BREAKING NEWS: Leicester city tipped to sack Steve Cooper following loss to Arsenal, set to bring in Fulham’s Marco Alexandre Saraiva da Silva.
BREAKING NEWS: Leicester city tipped to sack Steve Cooper following loss to Arsenal, set to bring in Fulham’s
Marco Alexandre Saraiva da Silva.
Steve Cooper is at growing risk of being sacked by Leicester City,
with a report sensationally claiming that a player ‘mutiny’ could be on the cards.
On June 20, Leicester announced the appointment of former Swansea City and
Nottingham Forest boss Cooper on a three-year contract. Cooper replaced Enzo Maresca,
who had guided Leicester to the Championship title the previous season but left when
Chelsea swooped in for his services.
Leicester currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, having picked up draws against Tottenham Hotspur,
Crystal Palace and Everton but so far failed to win a game.
Stephy Mavididi came to the Foxes’ rescue on Saturday,
bundling the ball over the line from close range to equalise after Iliman Ndiaye had put Everton in front.
That goal will give Leicester hope that they can soon pick up their first league win of the campaign.
Leicester have already beaten Tranmere 4-0 in the League Cup this term and will be aiming to get
the better of Walsall in the next round of the competition tonight (Tuesday).
But some at the King Power are seemingly starting to get twitchy about the club’s chances of staying in the top flight.
According to Football Insider, some of Leicester’s players are ‘unconvinced’ by Cooper’s methods.
There are concerns that a player ‘mutiny’ may happen if the Welshman does not get key stars back on side
and start to pick up wins.
There were ‘whispers’ about Cooper’s uninspiring coaching sessions and play style during pre-season
and these have supposedly ‘intensified’ in recent weeks.
Leicester City news: Steve Cooper sack would be harsh
is claimed that the Leicester hierarchy have become aware of the issue and may soon start to look into
whether Cooper is the best man for the job.
While it is understandable that there is speculation surrounding Cooper’s future amid Leicester’s struggles in the league,
it would be a mistake for the club to pull the trigger so early.
Staying in the Prem was always going to be hard as Leicester can no longer rely on some of their former top-flight stars,
such as James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
Leicester chiefs should take inspiration from their counterparts at local rivals Forest,
who stuck with Cooper in the 2022-23 season even though there were plenty of reports about him potentially getting sacked.
It took Cooper time to gel the squad after a plethora of new signings, but he eventually got the team to work together
as a unit and improve significantly.
Cooper was axed by Forest in December the following season after a string of poor results, however,
it is clear that he can succeed in the Prem if given the right time and backing.
A victory against Walsall in the League Cup will boost morale around the whole club.
The following match against Arsenal will be extremely tough, given the Gunners’ brilliant form,
but it is important that Leicester pick up a result when Bournemouth visit the King Power after that.
Cooper v Maresca
Last season, Cooper’s predecessor Maresca led Leicester in 53 matches, of which he won 36.
There were another four draws, along with 13 losses.
In contrast, Cooper has so far managed six Leicester matches, winning only one (in the League Cup),
drawing three and losing the other two. His win ratio so far is 16.67%, a far cry from Maresca’s 67.92%.
There is, of course, the obvious caveat that Maresca was managing in the Championship,
a league Leicester won, whereas Cooper has the more difficult task of keeping them in the Premier League.
In terms of their attacking play, Maresca’s Leicester scored 103 goals from 53 games,
which was an average of 1.94 goals per game. Cooper’s Leicester, meanwhile, have scored 10 goals from six games,
which is an average of 1.67 goals per game (although that figure is buoyed by the four goals they put past
Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup; they have scored just once in four of their league games so far, and twice in one).
Defensively, their records aren’t actually too dissimilar. Maresca’s Leicester conceded 50 goals,
at an average of 0.94 per game. In contrast, Cooper’s iteration of the Foxes have let in eight goals,
which is actually a superior rate so far of 0.8 per game.
There has, though, been a steep decline in Leicester’s possession, again perhaps understandably due to
the difference in leagues. Maresca’s side averaged having 60.9% of the ball per game last season,
whereas Cooper’s side are only averaging 49.3% at the moment.
It may be a case of it taking time for the new manager’s philosophy to come to fruition,
an adaptation to compete in the Premier League, or a sign of how Leicester may be regressing already
and in need of a change to their style if they are to experience success again.
It must be said that, after six games last season, Leicester weren’t in full flow yet either.
They won five of their first six games under Maresca, but all by only one goal (some of which were late game-changers too),
apart from a two-goal win over Burton Albion in the League Cup – which was also one of only two games they
kept a clean sheet in during that time.
When a new manager comes in, sometimes patience is required before they reach their potential,
but the Premier League is even more ruthless and Cooper will be aware of it.
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