Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is pleased with how Gustavo Scarpa and Danilo are adapting to life in English football, despite the pair not being involved against Everton. The two January signings have been in and out of the Forest team since their respective arrivals from Palmeiras, but were not part of the match squad for Sunday’s 2-2 draw. Cooper says that was simply a case of selecting certain players for a particular game, with midfielder Ryan Yates adding to the options available after previously being absent through illness. Scarpa has featured eight times for the club, while 21-year-old Danilo has made five appearances. Cooper has picked out fellow Brazilian Renan Lodi as an example to follow, the player having taken time to find his feet in a new country before hitting good form.
Steve Cooper said: “They haven’t done anything wrong, it’s important to say that. Scarpa has good experience and has played a lot of games in his career, but there’s still a transition into English football. I’ve talked about that before with Remo (Freuler), how he has said English football is different. We’re happy with both of them. Sometimes you just pick certain players for certain situations. That’s all it was. Nothing needs to be looked into it or read into it. We’re just in a position now where we have options and we’re just trying to make the best decisions. There’s always players who fall on the wrong side of that, and every manager in every league will be making those kinds of decisions. We’re no different. We’re happy with how they are adapting. I don’t want to single just the Brazilians out, but they are really good guys. They love training and love football. They’re happy-go-lucky but are committed and are good teamship players. We need that. That’s not to say nobody else is and they’re the best at it – we have a lot of it in the group. But you take them as you find them, and they are really pleasant guys to be around. You can see them interacting and enjoying themselves. Hopefully we can give them good exposure. Renan’s process is an interesting one, with regards to Danilo and Gustavo. He took a little bit of time to settle, then all of a sudden he’s doing well. You’ve got to help them through that process. Some guys can come in and just hit the ground running – I’m not saying nobody hasn’t – other times it can take a little more time and you have to go on a little journey with the guys. That’s all it is. We’re happy with them.”
