Steve Cooper Faces Ricardo Pereira Dilemma as Patson Daka Embodies Transfer Frustration
Two weeks out from the new campaign, Leicester City finds themselves in a familiar pre-season situation.
Fans, after witnessing the latest lackluster performance, are left wondering: “How worried should we be?”
It’s understood that this is pre-season and expecting Leicester to be at peak performance is unrealistic. However, summer friendlies should show some promise, and City’s 1-0 defeat to Augsburg provided little excitement. They fell short of where many anticipated in this penultimate pre-season game.
The Positives:
There is a clear game plan and system, and City is adhering to it. Against an established mid-table Bundesliga side, they maintained possession well.
Most players appear fit. Ultimately, the game was close, and the result, though inconsequential, was decided by fine margins.
The Negatives:
City created very few goal-scoring opportunities, especially in the second half, allowing Augsburg to comfortably secure their victory.
They appeared disorganized in transition after losing possession and looked vulnerable at crosses and corners.
Steve Cooper highlighted that his players “need to show more desire to score a goal.” While this can be interpreted as a fundamental criticism, it is clear where Cooper is coming from.
City manages to get the ball into the final third but lacks the impetus and determination to make the opposition work hard to defend. Their play is too nice, too timid.
Cooper also emphasized the need for the team to win more duels than they lose. This weakness was perhaps highlighted by Augsburg’s physicality, but City does need to be a bit nastier at times.
Even during successful runs under Enzo Maresca last season, the Italian manager noted the team needed more grit.
However, Cooper’s assessment might not alleviate fans’ concerns. These issues are fundamental to the game, and with the season so close, it’s worrying that the basics are still being worked on.
Where it Went Wrong:
That’s two matches in a row where City has lacked creativity and the spark in attack. The question remains: what are the underlying issues?
