Cooper Already Identifies Key Leicester City Change Needed for Fulham Clash After ‘Slow’ Performance

Leicester City received a significant boost when Jamie Vardy announced he was fit to play, despite not having featured in any pre-season games after sustaining an injury in the first friendly of the summer.

The positive atmosphere at the King Power Stadium was further heightened by the news that Oliver Skipp had signed with Leicester, coincidentally from their opponents that Monday, Tottenham.

Leicester City struggled during the first half, as Steve Cooper’s side managed to hold on and went into halftime only 1-0 down.

Pedro Porro’s header was the only goal in a half where Leicester seemed far inferior to their opponents.

However, football can change rapidly, and Leicester turned the tide when Vardy equalized against the run of play in the 57th minute.

Suddenly, the Foxes appeared capable of competing in the Premier League.

Ultimately, Leicester held on for a draw, and Cooper will aim to build on their second-half performance in their upcoming match against Fulham.

While there were some strong individual performances in Leicester’s lineup on Monday night, others struggled.

Facundo Buonanotte, on loan from Brighton, impressed on his debut despite not having played any pre-season games with the team.

Abdul Fatawu, who made last season’s loan move permanent this summer, demonstrated his readiness for the Premier League with a determined display that included an assist.

However, not all of Leicester’s new signings had a successful debut.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who joined Leicester for free this summer after his contract with Fulham ended, had a difficult time against Tottenham.

Leicestershire Live rated De Cordova-Reid’s performance a 5 out of 10, noting that he had a challenging first half.

He was criticized for being too slow on the ball, wasting Leicester’s rare attacking opportunities, and losing Pedro Porro, who scored the opener for Spurs.

However, De Cordova-Reid showed some improvement in the second half, particularly when he moved inside and contributed to Vardy’s near-winning chance.

Given his struggles in the Spurs match, Steve Cooper should consider dropping De Cordova-Reid in favor of Stephy Mavididi for the upcoming game against Fulham.

De Cordova-Reid was deployed on the left side of Leicester’s midfield against Tottenham, but he struggled to make an impact offensively and occasionally lost focus defensively.

While Cooper might be tempted to give De Cordova-Reid another chance, especially against his former club, his performance in the draw against Spurs suggests that Mavididi would be a better option.

Mavididi was a crucial part of Leicester’s Championship-winning side last season, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists from the left-wing position.

With Patson Daka injured, Mavididi replaced Vardy up front on Monday after the 37-year-old had given his all.

However, Cooper should consider starting Mavididi in his preferred left-wing position against Fulham.

Mavididi is most effective when he has space to run at defenders, which he is likely to find at Craven Cottage.

Starting Mavididi on the left would also give Cooper the option to bring on a motivated De Cordova-Reid from the bench, providing him with the chance to make an impact against his former team.