Could Steve Cooper become only PL manager sacked in preseason?
After a run of concerning and unimaginative friendly results, it is within the realm of possibility that newly installed Leicester City manager Steve Cooper could have technically been the first Premier League boss to be sacked during his initial preseason. Although it is unlikely that the Foxes will part ways with the former Nottingham Forest boss so soon, the scenario has actually happened before in European football, along with lower leagues. All will be explained.
Profit and Sustainability issues have led to the east Midlands side being devoid of the quality signings required for their squad too. The supposed looming points deduction penalty is another reason why any gaffer, in spite of calibre, may not have been able to save the King Power club from a repeated inevitable-seeming relegation plight. How long will Cooper be on Filbert Way if these substandard and disjointed performances continue into the competitive season?
Steve Cooper already appears to be on rocky ground before a daunting Leicester City campaign even begins
The truly plugged-in members of the Blue Army are collectively worried about the year ahead. Trust me, I'm one of them. We love the club and would like nothing more than to just survive the upcoming Premier League season. Yet that feat feels almost out of reach before a ball is even kicked.
By the way, this piece isn't an attempted character assassination of Leicester boss Steve Cooper. Albeit he hasn't started in the most encouraging way. Rather, this piece is a brief indictment of the dire situation the LCFC hierarchy - mainly chairman Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha and director of football Jon Rudkin - have gotten themselves into.
Not to mention how someone like Cooper will possibly end up as the aforementioned Foxes chiefs' scapegoat during the course of season. In reality, the offseason has gone so badly on and off the pitch that Cooper could conceivably have been dismissed and replaced by a LCFC regime seemingly somewhat out of touch with footballing reality. I mean, just listen to this:
"City were outclassed in every aspect of the game [final practice match vs Lens on Saturday]. Even for optimists, there was nothing to cling on to. Lens scored three and could have had more from their 17 efforts on goal. For City, the starting 11 had not scored a single pre-season goal between them and at no point did that look like changing. They mustered just two shots, both from outside the area. Even the club’s own 12-minute highlight package did not feature a single City attack."
- Jordan Blackwell
Worrying and troublesome stuff, indeed. Aside from the Lens loss, it was actually a mixed bag for Cooper and City in preseason overall. They began by narrownarrowly defeating Football League One outfit Shrewsbury Town. The Foxes subsequently had a relative kick-about with Villarreal, which they also won.
But the blend still remained odd, especially considering the Welshman once managed Forest. Since the first two games, very uninspiring losses occurred to Palermo, Augsburg and most recently the French.
Earliest management changes in EPL history
So, which boss was the quickest to be relieved of duty in the EPL, and has anyone departed ahead of the season properly starting?
"in 2015, Bashley sacked their manager – the ex-Chelsea, Millwall and Dallas Sidekicks defender David Stride – after five and a half weeks. The Bash said that it was because of ‘a run of poor pre-season results and lack of player signings’ although the run wasn’t that bad: four games, no goals, eight conceded.
- The Guardian
There was a variation on this theme during the USSR’s preparation for the 1986 World Cup.
Finally, it’s our old friend Jørn Andersen, who was included in the previous link about "Managers who were sacked during the summer". It seems there were a few reasons he got the boot, one of them being that old devil called results."
"Thomas Tuchel left Chelsea just 33 days into 2022-23, but who are the managers who’ve left their jobs the earliest in a Premier League season?
- Opta Analyst
Paul Sturrock at Southampton in 2004-05 (23 August 2004) – nine days:
No manager has lost their job earlier in a Premier League season than Paul Sturrock, who was brutally dismissed by Southampton just nine days into the 2004-05 campaign.
Sturrock had only been appointed as Gordon Strachan’s successor in March 2004 and took charge for just the first two games of the 2004-05 season, losing 2-0 at Aston Villa before defeating Blackburn Rovers 3-2 at St. Mary’s.
Two days after that win, it was announced Sturrock was leaving by “mutual consent”. His entire reign consisted of 13 matches comprising five wins and six losses."
Conclusion
As Leicester fans, we are yet to see this famed team spirit which apparently emanates from the 44-year-old's managerial style. And it is a massive concern. Cooper needs time, yes, and he may even attain positive results and create momentum. Who knows!?
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