West Ham to come up against former player in unusual role
Chris Cohen came through the ranks at West Ham United around the same time that Mark Noble did. Noble would go on to become a Hammers legend and is now a sporting director at the club. Cohen would make just 22 appearances for West Ham before moving to Yeovil Town.
Cohen would become a legend at another great club, Nottingham Forest. He played 303 times for Forest and was their player of the year twice. The midfielder also helped them achieve promotion from League One to the Championship.
At Upton Park in Noble's testimonial, Cohen did feature, and the pair are known for being great friends. Noble also posted on social media when Cohen retired in 2018: "Came through the academy together, should have never let him leave so young, love you mate enjoy your retirement and your legendary status."
After retiring from playing, Cohen worked as Forest's Under-23s manager. He was then Nathan Jones' assistant at both Luton Town and Southampton. Cohen was also Steven Schumacher's assistant at Stoke City sandwiched between stinst as Mike Skubala's number two at Lincoln City.
Chris Cohen has done a solid job at Lincoln City
When Skubala left Lincoln for Bristol City, Cohen became the Imps' joint head coach alongside Tom Shaw. It is unusual for a club to have two managers, given the power dynamic of leading a football club. However, it appears to be working so far.
Lincoln had just been promoted to the Championship when Skubala departed. However, Cohen and Shaw currently have the Imps 12th in the division. They have won three, drawn two, and lost three of their league games so far. This included beating Skubala's Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The Imps also had a run to the third round of the EFL Cup this season. However, they then lost 4-0 to Premier League side AFC Bournemouth.
After the international break, West Ham plays Queens Park Rangers at the London Stadium. Then they will play Lincoln away from home on a Wednesday night. With all due respect to the Imps, this isn't the most glamorous fixture for the Hammers. However, it will be a fun experience for the supporters who go.
It did not work out for Cohen as a player at West Ham. However, given how highly rated he is by Noble, who knows what could have happened had Cohen been given a proper chance at the club. He still went on to have a great career, and as a coach. His managerial career started with the unusual dual role at Lincoln, but it is still a top job at a Championship club. Cohen is only 39, so he will be expected to have a long career as a manager ahead of him.
