After a 23-year absence, Nottingham Forest finally returned to the pinnacle of English football under the leadership of former Swansea City boss Steve Cooper.
The Welshman succeeded where 19 previous managers failed in ending the Reds' top division exile. But now just after eight games back in the Premier League, questions are being asked about whether the 42-year-old is the right man to keep Forest in the top-flight this season.
Making the impossible possible
12 months ago, many of the Reds faithful felt disconnected from the management team and playing squad under the leadership of former boss Chris Hughton. After sitting bottom of the Championship table with a single point from the first seven encounters, Cooper had the immediate task of changing fortunes on the pitch, whilst injecting a new lease of life into a detached fanbase.
After only one defeat in his first 15 games as Reds head coach, he saw his side pushing for a place within the top six, something unimaginable at the start of his reign.
However, his unbelievable run of winning games didn't stop there. Going in 2022, Cooper and his coaching staff were at the centre of two 'cupsets' against top-flight teams in the FA Cup.
Arsenal and Leicester City, the two previous winners of the competition, were both knocked out at the City Ground, before being narrowly edged out by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
The defeat against the one-time Premier League champions didn't derail the unexpected play-off push but instead gave added motivation to end a generation's wait for top division football on the banks of the River Trent.
In the ten remaining league games, the Reds won seven, but a narrow defeat away at Bournemouth ended the side's slim automatic promotion hopes and confirmed a play-off place.
After a heroic penalty shootout performance against Sheffield United from goalkeeper Brice Samba, Forest secured a trip to the new Wembley for the first time to face Huddersfield Town and as they say, the rest is history...
Signings, Signings, Signings
After a season that was dependent on multiple loanees, such as James Garner, Djed Spence and Keinan Davis, many signings had to be brought in to create a squad capable of competing in the toughest division in world football.
Despite this, no one could have foreseen 22 new additions, a new British transfer record for signings in one window. Taiwo Awoniyi got the ball rolling after joining for then a club-record fee of £17.5 million from Bundesliga side Union Berlin.
Other major signings such as Neco Williams, Moussa Niakhate, Orel Mangala and Jesse Lingard were completed before Cooper acquired his number one target Morgan Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £25 million, potentially rising to £42.5 million, breaking the club's transfer record once more.
Upon the closing of the window, questions were asked about whether the signing of 22 new players was excessive, but due to the nature of 17 players leaving the Reds, the recruitment team were left with no real option.
This left the Forest boss with the huge task of building squad harmony between a group of players who had never played together.
After being outclassed by Newcastle United at St James' Park on the opening day, a much-improved performance against Europe-chasing West Ham saw the Reds pick up a huge three points in front of a sold-out home crowd. Everton away saw another point added to the tally ahead of the visit of Antonio Conte's Tottenham.
Despite falling to a 2-0 defeat thanks to two goals from England captain Harry Kane, the performance gave reason to be positive about a good first season back in the top-flight, after being the better of the two sides for much of the 90 minutes.
However, since then it has been seriously bleak for Cooper, with serious questions being asked about his future on Trentside, after hugely disappointing performances against Fulham, Bournemouth and Leicester.
Where do we go from here?
In my 15 years as a season ticket holder, I have never seen a manager as loved and appreciated as Steve Cooper. Even after the latest defeat away to the Foxes, his name was continuously being sung by the travelling Reds faithful.
The club have had 12 managers within the last decade and despite the poor recent form, the hierarchy should resist falling back into old habits and making rash decisions after a small run of bad form.
A first season in the Premier League for over 20 years was always going to be a challenge. Combining that with a completely new squad, only makes that challenge harder.
Injuries to players like Mangala and Niakhate haven't helped matters, but with the pair close to returning to full fitness, we could see a much-improved spine to the Forest side.
Results and performances like those against the Hammers and Spurs are evidence that despite the obstacles presented in front of Cooper and his side, they can compete and win at this level.
Without a doubt, consistency on the pitch is needed to stay in this division, which is something that needs to be worked on, however, consistency off it needs to remain too. If the hierarchy are willing to back him in the transfer market, they should at least back him through his first tough patch as Forest boss.
Cooper is without question one of the most talented young coaches or managers in the country, reiterated by the fact Wolves and Southampton are showing strong interest in him for their respective managerial roles.
He gave a generation's worth of fans their best day ever supporting the club they truly adore, and sacking him would undo all of the superb progress made under him on and off the pitch over the last 12 months.
Steve Cooper, back him, not sack him.