Steve Cooper at Leicester City: tactics, strengths and why he’s still loved at Nottingham Forest

Steve Cooper is the favorite for the Leicester City manager job, with reports emerging of contact between the club and the Welshman as they search for a successor to Enzo Maresca.

City supporters are now scrutinizing Cooper’s credentials ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League and perhaps there is a little more scrutiny than usual given his links with Nottingham Forest. But as Martin O’Neill and Wes Morgan have shown, it is possible to be loved by both clubs.

To find out more about Cooper’s style of play, his weaknesses, man management and his relationship with the supporters, we spoke to NottinghamshireLive’s Forest correspondent Sarah Clapson. You can read her thoughts below.

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Q: How would you describe Cooper’s style of play?

SC: Little has changed in the Premier League. In the Championship, Cooper had Forest playing mostly on the front foot and taking plays to the opposition. They were great to watch for the most part in that promotion season. In the Premier League, however, he became more cautious and Forest were more defensive.

The purpose of the second season in the top flight was to evolve the style of play. To some extent, he began to do so early in the campaign. But the pressure of results started to tell and Forest became more negative again.

Q: What are the key positions for his tactics to work?

SC: It depends a bit on the playstyle it goes with. If and when Cooper returns to management in the Premier League, it will be interesting to see how he shapes his squad

In the Championship, Forest played with three at the back. Having a solid defence, with defenders comfortable on the ball and full-backs pushing forward, played a big part in sparking the team.

In the Premier League, he changed formations a bit as he tried to find the right formula, including going with a four-man defense at times. In the 2022-23 season, having attacking players with a bit of magic – like Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson – made the difference.

Q: Forest have made many signings on their return to the Premier League. How did Cooper manage the team?

SC: Perhaps his greatest strength is his talent for man management and his ability to create a sense of unity. It was far from easy that season, but Cooper was able to get the entire team on the same page and accept the assignment – ​​even the players who didn’t necessarily play much. Team spirit was crucial to get past Forest. It was the same in the promotion season.

Q: Does he have weaknesses as a manager?

SC: He found it difficult in the Premier League. The difference between the top and the Championship is considerable. He admitted he learned plenty of lessons in Forest’s first season at that level.

Watching me, it looked like the pressure was showing even before I was fired. Tactically, he didn’t get it right and you could point to some strange decisions that were made when it came to things like team selection and substitutions – the hallmarks of a manager who is under the cosh. I’m sure he will have learned a lot from his entire spell at the City Ground.

Q: He has developed an amazing relationship with the Forest fans. Do you think they could replicate that with Leicester supporters?

SC: His connection with Forest fans was one of the standout features of his managerial spell at the City Ground. He understood the club, the fans and the city. He embraced everything about it all. It would certainly be interesting to see the dynamic if he were to take over in the East Midlands.

Do you think Cooper would be a good fit for City? Let us know in the comments section below.