JOHN LYONS LOOKS AT THE PROSPECTS OF LEICESTER CITY AS THEY HEAD BACK TO THE TOP FLIGHT AFTER A YEAR AWAY…
IF STABILITY is what you want as you prepare for life back in the Premier League, then losing your manager is a major blow.
It’s what Leicester have had to put up with this summer after Enzo Maresca decided that the pull of Chelsea was too strong to resist – even though they have a tendency to go through managers at an alarming rate down at Stamford Bridge.
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The Italian was previously Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and brought the same kind of footballing philosophy to the King Power Stadium. The Foxes tended to dominate possession against their Championship rivals with former Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks pulling the strings.
Despite a few wobbles, it was no great surprise they ultimately took the second tier crown to bounce straight back into the Premier League. With Maresca departing after just one season in charge, the baton has been handed to former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper. It certainly won’t need a total change of style as Cooper is another exponent of fluid football, but he will clearly want to put his own stamp on things and that could take time.
“I have that experience of coming back into the Premier League and obviously this is a Premier League Football Club in every way, shape and form,” the 44-yearold Welshman said on taking over.
“It lost its status for one season, managed to get back straight away, which is a really impressive achievement, but now it’s about re-establishing ourselves back to the level. And what’s good is that there are so many people here who have seen both levels and there is a big difference. “We’ve got to work really hard now in getting back to Premier League level and hitting the ground running when the season starts.
“The lads will be well rested and that’s great after a tough Championship year, but we’ve really got to get the most out of them in pre-season in how we want to play and how we want to build on last season, while knowing that it is a completely different challenge in the Premier League.”
Unfortunately for Cooper, he won’t be able to call upon influential midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The 25-year-old weighed in with 12 goals last season as he became a key man for the Foxes.
It was, therefore, not a great surprise that Maresca swooped on his old club in a £30m deal, which will at least go some way to helping Leicester comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
On the plus side, Cooper has exciting winger Abdul Fatawu in his ranks after the Foxes triggered their option to buy the 20-year-old, who joined for 17m euros from Sporting Lisbon. The Ghana international will aim to take his Championship loan form into the top-flight.
Joining him at the King Power are the likes of Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli, 23, Chelsea midfielder Michael Golding, 18, and versatile Fulham man Bobby Decordova-Reid, 31.
With talisman Jamie Vardy, 37, long-serving midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, 27, and Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard, 32, staying put, the Foxes have got plenty of experience in their ranks. The question now is if they have enough quality.
Last year’s promoted teams – Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton – are all back in the Championship. p. Leicester, with their recent Premier League pedigree, would like to believe they can do better. If the fans get right behind Cooper and can help turn the King Power into a fortress, then the Foxes have a chance. ce. However, as previous history suggests, it won’t be easy.
