Leicester City secured their first Premier League victory of the season on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the King Power Stadium.
Facundo Buonanotte scored the only goal of the match to give the Foxes a much-needed boost.
Despite the win, it wasn’t a straightforward performance. Steve Cooper’s side began brightly, controlling the early stages, but gradually retreated into a defensive posture as the game progressed. Late on, they had to defend resolutely to secure the three points.
However, not everyone was impressed by Cooper’s tactical approach. Speaking on talkSPORT, former West Ham striker Dean Ashton expressed his concerns over the lack of a clear identity in Cooper’s style of play, despite the victory.
“I am yet to look at a Steve Cooper side and know how they are playing, what is it that sets them aside and what he wants his team to do,” Ashton remarked.
He continued: “Today was very much, ‘we’re going to go forward early, hit the front early, flick it in behind for [Jamie] Vardy.’ There’s nothing wrong with that, but then there were separate parts where they are trying to play right out from the goalkeeper.”
Ashton, while recognising the success of the result, felt the team lacked the strong identity they showed last season.
“I am yet to see that from Steve Cooper, but ultimately, I can’t criticise him too much because he made a big call before the game and it worked,” he added.
Though Leicester’s game plan proved effective on the day, Cooper’s cautious approach continues to leave some fans wanting more. The Foxes’ pragmatic style could have been costly had Bournemouth capitalised on their opportunities.
Nevertheless, there’s more optimism heading into the international break. Leicester will return to action on Saturday, 19th October, when they face Southampton, hoping to build on this crucial win.