By Graham Thomas
Steve Cooper, the only Welsh football manager operating in the Premier League made a steady, rather than spectacular start to his new life as Leicester City manager, but his influence was clear.
Leicester began their season with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham, thanks to a goal from Jamie Vardy. But Cooper’s impact is generally about mood and atmosphere – what the kids label “vibe” – before that translates into results.
The former Swansea City manager has the common man touch, from his casual dress code to his Valley boy accent. Polo-necked, tanned sophisticate from continental coaching casting central, he is not.
But what Cooper gives his teams is authenticity, belief and generous levels of protection. In return, players supply him with high work rate, emotional engagement, and devotion to the common cause.
It worked for him as England U17 coach, as he made them world champions, almost managing to disguise the fact he was a referee’s son from Pontypridd.
It worked for him at Swansea, where, despite having to sell key players, he managed to lead them to back-to-back Wembley play-offs – though neither opportunity was seized.
More stunningly, the Cooper scooper picked up Nottingham Forest when they looked likely relegation candidates and led them to promotion to the Premier League – a fourth-placed finish finally resulting in a play-off final victory.
The 44-year-old then managed – against most expectations – to keep Forest above an immediate trapdoor return.
His reward for raising expectations in the East Midlands was the affection of Forest fans, quickly followed by the sack from an owner who felt one year in the Premier League should have been followed by challenging for Europe the next.
When Leicester needed a replacement for Enzo Maresca following his departure to Chelsea this summer, they turned to Cooper. It was an appointment that underwhelmed many of their fans, who, at the very least, were expecting an accent more Parma or Perugia than Ponty.
But Cooper is used to being undervalued and underestimated, and with Luton Town manager Rob Edwards having gone back down with the Hatters, with ex-Southampton manager Nathan Jones long ago dispensed with, and with Craig Bellamy having been relegated with Burnley before resurfacing as Wales manager, then Cooper is carrying the hopes of the elite level managerial Dragonhood on his shoulders, alone.
Cooper’s relationship with Vardy is likely to be key for the Foxes this season. If the manager can develop the same kind of rapport as he did with Andre Ayew at Swansea, then Vardy could make light of his advancing years and be a major goalscoring threat in the Premier League at the age of 37.
Cooper always seemed to coax the best out of Ayew and his warm appreciation for Vardy after his equaliser against Spurs, suggests flattery and ego-maintenance will again be part of his armoury.
“He is the main man here and we want him to continue to be that guy but it wasn’t sitting right with him that we were coming into this game and didn’t have a fit senior striker because Patson Daka has had an operation,” explained Cooper.
“He was feeling okay in his rehab, came to me and declared himself fit, so ‘go play boy, no problem!’ “For sure, he is not normal in terms of what he can still produce at his age and the athlete he is. “We’re just, and me particularly, going to really work strong with him to have the right programme, respect his body and what he feels is right for him and his preparation. “And if we do that, then I feel we can get more moments like that out of him. He is the main man here, for sure and I want that to continue.”
