Leicester Confirm Steve Cooper as New Manager

[Stan]

Underwhelming, uninspiring, disappointing but if he keeps us up, it's job done.

Big challenge ahead with the financial restrictions and impending points deduction to battle against. 

Quote

 

Leicester City have appointed former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper as their new manager.

Cooper, 44, has been out of work since leaving Forest in December 2023.

The Foxes have been searching for a new manager since Enzo Maresca departed for Chelsea at the start of June.

Maresca joined Leicester at the start of last season, guiding the club to first place in the Championship and an immediate return to the Premier League after their relegation in 2022-23.

 

Will back him as there's not really much choice otherwise. My anger and frustration lies more at the door of our owners (again). Just not looking forward much to the season ahead given the off-field dramas that could have been avoided. 

[RandoEFC+]

I don't get it. I feel like any manager who has briefly managed in the Premier League nowadays is just automatically deemed a "safe pair of hands".

Forest sacked this guy mid-season because he had them in a relegation scrap against Luton and Burnley. Nuno Espirito Santo was the one who actually succeeded in that relegation battle.

I guess Cooper kept them up the year before but that relegation battle was bizarre all round with Leeds sacking a manager every two weeks and Leicester and Everton both trying desperately to get themselves relegated, Forest ended up getting away with it.

We'll have to see what happens with their potential points deduction but this appointment doesn't strike fear into my heart as a potential relegation rival.

[Dave]

I don't think it's as bad as people will make out. He plays to player strengths as opposed to a certain philosophy. He had a very good reputation in the England set up and has improved both Swansea and Nottingham Forest. Whilst I accept the 5-0 defeat to Fulham which led to his dismissal was dismal, they had eleven points in fourteen games which would have been enough to keep them up last season.

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, The Palace Fan said:

I don't think it's as bad as people will make out. He plays to player strengths as opposed to a certain philosophy. He had a very good reputation in the England set up and has improved both Swansea and Nottingham Forest. Whilst I accept the 5-0 defeat to Fulham which led to his dismissal was dismal, they had eleven points in fourteen games which would have been enough to keep them up last season.

I think that's something that will win him friends with our fanbase. Rightly or wrongly I simply don't think our fans take to dogmatism like Maresca.

It is hard to be excited but despite the entire appointment and situation being a symptom of much wider problems at the club, I actually think he's the appointment our fans in time will resonate with most in quite a long time. He had a real rapport with Forest fans and I think if people look past the fact it's Forest themselves, this is a green flag for me.

He simply has to perform better than in 2022/23 though. I know he kept a team up largely touted to go down but I think they were remarkably lucky. Looking at numbers it's a minor miracle they stayed up. I don't think that performance level is going to be enough again. 11 points from 14 games is appalling as well. That takes you down more often than not, and certainly in our position where that's probably going to be 5-7 points.

Despite the fact it's Forest I've never actually minded Cooper. They were properly horrible under Billy Davies. I couldn't stomach him. I always thought Cooper came across quite well though.

[OrangeKhrush]

What the fuck!!!!

[Dan+]

I honestly think Cooper out will be consensus before September.