
Cooper could name an unchanged team for the tie, although Keinan Davis made an unexpected return from injury as a late substitute on Saturday and is pushing for a starting place.
Berge’s late strike might have shifted some of the momentum but Cooper says he is more concerned with his players sticking to the roles that have served his side so well this season.
“Even if it was 0-0 or level, it’s in our hands – we’ve got a slight advantage with the scoreline but it’s still in our hands and that’s a good place to be,” added Cooper.
“The dynamic has slightly changed. You might refer to an advantage but they are only advantages if you use them well.
“We’re not thinking about advantages – we’re thinking about what it takes to play well again and be in the best shape possible.
“The preparations will stay the same. You can talk about the context of the game but we have got to stick to our plan and deliver it.”
