Leicester City Legend Backs ‘Very Talented’ Coach to Replace Steve Cooper After ‘Surprise’ Sacking | OneFootball

Steve Cooper’s ‘Surprise’ Sacking: Who Next?

Leicester City’s return to the Premier League has already taken a dramatic twist, with Steve Cooper sacked after just 12 games. The 44-year-old Welsh head coach had guided the Foxes to 16th place in the table, with wins over Bournemouth and Southampton, as well as an impressive point against Tottenham Hotspur.

The news has been met with a sense of shock from fans across the league, with the decision coming after Leicester City’s 2-1 home defeat to third placed Chelsea. However, on the flip side some would argue that without a win in the last five games and an awful defeat to rivals Nottingham Forest, the writing was on the wall.

Leicester City legend Alan Smith spoke exclusively to EPL Index, where he shared his thoughts on the decision and who could replace Cooper…

Cooper Sacked – Is it a Surprise?

“I was surprised,” began Smith, “the fans never really took to him due to his past connection with Nottingham Forest.” The defeat to his former club, which even had the rival fans chanting his name, will certainly have caused a stir amongst Leicester supporters.

“It was a strange one with them being outside of the drop zone,” pointed out Smith, “But maybe something happened behind the scenes that led to this decision, we just don’t know.”

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It will be intriguing to see where Cooper’s career turns to now, could a return to the EFL be on the cards or does he still hold stock amongst the elite coaches in England?

For Leicester though, all focus needs to switch onto finding a replacement as soon as possible, which I’d imagine they will already have someone lined up. Avoiding relegation has to be the priority, but who will be the coach to take on that task?

Potential Candidates: Potter?

“Graham Potter is clearly a very talented coach,” began Smith, “But’s he also seems to be waiting patiently before making the right decision.”

“Some suggested that he had turned down Leicester in the summer but at the time, there was a points deduction hanging over the club,” pointed out Smith, Who could blame any manager for wanting to stay away at that time?”

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That idea could put some doubt into the heads of some Leicester City supporters, but as Smith rightly points out, Potter is a very good coach – despite his struggles at Chelsea.

“But also, looking at the table, I don’t know if he would fancy it,” said Smith. This is a gentle reminder of how precarious Leicester’s situation is currently and some coaches certainly won’t want a relegation on their CV.

David Moyes: A Dark Horse?

“Moyes is a very good manager,” began Smith, “That wouldn’t be a bad appointment at all.” The Scottish coach was harshly sacked by West Ham United at the end of last season, automatically being replaced by Julen Lopetegui, who has massively struggled so far.

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“West Ham got tired of him in the end but he often had them inside the top ten and in European competitions,” said Smith. It’s hard to deny the success that Moyes had at West Ham, despite so many people trying to discredit his achievements and he’s certainly still at the level to manage in the Premier League.

“Leicester fans should definitely welcome that if it happens!” claimed Smith. In a fight for survival, a proven manager like Moyes may be the best option, but his performance at Sunderland could provide some concern, but that was a long time ago now.

Looking Ahead

Other names like Ruud Van Nistelrooy, former Coventry City manager Mark Robins and West Brom manager Carlos Corberan have all been linked with the vacant role at Leicester. Either way, it’s going to be so intriguing to see which route the Foxes go down in their bid for Premier League survival.

For Steve Cooper, an EFL return seems the most likely destination but he’ll undoubtedly be keeping tabs on the situations of Oliver Glasner and Sean Dyche at Crystal Palace and Everton, respectively.