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Steve Cooper's biggest Leicester City issue could be their downfall as four-year hopes reignited
When a team concedes five goals, the assumption is that the defenders have played poorly.
Certainly, Leicester City’s back four at Manchester United didn’t play well, but it would be harsh to say they were dreadful. Caleb Okoli made a poor error for United’s fifth, undercooking a backpass, but otherwise individual mistakes weren’t the issue.
That actually means it’s more of a problem for Steve Cooper. Against Nottingham Forest, there were individual errors in the build-up to all three goals. At Old Trafford, it felt like the team’s defensive structure was what helped United to rack up a big score.
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Cooper can run through all five goals and point to moments where City were unfortunate, whether that’s the quality of Casemiro’s strike for his first or the deflection for Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick. He would be right. City were unlucky in aspects of the defeat.
But they still conceded 23 shots, and among those there were plenty of clear chances. If those numbers continue, City will keep letting in a hatful of goals.
Cooper said it himself. There is an “imbalance”. They can’t seem to play the way they want on the front foot without leaving themselves exposed defensively. A team is never going to be successful unless they can attack and defend without one compromising the other. That’s what Cooper has to solve.
Much-changed team show attacking developments
Developing a more solid defensive structure and system is the priority within that because City actually played plenty of good stuff at United. For a second-string line-up with nine changes, City looked really fluid, playing progressive, one-touch moves to get themselves into the most threatening areas and pin United back for several periods.
It definitely felt like the understanding between the players had grown, and that can only have happened in training, with very few of these players featuring together in a competitive match. That’s promising.
City have struggled to penetrate the penalty area at times this season but they had 26 touches in the United box, and only against 10-man Southampton have they managed more than that against Premier League opposition this season. That counts as progress too. But while they managed 16 shots and seven on target, well above their own averages, they still need to create more clear-cut opportunities.
Burst of confidence for unpredictable El Khannouss
As you’d expect of a 20-year-old scoring his first goal for a new club at a stadium like Old Trafford, Bilal El Khannouss enjoyed a noticeable boost in confidence the moment his strike bounced off the posts and crossed the line. That confidence first showed itself in rashness as he gave away the free-kick for United’s third.
But from there, he was probably City’s best player. There were some really nice turns, touches and passes in tight areas at the top of the pitch. Not only was his play intricate, but it had an element of surprise to it as well. Whether it was flicking the ball to a different team-mate, playing the pass earlier, or turning the opposite direction, he wasn’t doing what United defenders, or the crowd, expected him to, and that created space for him and his team-mates.
It was his most promising outing yet and will provide him, the club, and the fans with belief that the £20m given to Genk for his signature will be worth it. In the short term, hopefully it will lead to him having a greater impact on Premier League matches.
Cooper said of the Moroccan: “He’s here for the long term. He’s going to be a good and important player for us over the course of time. We are gradually getting him to the level that we want him to get to. You mentioned his age. He’s come over and had to settle into new surroundings. He’s had a few appearances now and that will continue, he will grow, and you’ll see more bits like tonight.”
Four-year Soumare hopes reignited
If Boubakary Soumare could be guaranteed to play like that every time he pulls on a blue shirt, he’d be a contender to start most weeks. His problem is that those performances are fleeting. No City manager has yet managed to get consistency out of the Frenchman.
But this was one of his best displays. Every time he received the ball, he was thinking forward. He ran hard, and showed power and control when he carried the ball forward. He played first-time passes into dangerous areas. He connected with his team-mates well. He even nearly found the net, only denied by a fine save.
It’s often said that Soumare plays that way in training, he just can’t take it out onto the pitch every week. Cooper will hope to be the first manager to do it. If he can draw consistent performances out of the midfielder, and teach him that he has to track back as quickly as he runs forward, then that will be an excellent job done.
But in his fourth season as a City player, there will be doubts whether that’s possible. He's had 20-minute periods that have left fans thinking: 'There's a player in there.' He's just never gone on to prove it. But still the hope lingers that he will eventually produce week after week.
Confidence ahead of rematch
If there’s anything to take away from the game, it’s that, with a stronger line-up, City can beat this United team. It’s not known if Ruben Amorim will be in charge by the time City go back to Old Trafford in just over a week’s time, but even if he is, he won’t have been able to sort out all of their problems.
This United team is definitely there to get at. They have to go there with the confidence that, at the second attempt, they can cause an upset.
