Steve Cooper finds himself under mounting pressure as Leicester City’s dismal start to the Premier League season leaves fans calling for change.
The Foxes are teetering near the relegation zone, with just a three-point cushion separating them from 18th-placed Crystal Palace.
Two wins from their opening 11 matches is a poor return for a side that expected far better after returning to the top flight.
The latest blow came in a heavy defeat to Manchester United, a performance that pushed many fans to breaking point.
The 44-year-old’s future has been hotly debated, with significant portions of the fanbase demanding his dismissal.
Some supporters have even suggested Ruud van Nistelrooy as a potential successor, frustrated by Cooper’s pragmatic approach.
For now, Leicester’s board appears to be standing by their manager, a decision that hasn’t gone down well. Cooper’s failure to adapt tactically and his perceived repetition of mistakes have only amplified the frustration.
Matt Piper criticises Cooper’s tactical rigidity
Leicester’s most recent defeat saw Cooper publicly lambast his players, accusing them of lacking desire and purpose in the final third.
The absence of top scorer Jamie Vardy due to injury offered some mitigation, but former Foxes winger Matt Piper believes the manager must take more responsibility.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Piper outlined what he sees as Cooper’s fundamental issue: his failure to adapt during games.
“I know a lot of fans are already to the point where they want him gone, but he doesn’t help himself,” said Piper. “He uses comments like that after the game, but he didn’t do anything about it.
“As the manager and leader of the club, you have to do something about it to change the fortune on a particularly bad afternoon.
“He tells you straight away what the problem is, but it keeps happening week on week and that’s really not helpful for the manager.”
The loss to United laid bare Cooper’s tactical shortcomings. Leicester conceded twice in the first half, yet Cooper waited until the 70th minute to make his first substitution—a decision that left many questioning his in-game management.
December looms large for Leicester
Leicester will return from the international break with a daunting schedule. A home fixture against Chelsea is followed by a trip to Brentford, wrapping up November with a pair of challenging matches.
But it is December that could define their season. The Foxes face six fixtures in a jam-packed month, including back-to-back games against Liverpool and Manchester City over Christmas.
Adding to the pressure is a crucial relegation battle at home to Wolves on December 22—a match that could carry enormous implications for their survival.
Historically, teams sitting bottom of the Premier League table on Christmas Day rarely escape relegation.
Leicester will be desperate to avoid being dragged into the bottom three, but if results don’t improve, it’s hard to see how Cooper survives into the new year.
The clock is ticking for both Cooper and Leicester City. If the club ends the year entrenched in a relegation battle, the board’s patience will surely wear thin, leaving them with little choice but to seek a new direction.