Cooper's track record proves he can be perfect fit for Leicester
- Published
Despite Leicester's interest in Graham Potter - and discussion getting to an advanced stage with the former Chelsea boss - dialogue always remained open with Steve Cooper.
Talks never ended and he was never discounted from the process. Conversations with Potter ultimately failed to yield a positive outcome but Cooper's track record proves he can be the best man for the job, after his appointment on a three-year deal.
Leicester's profit and sustainability situation has been helped by the compensation of about 拢10m they got from predecessor Enzo Maresca's move to Chelsea, which naturally eases fears for any incoming manager.
Yet it will still be a battle given the prospect of a points deduction after being charged for breaching PSR in March but Cooper has history of producing the best from a squad which may not be the strongest.
That was perfectly demonstrated when he took Nottingham Forest from the bottom of the Championship to promotion in 2021-22, having guided Swansea to the Championship play-off final a year earlier.
Despite this being a different era for Leicester - compared with the title-winning squad that was Champions League-chasing and then had FA Cup success - there is still talent in the squad that Cooper knows he can work with.
They still may be forced to sell Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Jamie Vardy's 20 goals last season prove he remains a threat, Harry Winks excelled while James Justin, Ricardo Pereira and Wout Faes all have good top-flight experience.
However, despite a desire to keep him, Wilfred Ndidi's contract expires at the end of the month and, as it stands, the midfielder is more likely to leave than stay.
Cooper kept Forest up in 2022-23 before leaving last December and knows how to survive in the Premier League. That is Leicester's priority and Cooper already moved to unify the fans on day one with an open letter to Foxes supporters.
He wrote about re-establishing the club in the Premier League and immersing himself in the community to strengthen the bond with the club, something chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha highlighted as a key focus in the decision to appoint him.