Premier League manager facing dressing room unrest three games into season with stars unhappy at having too much freedom
STEVE COOPER is battling to keep some of Leicester’s senior players on board after just three games in charge.
SunSport has learnt a number of the squad have found it hard to adjust to the manager’s hands-off approach.
That is because they were used to being told exactly what to do in almost every aspect of the game by his predecessor Enzo Maresca.
Cooper prefers players to think for themselves and make their own decisions, which some Foxes have found difficult.
His habit of asking them for input on tactics — and even about potential signings — has also left a few of them nonplussed.
Leicester have failed to win in their three games back in the top flight.
Defeats to Fulham and Aston Villa followed a decent home draw against Tottenham.
Cooper is relaxed about the situation and accepts it takes time for a new boss to earn the trust of players — particularly given the big differences in style between him and Maresca.
The Italian was not universally popular either despite leading Leicester into the Premier League last season — some players feeling he was too bossy and demanding.
There is no tension between Cooper and the players other than from those he is not picking regularly — but the squad have not gelled as well as he had hoped.
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The Foxes’ legal victory over the Prem in escaping a charge for breaking their Profitability and Sustainability Rules last week has given them a huge boost ahead of their return to action at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
But Cooper has admitted he was “frustrated” by the decision to clear the club AFTER the transfer window shut.
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He said: “It may have added a bit of frustration in terms of the window and may have affected certain decisions — we could have spent more.
“It would have been better if the decision had come early.”