STEVE Cooper said Nottingham Forest need to be “up for the game” when they visit Millwall on Saturday a week after their 1-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Cooper said the Lions are a “tough opponent” who have a way of playing “embedded” after more than two years under Gary Rowett.
Forest have lost their last two league games but former Millwall striker Lewis Grabban’s goal gave them a historic victory over the 2020 winners.
“It was a good occasion, a brilliant atmosphere and a result which I hope the players can take a lot of confidence and belief from,” Cooper said on Forest’s official website.
“But we now need to draw a line under it, move on and look forward. It was great to play against a top four club and get a good result, but at the same time, our focus is only on the Championship and Millwall.
“The process won’t change, we will look at the last game and see what was good. We want to be as confident and as positive we can be in every single game.
“We’re going to a really tough opponent away from home whose way of playing is embedded because they’ve got a good, experienced coach in Gary Rowett. He’s got his team playing how we wants and it’ll be a tough game.
“We need to be confident and up for the game, and I’ll be making sure that we are.”
Meanwhile, in his pre-match press conference, Cooper wouldn’t be drawn on whether Forest will continue their pursuit of Jed Wallace.
“There’s loads of players we’re getting linked with. Some of them really make me laugh because I’ve never heard of some of them,” Cooper said.
“It’s the standard manager answer, I’m not going to talk about anybody unless they’ve come through the door or left, when it’s absolute done business.
“I don’t read anything, but some names have been mentioned to me and we’ve had a bit of a giggle about it. It’s the transfer window.
“My focus is just on our boys who can play at the weekend. After that, I’ll be focusing on the players who can play the next game, trying to get the best out of every single day.
“We don’t caught up in all of that.”
Forest have been one of the most active sides so far in January, signing striker Keinan Davis, defender Steve Cook and full-back Richie Laryea.
“I think every manager is always looking for more,” said.
“I try not to focus on it too much, because I always focus on the players who are available for the next game.
“But of course, like every club, there are meetings behind the scenes, saying ‘what if this could happen’ or ‘what if that could happen’ – both with players leaving and coming in. We’re no different to everybody else.
“What I’ve got to make sure is that I’m just focused on the lads who are training every day and preparing for the next game.”
Image: Millwall FC