Although Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has received plenty of criticism for his team selection, he deserves praise for the clever decisions he made in the 3-2 Foxes victory over Southampton last weekend.
To the frustration of fans, Cooper has repeatedly omitted Abdul Fatawu and Ricardo Pereira from the starting lineups. These two were pivotal in Leicester City’s EFL Championship campaign last season but weren’t the profile Cooper wants in his wide men. These criticisms are valid, and the former Nottingham Forest manager should look to fit them in his team. After all, your best players should be in the team no matter what.
Cooper was also criticised heavily for his substitutions, as his defensive changes often led to more pressure instead of alleviating it. Leicester fans asked him to be braver, and he has. His choice of substitutions against Southampton was spot on.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Cooper first introduced Harry Winks to add more control to Leicester’s gameplay. It was a good move, and having the midfielder on the pitch made the Foxes a more fluid team in possession. His next move was to bring Fatawu. He played the youngster as an attacking right-back to ensure that Leicester maintained some defensive solidity. This was another smart move by Cooper as it ensured that the Foxes kept the same tactics (one full-back attacking with the other inverting inside) while also ensuring they were a much bigger threat in attack.
A smart move to keep the same tactics
Simply throwing in attacking players and changing tactics and formations mid-game can often have detrimental effects on the team. Players can get confused with their roles and positioning and get in each other’s way. However, with Cooper making attacking changes that fit into his tactics, the team gelled well and looked much more threatening in possession. Fatawu had a brilliant game and played a part in all three of Leicester’s goals.
Another brilliant move was introducing Jordan Ayew. Initially, my heart sank when I saw Ayew being brought in. Leicester were piling on some serious pressure at that time, and I felt introducing Odsonne Edouard or even keeping Bilal El Khannouss was the smarter move. As the minutes ticked, I became increasingly frustrated with Ayew’s performance. He was not having a good game. However, in the 98th minute, Ayew met Harry Winks’ clever corner and scored a dramatic late winner for Leicester.
Managers introduce substitutes because they have faith that they will change the game. Some players do so, while others fail to make the desired impact. While we rightly criticise managers for putting their faith in the wrong players, we should also praise them when they have a positive impact. Cooper’s substitutes were brilliant and changed the game for Leicester, and the manager deserves praise for making those decisions.
