Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper was full of praise for his two new January signings following their debuts this weekend.
Both new signings featured from the start in the incredible 1-0 victory over Premier League club Arsenal.
Steve Cooper arrived last week from Bournemouth, while Keinan Davis came into the club as part of a loan deal with Aston Villa.
“We wanted to get them in the team,” said Cooper, via the Nottingham Post.
“They both showed the value they will add to the squad we’ve already got here.”
Cooper was effusive in his praise for the performance of Davis, who was a nuisance for Arsenal’s defenders throughout his debut. The Forest boss also pointed out how obvious and vital Cook’s experience was.
“You could see Keinan’s threat, his power and his technical ability. He started the game really well. I could see the fans thinking, ‘yeah, he’s good,’” added Cooper.
“Cookie has been here before, hasn’t he? You could tell. In terms of how he played with the ball, his decision-making and his covering positions.
“I could even hear him talking, because I’m stood next to the pitch.
“It’s only a start, of course, but it’s a good one.”
It was a historic win for Forest, who knocked out the 13-times champions from the competition.
Their reward is a home tie against the holders Leicester City. Brendan Rodgers’ side will visit the City Ground on February's first weekend.
Nottingham Forest are currently ninth in the Championship table, having risen through to play-off contention since the arrival of Cooper in September.
Forest next face a trip to Millwall on January 15 as their league campaign resumes.
The Verdict
It shows how much faith Cooper has in his new signings that he included them immediately despite not having trained much with their new club.
This will be a debut to never forget for either player, with this scalp being one of the highlights of the FA Cup weekend.
The hope will be that this is just the beginning for both men as Forest embark on an ambitious second half of the season.