Cooper’s Loyalty to Underperforming Player Could Risk His Job and Leicester City’s Survival – Opinion

After an impressive comeback victory over Southampton in their last Premier League outing, Leicester City likely hoped to secure a third consecutive win on Friday.

Manager Steve Cooper’s decision to start Harry Winks and Abdul Fatawu seemed justified, as both had made strong contributions to the recent Saints win.

However, despite their ambitions, Leicester suffered a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium.

An equalizing goal from Jamie Vardy in the first half had hinted at another potential comeback after Ryan Yates put Forest ahead within the first 10 minutes.

Wout Faes struggled against Forest and played an unfortunate role in Chris Wood’s match-winning goal.

James Justin was also a disappointment for Leicester, performing below expectations in his left-back position, with Ricardo Pereira taking up a rare start on the right side of defense.

Justin’s performance was widely criticized, with Leicestershire Live describing it as “very poor” in their player ratings.

The report noted, “It was a really poor attempt at a clearance for the Yates opener, and he was punished for it.

Defensively, he wasn’t too shabby afterward, but when he moved, he wasn’t at all effective.”

While fans were pleased to see Pereira make his first start of the season, many were puzzled by Cooper’s decision to keep Justin in the lineup, shifting him to the opposite full-back position.

Justin’s error-prone performance, which led to a goal last weekend against Southampton, was repeated on Friday.

The decision to consistently start Justin, despite his recent struggles, has raised questions about Cooper’s judgment.

With Justin’s performances directly impacting Leicester’s defensive stability, Cooper’s position as manager is now under scrutiny.

Continuing to rely on Justin could not only cost Leicester crucial points but also risk relegation if defensive issues persist.