Steve Cooper Hints at Major Shift in Leicester City Tactics, Markedly Different from Enzo Maresca’s Approach

Leicester City dominated the Championship last season with a possession-focused style of play under Enzo Maresca, who has since moved on to Chelsea. Given Maresca’s background as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, this approach was expected.

However, with Steve Cooper now at the helm, Leicester’s tactical direction might shift. Cooper’s appointment, despite being somewhat controversial due to his ties with rival Nottingham Forest, has already yielded positive results. In their first pre-season friendly, Leicester defeated Villarreal 2-1, with goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi, and an own goal from Harry Souttar.

Although pre-season results are not the main focus, a win in Cooper’s debut is encouraging. Speculation has surrounded the system Cooper will implement, given his history of using various formations.

Interestingly, Cooper appears to have returned to a more basic setup, employing a straightforward 4-4-2 formation out of possession. However, with the ball, Leicester adopted a wing-back system to provide width. This choice is surprising, considering Cooper’s previous use of a back three or 4-3-3 formations, but it may reflect his current view on the best fit for his squad.

Cooper has traditionally favored possession-based play but is less fixated on it compared to Maresca. This shift might please some Leicester fans who found last season’s style a bit tedious despite the successful results.

Notably, both Leicester goals, especially Vardy’s, came from a more direct approach with long balls, a departure from Maresca’s preference for intricate build-up play involving full-backs inverting into midfield.

Cooper’s more direct tactics could better prepare Leicester for the Premier League, where facing higher-caliber opponents might necessitate a more straightforward approach. It will be interesting to see if Cooper continues with the 4-4-2 formation as pre-season progresses, but it seems likely to be a serious consideration for the upcoming season.