‘Thrive In The Challenge’ – Cooper’s Pre-Man Utd Message
Scoring late on to rescue a point at Ipswich Town last weekend, the Foxes are on the road again this weekend for matchday 11 of the Premier League campaign, aiming to put further distance between themselves and the bottom three.
Ahead of the encounter with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Red Devils, Cooper gave his pre-match assessment to the media in Friday’s press conference.
‘A game to look forward to’
Heading to Old Trafford for the second time in as many weeks, there’s a different context to this fixture, Cooper explained, with an opportunity to right the wrongs from the Carabao Cup defeat and thrive on the same stage.
“It was a League Cup game last time and now it’s in the league,” City’s Manager stated. “They’ve got a few players back available and maybe that makes a difference to their personnel on the pitch.
“Whenever you play Man Utd, home or away, you’re coming up against a team with really talented players and it’s something you have to be mindful of. We’re looking forward to going there again.
“We’re disappointed we only got a draw at Ipswich last weekend and we want to get back on the winning trail. It’s uncanny that we’re playing the same opponents so quick.
“You deal with whatever is in front of you. It’s been of great interest, the change of manager at United, and it’s a similar sort of thing to the first game to try and focus on ourselves and not to worry about narratives or noise that might be going on.
“If we want to succeed in any game, it’s on us and about what we do. It’s a tough game at the weekend and a challenge. Every situation will be different and you just try and go off your own instincts and align it to your personal beliefs and the way the team plays.
“That’s the life of a manager, you’re always faced with different challenges and how your team is performing. There’s always an opportunity going into a game. There are demands that any Premier League team can put against you.
“We go in 100 per cent committed to the game plan and, if we get it right, we can win the game. We’re talking about how we can get certain players in the game and on the ball to have an impact in the game. That’s where we are. We go there with a good mentality and what we believe we can do well. That’s the aim of this week after a frustrating result.
“We’re looking to thrive in the challenge of being at Old Trafford. You can go anywhere and create anything, but there’s no guarantees. Whatever we want to get out of any game or season is not going to be through luck or fortune, it’s delivering when it counts. It’s a brilliant stage.
“We want to shine on it and show who we are. We’ll be really clear on how we play and the game plan. It’s now about backing the guys and delivering on matchday.”
‘Enjoy working with him’
Argentina international Facundo Buonanotte has impressed in both a central attacking role, as well as out wide for the Foxes this season, contributing to City’s Premier League tally with three goals and two assists so far this term. The Brighton & Hove Albion loanee caught the eye again at Portman Road last week and the Manager is pleased with his progress.
“I’ve been really impressed,” Cooper said on the 19-year-old. “The highlights of his games have been shown quite often. You can see the obvious abilities but he’s a really good lad.
“He’s really settled in here and bought into the team and the dressing room and what we’re asking in terms of how we want him to play while giving him the freedom to be who is he.
“He has a really good work ethic and aggression in terms of wanting to win and that adds to his ability. I’m really enjoying working with him and pushing him to get the best out of him. It's good we see him doing it in a way that is good for him and good for the team.
“Every team has talented players but when you know they are doing it in the way you want for the team and the Club and fall into line with our intentions, we’re really enjoying him as a lad but we’re only 10 games in and need to keep working to progress. We treat him as our own while he’s here and give him everything.”
‘Committed to the plan’
Leicester have come from behind in back-to-back Premier League away games to claim positive results, and while the trait of bouncing back - claiming six points from losing positions this season - is one that Cooper commended, conceding the first goal in five of the last six is not an ideal scenario to be faced with.
The Welshman explained: “We’re good for a goal at the moment and at times we’ve shown we keep going in games and get one. We’d rather be in a different situation and that’s something we want to make progress on.
“We have a brilliant opportunity to go and make it a game that is ours all the way through, as all parts of the game are important. We need to show resilience in games to not give up, that’s really important, but we’ve got to show it at the start. These are open conversations and it's one we need to get right.
“Whoever you play against, you’ll always have spells where the opponent will be on top and have momentum. We’re a good case for that. You’re always looking for that dominant 90-minute performance and striving for it but it’s easier said than done. We’re really committed to the plan and staying on track with that.
“I see a lot of good in what we’re doing and the good might be different from the week before. I have to take into account every day and the consistency from the guys every day and the level they train at and the willingness to give everything for the Club to get the best result.
“I’ve got to look deeper at the process and the preparations and the reviews to make sure there’s a bigger picture. There’s a consistent message in terms of who we want to be.
“We have to have the mentality that we can do better. It’s been a decent start, but we are going to get better. Hopefully we’ll have more from the next 10 [games]. We’ll always want more.
“Points and league positions tell the true story and that’s probably about right. At times we should have picked up more points and other times we haven’t done enough. There’s lot to be motivated about in terms of getting better and the ambition is to have more points. We’ve got to think big but at the same time, we’ve got to make it happen.”