In a sense, of course, it’s a bit too late to be extolling the virtues of the now departed Steve Cooper. As I’ve written before, however, there was a case for his continued employment even if the doyens of social media had already decided they wanted him out.
In his defence, as many attest, Cooper is a well-qualified coach, had a good record at other clubs with experience of a relegation struggle, clearly wanted the Leicester job and was prepared to be pragmatic in the search for results. This season was always going to be a struggle for the Foxes and the manager's remit was to avoid relegation. Given that he departs with City above the drop zone, the decision to relieve him of his duties appears harsh
Of course, there is another side to the argument. The Foxes are perilously close to the bottom three, haven’t won in five games and have begun to ship goals. The results overall haven’t been too bad but have disguised some poor performances. The win against Southampton and the draw against Ipswich were secured with very late goals after their opponents went down to ten men. There has been a distinct lack of identity about Cooper’s team and a failure to put in ninety-minute performances. The club hierarchy, aware that they waited too long to sack Brendan Rodgers with disastrous consequences, have decided to take action before it is too late.
Above all, perhaps, there have been rumours that some senior players have been less than enamoured with Cooper’s tactics. The fact that he allegedly had a falling out with Jannik Vestergaard is neither here nor there. The Dane had once before, under Brendan Rodgers, thrown his toys out of the pram when not a regular choice for the team. However, if players like Harry Winks and Jamie Vardy have questioned the tactics of the coach then clearly the position of the Leicester boss was becoming untenable.
The alternatives
There would appear to be six main names in the hat to take over the reins at the King Power Stadium. Two of them, Mark Robins and Carlos Corberan, can be dispensed with immediately. Neither of them have experience managing in the Premier League and prising the latter from West Bromwich Albion would be a difficult, and expensive, job.
A third is Lee Carsley, the England under 21 coach who stood in as interim manager of the national side when Gareth Southgate resigned. Gary Lineker, for one, has recommended him to Leicester. However, although he has done a good job in the England set-up, the Welshman has no experience of managing in the Premier League and very little as the top man at club level in any division.
The three remaining candidates are Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Moyes and Graham Potter. The former Manchester United striker has his supporters, not least my colleague here at FoL. However, I would caution against his appointment. He was clearly a great player, has bags of charisma and did a good job stepping into the breach after Erik ten Hag’s sacking. His managerial experience, though, is thin (a brief stint as PSV head coach) and virtually non-existent in English football (a few games as interim manager at Manchester United). Managing at Old Trafford is very different from taking the helm at a club like Leicester. His appointment as Foxes’ boss would be a gamble. Can the club take that risk given the position they are in?
David Moyes would be a safe pair of hands. His failure at Manchester United disguised the brilliant job he did at Everton and he continued to impress at West Ham where he not only kept the Hammers up but also established them as a decent Premier League outfit. Moyes would give Leicester an identity, but his defensive mindset might begin to grate with Foxes’ fans. In addition, he would be a short-term appointment, a sticking plaster rather than a forward-thinking solution to the club’s problems.
That leaves Graham Potter. I would say he is the ideal choice. His vast and progressive coaching skills would enable the Foxes to build for the future, even if the club is relegated this season. It is no accident that City have been linked with him a number of times. He would give Leicester a modern identity which can be installed throughout the club. Yes, he failed at Chelsea but he was faced with insurmountable problems at Stamford Bridge which any coach would have found it difficult to overcome.
The big question is whether Potter wants the job at the King Power Stadium. It is not clear either way. If it is at all possible to get a deal over the line, the Leicester hierarchy should move every muscle to make it happen.