Steve Cooper’s Leicester in-tray: Sign a striker, battle points deduction and finding a style of play may be a problem

Steve Cooper’s got his work cut out as new Leicester manager.

He arrives at the King Power Stadium facing a series of challenges as he gets his squad ready for an almighty challenge to stay in the Premier League.

It’s an uncertain time – to say the least – for the Foxes.

POINTS DEDUCTION

It looks likely Leicester will be deducted points either before or during the season having been hit with a Premier League charge for allegedly breaching financial.

Last year’s three promoted clubs showed how difficult it was to stay up, even without that prospect hanging over them. Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton are all back where they started just 12 months after the delirium of promotion.

Will 45 or even 50 points be enough for Leicester to stay up? That will depend on how competitive it’ll be at the bottom and whether clubs in and around them in the table are also sanctioned.

A ‘too good to go down’ Leicester succumbed to the drop with 34 points two years ago, two points adrift of fourth-bottom Everton. An already difficult task will become almost impossible for Cooper and his players if hit particularly hard.

FINANCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Two of Cooper’s predecessors spoke about the club’s self-imposed restrictions on new signings.

Brendan Rodgers would regularly open up in the summer of 2022 about his inability to bolster the squad.

Enzo Maresca was also keen to add to his top-of-the-table Championship side in January, but nothing was forthcoming. Cesare Casadei’s loan recall by Chelsea meant Leicester ended the window with a weaker squad than when it started.

Despite a few bumps in the road, promotion was achieved as champions. Leicester are by no means a poor club, but losses of more than £215m over the last three seasons tells its own story. And although it’s not entirely clear how much will be available for Cooper this summer, new faces will be needed.

Previous managers have expressed surprise over previous pauses on new signings. The board has to be transparent and fully commutative if and when issues arise.

Leicester return from their brief visit to the second-tier with many proven Premier League players. Harry Winks, James Justin, Ricardo Pereira and Jamie Vardy – albeit at the age of 37 – have all shown they can excel in the top-flight.

The biggest question marks lie in central defence and in attack. Vardy proved to be a potent goalscorer in the Championship, but with Kelechi Iheanacho leaving and Patson Daka and Tom Cannon unproven at the top level they look light on goals.

Leicester’s 4-2 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea last season showed glimpses of what they could be capable of going forward in the Premier League, but it also highlighted their defensive frailties.

Jannik Vestergaard, who’s been rewarded with a new three-year deal, and Wout Faes both found it tough going against a quick and skilful Chelsea attack. Cooper will need to be smart and canny with any reinforcements. Popular loanee Adbul Fatawu is set to be one of the club’s first summer signings, joining from Sporting Lisbon.

THE FANS

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Cooper will be to get a number of fans onside with his appointment. The former Nottingham Forest boss – sacked in December – has already taken his first step in trying to elicit support from the Foxes faith.

Penning an open letter following his appointment, Cooper said: “This club has a distinct identity and attracts a great deal of respect for what it has achieved. That has been done through the dedication of the owners and the hard work of the players and the people here.

“I take the faith the Club have placed in me very seriously and am committed to immersing myself in what the Club and community stands for ensuring we have success together.”

Cooper was hugely successful in bringing together a fanbase at the City Ground. He was loved and adored by them. His connection with Leicester’s biggest rivals may be enough for some fans to dismiss his appointment out of hand. That may sound hugely petty. And it is. But he’s here. He’s got a massive job. And he needs their support.

STYLE OF PLAY

Cooper’s appointment may see a departure from the more possession-based football seen under Maresca, and Rodgers and Claude Puel before him.

Those who observed Cooper’s time at Nottingham Forest say his pragmatism and defensive-style of play ultimately kept them up. What worked in the Championship may not work in the Premier League as we’ve seen with Vincent Kompany and Burnley.

see if, for example, Ricardo Pereira maintains his role as inverted right-back, a signature of the Maresca era.