*Odds correct as of April 25, 2023

Steve Cooper was recently given a vote of confidence at Nottingham Forest although it doesn't appear that the Welshman has a long-term future at the City Ground. The Tricky Trees are in the Premier League relegation zone, and the football betting sites make them odds-on shots to be relegated this term.

Therefore, there could already be a behind-the-scenes search taking place for someone to replace Cooper whether they are in the Premier League or Championship next season, with Steven Gerrard emerging as the betting favourite to take the reins at the Midlands club.

Whether or not a permanent successor would be hired between now and the end of the season is open to question, with Chelsea, Tottenham and Leicester also without someone at the helm on a permanent basis right now.

However, it's Gerrard whose odds have tumbled in the past week, with Patrick Vieira, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Rafael Benitez next in the betting to take charge at the City Ground. There will be no shortage of applicants for the soon-to-be vacant position, although much depends on which division the club are operating in.

Steven Gerrard The Front-Runner For Forest Role

Steven Gerrard was axed by Aston Villa in October 2022, and perhaps the 42-year-old is now ready for his next challenge. He will certainly be keen to bounce back from a disappointing time of things at the Birmingham club after initially impressing at Rangers, where the Merseysider was able to end Celtic's stranglehold north of the border.

Gerrard has time on his side to be a successful manager, and he could be an attractive proposition if Forest need someone to try to guide the team back into the Premier League should they suffer relegation to the Championship. 

It could be that Forest want a big name in charge to attract the right calibre of players, with Gerrard having also been linked with the Leicester City role in recent weeks. Perhaps he's also biding his time to establish what division the team find themselves next term.

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Vieira Could Be Popular Appointment

Patrick Vieira won a huge amount of silverware with Arsenal and the Frenchman recently took his first Premier League managerial role with Crystal Palace. He was relatively successful with the Eagles and it came as something of a surprise when he was recently relieved of his duties, although the London outfit were without a victory in 2023.

Vieira is now potentially eyeing a swift return to football management and the position of Nottingham Forest head coach is a high-profile one. Naturally, Cooper is still in charge at the time of writing although it could be that Marinakis has sounded out the former Nice manager in the past few weeks.

It remains to be seen whether Forest are in the Premier League or Championship next season, although Vieira might have seen the way that Vincent Kompany was able to achieve instant results at Burnley this term and be potentially ready for a spell in the second flight with Forest.

Hasenhuttl Could Be a Coup for Nottingham Forest

Ralph Hasenhuttl is currently out of work, with the Austrian having been in charge at Southampton between 2018-2022 before leaving St Mary's last November. The 55-year-old was a success at the south coast club, having regularly kept them in the Premier League and he will lament the lack of financial backing that was provided during his time there.

However, Hasenhuttl could be open to a new project and Nottingham Forest are sure to have money available for players whether they remain a top-flight entity or not. This is a manager with a pretty strong track record considering there was a stint at RB Leipzig between 2016-18 before switching to Southampton, with the coach having lots of respect from other peers.

At the time of writing, the former RB Leipzig coach is among the favourites, and he might relish the chance to return to England and take charge at an ambitious club who will have parachute payment money even if they go down.

Would The Forest Job Appeal To Rafael Benitez?

Rafael Benitez is regarded as a high-calibre football manager, and the Spaniard has a wealth of experience, having taken charge at clubs such as Valencia, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Inter. He was also a popular figure at Newcastle United and some media outlets have suggested that he could be in line to replace Steve Cooper.

The 62-year-old is clearly fond of England, and his last job was an ill-fated reign at Everton, with Benitez being replaced by Frank Lampard after a sequence of poor performances. However, his three-year spell at St James' Park between 2016-2019 saw him gain adulation among the Toon Army after steering the Magpies back to the top flight and keeping them afloat.

Benitez, who would open as one of the favourites with betting sites, is likely to command a huge salary to take a role at the City Ground, and it would be a big challenge to reshape a bloated squad, especially if the club found themselves in the Championship. However, he has taken charge of Newcastle in a similar position.

Chris Wilder Off Menu After Watford Hire

If Nottingham Forest miss out on landing Rafael Benitez, it might be that Chris Wilder represents a Plan B. The 55-year-old has a wealth of experience managing in the Championship, which would come in handy if the Midlands side found themselves back in the second flight.

Wilder engineered a double promotion to help lift Sheffield United from League One to the Premier League and perhaps he can make an impact at Forest. It is clear that the Midlands outfit need someone to bring stability and organisation, with an influx of players meaning that the first port of call is to find a settled team and a defined way of playing.

However, Wilder has recently become the latest manager of Watford, so he's likely to not be a huge favourite with new betting sites unless Nottingham Forest were to make an approach that he couldn't refuse.

Forest Might Swoop For Brendan Rodgers 

Nottingham Forest might want to move quickly to land Brendan Rodgers. He's a very high-calibre manager who has recently parted company with Leicester City after a four-year spell. Rodgers felt as though he would have been able to keep the Foxes afloat before being sacked, with the Northern Irishman now a free agent and likely to be among the favourites for any job around on betting apps.

Rodgers has enjoyed spells with Swansea City, Liverpool and Celtic before, with Nottingham Forest surely interested in attracting him to the City Ground where there's the opportunity to build a winning team from a bulging squad of players. Much depends on whether the manager wants an extended break following a long spell at the King Power Stadium, and whether he would be happy to join a direct rival of his former team Leicester.