Leicester City Fans Are Justified in Wanting Steve Cooper Out, and New Data Supports Their View – Opinion

Steve Cooper, despite having taken charge of Leicester City only this summer, is already feeling the weight of pressure as his first Premier League victory has yet to come.

However, with his team securing their first three points of the season, along with a clean sheet, Cooper may have earned himself a bit more time in the manager’s seat.

Leicester’s upcoming three matches against Southampton, Nottingham Forest, and Ipswich Town are all winnable, and these fixtures could significantly impact Cooper’s future with the club.

Currently sitting 15th in the league with six points, Leicester’s position might seem reasonable from an external perspective, but the fans are far from satisfied with Cooper’s performance.

Cooper’s appointment as Leicester City manager was met with mixed reactions even before the season began, largely due to his connection with Nottingham Forest and his perceived lackluster tactical approach.

Nevertheless, given the anticipated points deduction at the time, Leicester had limited options for managerial candidates, and Cooper was chosen to replace Enzo Maresca.

Leicester were fortunate to draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the season opener, but they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw against Crystal Palace.

Their other draw came against Everton at home, where Leicester were largely outplayed.

Recent data from Opta helps to explain why many Leicester fans remain critical of Cooper, despite a somewhat respectable points total early in the season.

Opta’s analysis compares Premier League teams based on expected goals for and against, calculating an expected league position after seven matches.

This data reveals that Leicester are overperforming relative to their underlying statistics.

According to this data, Leicester should actually have around four points (4.2), which would place them 19th in the league when compared to other teams on the same expected-goals basis.

This suggests that the team’s current standing of 15th may be masking underlying issues, vindicating the frustrations of the fanbase.

While Leicester’s main goal this season is to avoid relegation, and Cooper is currently keeping them above the danger zone, the football has been uninspiring.

Fan discontent reached a peak during a week when Leicester scraped a draw against Everton at home and followed it up with a goalless stalemate against League Two side Walsall in the Carabao Cup.

A common criticism of Cooper is that his tactics are too cautious.

His preference for a midfield trio of Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp, and Wilfred Ndidi on several occasions has been viewed as overly defensive.

However, there was a glimmer of hope in the recent game against Bournemouth, where Cooper showed more attacking intent by dropping Winks in favor of Jordan Ayew as an attacking midfielder.

This tactical shift might suggest that Cooper is willing to adapt and take more risks in an attempt to win over the Leicester supporters and secure his job.