Leicester City confirmed the sacking of manager Steve Cooper following the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at the King Power Stadium last weekend.
Although his sacking was a surprise to many, the dismissal was well-received by the Foxes fanbase. The former Nottingham Forest manager was unpopular amongst the Leicester supporters due to the team’s lacklustre displays. According to The Athletic, Cooper was also shocked by the decision, as he felt that he was currently on course to achieve the target the Leicester board had given him–to achieve Premier League survival.
The Foxes sit 16th in the table, just a point above the relegation zone. With teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town finding form lately, it seems likely that the former Premier League champions will find themselves in the drop zone soon. Leicester have not looked good at all this season, with Cooper failing to bring the best out of this team. Even the two victories that LCFC recorded were not convincing performances.
The behaviour of Leicester City players has been unacceptable lately
While the performances and results do ultimately justify the Leicester board’s decision to sack Cooper, some other elements of the club are worrisome. In particular, the behaviour of the players has been unacceptable lately.
The players reportedly were never on board with Cooper’s tactics due to the freedom it gave them compared to Enzo Maresca’s rigid structure and individual roles. While tactical rigidity has been highly successful in football in recent years, it is a bit worrying that players struggle when given more freedom.
Additionally, the Foxes players have made a lot of individual errors this season, and accountability is missing. At their annual Christmas party in Copenhagen, the players were seen with a sign reading, “Enzo, I miss you”. This is utterly unacceptable and unprofessional from them.
While Leicester’s decision to sack Cooper seems correct, the players’ professionalism and behaviour must be monitored and dealt with appropriately.
