Leicester City manager Steve Cooper said he would consider playing Abdul Fatawu as a right-back after his game-changing substitute appearance against Southampton.
The Saints went into half-time with a two-goal lead, confident of securing their first Premier League victory of the season. However, Abdul Fatawu’s introduction in the 59th minute turned the tables. The 20-year-old assisted Facundo Buonanotte for the first goal and played a big part in the equaliser. Typically a right winger, Cooper deployed him as an attacking right back to maintain some defensive stability in case of turnovers.
In the post-match press conference, Cooper applauded Fatawu, later named the man of the match by Leicester fans.
“He’s a really exciting young player. He did brilliantly for the club last year. And he’s going to quickly become an exciting Premier League player as well.
“We’re just in that little transition with him understanding how to develop his game, playing with a bit more variety. When he comes on and plays like he did today and takes opportunities, he’s showing the player that he will be in the Premier League. Kudos to him.”
When asked whether he would consider playing Fatawu as a right back in the future, Cooper replied: “Definitely, yes. You saw the really exciting bits of Abdul’s play today, but fair play to him; he’s happy to run back just as quick as well, which is not always a trait of a player of his profile.”
Steve Cooper must include Abdul Fatawu in his starting lineup
Although Fatawu is fantastic defensively, Cooper should aim to fit him in the team in his preferred right-wing role. Fatawu’s introduction as a right-back was a good gamble by Cooper, who was taking a much-needed risk given that Leicester were trailing by two goals. While Cooper did not mean that he would start Fatawu as a right-back, he may be indicating that he will play him in that position should the Foxes be trailing. That shouldn’t happen, as it’s clear that the winger can’t be left on the bench, given his impact. Fatawu must start the next game, even if it means that Cooper has to tweak his tactics.
