Steve Cooper insisted he had no regrets about substituting Stephy Mavididi late in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw with Everton, despite the decision being met with boos from the home supporters.
Mavididi, who had levelled the game with a well-taken equaliser and looked the most dangerous player for Leicester, was withdrawn in the dying minutes for Abdul Fatawu.
The Leicester faithful, clearly frustrated by the decision, made their displeasure known when the winger’s number was held aloft.
Explaining his rationale, Cooper emphasised that Mavididi had exhausted himself physically after a dynamic second-half performance.
Despite his attacking threat, the Leicester boss felt a fresh pair of legs was needed to see out the game. He stood by his decision and would make the same call again if in a similar situation.
“He’d run his race,” said Cooper. “I can understand the fans’ frustration. I get that and accept it. He was excellent in the second half, and we felt like our best chances were going to come from that side. But he’d run his race physically, absolutely run his race. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s normal for an attacking player to run out of steam.
“We just thought we would put fresh legs on and give Abdul one or two moments. He got involved in winning a corner. We’re really happy with Stephy, and he didn’t come off because of his performance, let’s be clear.
“He came off because he had to run a lot in the first half, not in the way we wanted him to, and that accumulated into the second half. He ran out of steam. That’s all it was.”
Cooper admitted that sometimes substitutions are questioned in hindsight, but he remained adamant that his reasoning was sound.
“Sometimes you make decisions and after you think you may have not got it right. But the rationale was a clear one and probably something we’d do again,” he said.
Mavididi’s energetic display in the second half was pivotal in lifting a lacklustre Leicester, who had struggled throughout the first half against a previously winless Everton side.
The winger’s equaliser helped turn the tide after a poor opening 45 minutes, where Leicester were second best in all areas of the pitch.
In difficult conditions at the King Power Stadium, Everton had taken control early on, and Leicester seemed unable to find their rhythm.
Despite mounting pressure late on, Cooper acknowledged that his side did not deserve more than a point based on their first-half performance.
“We were definitely the stronger team in the second half, but we were nowhere near the level in the first half, and it would be wrong to try to say it was something else,” Cooper reflected. “The players wouldn’t want that either.”
He pointed out that Leicester had failed to execute their game plan in the first half, allowing Everton too much time and space.
“We wanted to take the game to Everton, we wanted to attack the game, and we did anything but that. We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, we didn’t play forward quickly enough, and when we did get it forward, we didn’t up the intensity and really threaten Everton’s back-line enough,” he said.
Without possession, Leicester’s issues were even more pronounced.
“Without the ball, we were second best in duels and races and second balls. We showed them into one area and then let them come out. The goal was an example. We were deservedly losing the game,” Cooper admitted.
At halftime, Cooper laid it out plainly for his players, telling them they had two choices: either hide and let the game worsen, or fight back. Fortunately for Leicester, they chose the latter.
“First and foremost, we fought a bit more and ran a bit more. We won more duels and tackles. Yes, they were going to be a threat on the counterattack, but I felt like we were pushing and showing the right intent in the game.”
Mavididi was instrumental in Leicester’s improved second-half performance, repeatedly getting the better of Everton’s James Garner down the left flank.
“Stephy in the second half had a big impact,” said Cooper. “They were deep, and we weren’t creating loads of chances, but I felt like a chance would come from territory. We ended up getting set-pieces and scoring from one. After that, I thought we would go on and win.”
Despite Leicester’s momentum and efforts to grab a second goal, it was not to be, and the match ended in a draw. Looking back, Cooper conceded that while his side pushed for victory, they were fortunate to even secure a point, given the way they played in the first half.
“When I look at it, it’s a game and a result that should have been better, but the way we played in the first half and the way the game panned out, it could have been worse. So we deserve no more than a point.”