Steve Cooper and Leicester City players under fire amid harsh ‘want him gone’ criticism
Leicester City players and Cooper face fresh criticism following pre-break defeat to Manchester United
Steve Cooper has been criticized by Leicester City fans and accused of not “helping himself” amid ongoing frustration.
Leicester’s recent 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford marked their heaviest loss of the Premier League season so far, prompting boos from fans and chants urging Cooper to “sort it out.”
After 11 matches, Cooper has led Leicester City to 10 points, placing them 15th in the league, just three points above the relegation zone.
As they prepare to face Chelsea and former manager Enzo Maresca at King Power Stadium on Saturday, November 23 (12:30 pm), former Leicester player Matt Piper has openly criticized both Cooper and the team for their recent performance.
Piper, speaking on BBC Radio Leicester’s “When You’re Smiling” podcast, described the match against United as a particularly poor showing.
He highlighted Cooper’s lack of urgency in making changes, noting that Cooper admitted post-match that he “never felt like a goal was coming.”
Piper questioned why, if Cooper sensed the team wouldn’t score, he waited until the 70th minute to make his first substitution.
In that game, Cooper brought on Bilal El Khannouss for Wilfred Ndidi at the 70-minute mark. El Khannouss had previously scored against Manchester United in a recent Carabao Cup match.
Late in the game, Cooper also introduced Kasey McAteer and Odsonne Edouard as additional substitutions.
Piper expressed frustration, saying, “I know a lot of fans are already at the point where they want him gone, but he doesn’t help himself.”
He emphasized that Cooper’s post-match comments suggested he recognized the team’s struggles but didn’t act on them during the game.
Piper believes that as the manager and leader, Cooper should be proactive in addressing issues rather than merely acknowledging them, especially after consecutive poor performances.
Addressing the fans’ reaction to the loss, Cooper commented on the boos at Old Trafford, saying, “It’s a 3-0 defeat and you’re not going to get cheered off, whether you’re here at Old Trafford or anywhere else.”
