Leicester, who are relegated in 2023, are not the same club that shocked the world by winning the Premier League title in 2016. Their ambitions have had to change.
But the work Cooper and his coaches had done, little by little, began to bear fruit and he has been willing to compromise his beliefs, as he did at Nottingham Forest, to ensure survival.
Scoring goals wasn’t the problem either, this month’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United was the only time the Foxes have failed to score in a league match this season.
He kept Forest in 2022-23, having guided them to promotion the previous season after taking charge when they were bottom of the Championship.
However, his City Ground pedigree meant there were always concerns about his past when he crossed the East Midlands in June.
Cooper, who won the Under-17 World Cup with England, and others dismissed those fears, but it became clear that some Leicester fans did not fully accept his reign.
This despite him writing an open letter to them after his appointment and inviting club legends such as Matt Elliott and Gerry Taggart to the training ground to talk and really understand the Foxes.
He spoke of wanting to get under the skin of the club during a pre-season chat after a game at Shrewsbury and he kept his word.
Cooper recognized he needed to earn the fans’ faith and his refusal to go over the line after the first win of the season against Bournemouth in October showed there was work to do.
The former Swansea boss understood that he did not have the memories or the credit in the bank for taking over at Leicester, unlike Russell Martin or Kieran McKenna at Southampton and Ipswich, so he had to build the relationship the hard way during a battle for relegation.
There was always the problem that some might have seen him as second choice, following Maresca’s departure, after the club came close to, but ultimately failed to agree, a deal with Graham Potter.
In the summer, the Foxes always maintained an open dialogue with Cooper, but they could now be given a second chance with the former Chelsea manager, who has been out of a job since leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023.
Leicester fans have passionately supported their managers in recent years – only Claude Puel’s stale football in 2018-19 failed to capture the imagination recently – and the murmurs from the stands were clear.
The error-plagued 3-1 defeat to Forest in October had away fans serenading their former manager, underlining the difference in sentiment among supporters.
That wasn’t necessarily Cooper’s fault as he was given a difficult task: taking over when Leicester were under threat of a points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
The Foxes won their appeal over the charge in September, but it wasn’t quick enough. Cooper felt the financial cloud hanging over the club affected their ability in the summer transfer market.
He still brought in Oliver Skipp from Tottenham for £20m and defender Caleb Okoli from Atalanta for around £13m, but Bilal El Khannouss, signed for £21m from Genk, has only made three starts in the league and He still hasn’t played the full 90 minutes. .
There was a desire, on the part of everyone connected with the club, for the appointment to work and Cooper’s affable manner makes it difficult not to feel sympathy.
He stayed to chat after the press conferences. Honest, affable and friendly, he talked about tactics, players and music, but being a good guy cuts little ice in the Premier League.
