Steve Cooper will be a relieved man after masterminding a first Premier League win as Leicester City manager against Bournemouth at the weekend.
The 1-0 win courtesy of Facundo Buonanotte’s thunderous strike handed Leicester City a crucial first league win in their bid for survival this season.
Steve Cooper is yet to win over the Leicester fan base since taking over from Enzo Maresca in the summer and the pressure was mounting prior to the win over Bournemouth.
However, those three points took the Foxes up to 15th in the table and with Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town Leicester’s next three opponents they have a real opportunity to get more points on the board.
Steve Cooper decision to drop Abdul Fatawu confusing to Leicester City fans
Aside from his connection to rivals Nottingham Forest, one of the main things Foxes fans have struggled to accept is Cooper’s negative tactics.
The Leicester boss has been reluctant to play two of last season’s stars together this campaign in wingers Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu.
Fatawu started the campaign in the Leicester XI, with Mavididi coming in for the past few games after scoring on his first two Premier League starts after Cooper finally brought him into the side.
Cooper likes one of his wingers to play very wide and the other to drift inside to operate as another number ten and clearly does not feel that Maivididi and Fatawu are the right combination to achieve this.
Both players became real fan favourites last season and Fatawu is finding game time a little hard to come by as Cooper has preferred alternative options.
Cooper tactic getting the best out of Facundo Buonanotte
Cooper has been accused of playing with the handbrake on at Leicester so far, often deploying three defensive midfielders in the same midfield.
However, against Bournemouth the Welshman dropped Harry Winks and instead shifted Jordan Ayew in-field to operate as a number ten.
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This did not open the door for Fatawu to play on his favoured right wing, though, with Buonanotte instead playing from the right flank.
This proved an inspired decision as Buonanotte ran riot against Bournemouth and provided a constant threat driving inside form the right onto his stronger left foot.
Whilst Leicester fans may still find it a little difficult to accept there is currently no place in the side for Fatawu, this is currently looking like a decision that Cooper is getting right.