Former Nottingham Forest manager and player Stuart Pearce believes they will avoid relegation this term.

Pearce is throwing his weight behind current boss Steve Cooper to keep the club in the top flight after last season's promotion.

Forest are among eight teams in the Premier League in serious danger of going down, with three of them set to play in the Championship next term.

Former Manchester City boss Pearce told Yahoo Sport: “They started the season playing the way they did in the Championship and Steve Cooper, who is an astute manager, decided after six or seven games that that openness probably won't suffice to keep them in the division.

“They changed the way they play and have been really good. Their home record will be really important but they have done really well.

“They have invested a lot in the players, they gave the manager a new five-year contract when a lot of people were thinking his position was under threat; I think that was a masterstroke.

“They have a manager that is in sync with what Nottingham Forest stands for as a football club. He has embraced the history. You only have to spend a short period of time in his company to realize he is very passionate about the club."