Unless Leicester City make a surprise move for a free agent, Steve Cooper now knows the squad he’s working with until at least January.
But he may not quite know what his best 11 is yet. While he kept the same starting line-up for the first two Premier League matches, he then made three changes for the defeat to Aston Villa. Next time out, against Crystal Palace, he has Bilal El Khannouss to consider for a start too. The following week, against Everton, Odsonne Edouard could make his debut.
It may be the case that he doesn’t have a best 11. Cooper has suggested that he will make tweaks to his side depending on the opposition, and the profiles of players they have in certain positions. But that won’t stop us assessing what the ideal City line-up is. Here’s a closer look at each position and the key battlegrounds for starting spots.
Perhaps the simplest decision in the team. Mads Hermansen is City’s number one and, especially with Jakub Stolarczyk injured, it feels very unlikely that there will be any serious challenge to the Dane’s position. That shouldn’t be a problem, as he’s already beginning to look at home in the Premier League.
Full-back
Our first contentious area. More than any other call made by Cooper so far this season, the decision to not give Ricardo Pereira a single minute of Premier League football has been the hottest topic.
A key player last season, Ricardo has found himself behind James Justin in the pecking order for now, and the decision is explained by Cooper’s set-up. When City are on the ball, one full-back tucks in and one rushes forward. At the moment, it’s the right-back who has to form part of the back three, and Justin is perhaps better suited to it. He has experience of playing a similar role last term, and he’s probably physically stronger, and so better equipped to deal with the amount of defending City might do.
On the other side, Victor Kristiansen is getting the nod, and the Dane certainly has the stamina to get up and down the pitch. He’s struggled at times in City’s opening fixtures, but those have typically been moments when he’s been left without support.
While Cooper’s current picks are understandable, it feels like Ricardo needs to be given the opportunity to show if he can make a difference. He is one of the most technically-talented and tactically-intelligent players in the squad, and those attributes may make up for what he lacks physically. Plus, both the Portuguese and Justin can play on the left side, allowing Cooper to experiment.
Centre-back
The Wout Faes-Jannik Vestergaard centre-back partnership that everybody has become so accustomed to was broken up last time out, Caleb Okoli brought in for the Dane. The idea was to bring in a defender who could better deal with the speed of Villa’s attacks and cope with Ollie Watkins’ runs.
Okoli did well and it will be pretty intriguing to see if he keeps his spot against Palace. Against Jean-Philippe Mateta, it feels like it will be a battle of wits and strength rather than one of speed, and that may see Vestergaard get his place back. He remains the best passer City have available at centre-back, marginally ahead of Conor Coady.
So often, a successful centre-back partnership is built on the understanding between the two players forming it. If Okoli can quickly build that with Faes when he gets his opportunities, then the Italian may begin to play more often. But there’s not the evidence there yet it’s a better partnership than than the one City had last season.
Deep midfield
Harry Winks controlled the game at Championship level and there have already been moments this season where he’s shown he’s capable of doing it in the Premier League too. As long as he’s fit and available, it feels like he should start.
The battle to play next to him is more contentious, but Oli Skipp is perhaps now the frontrunner. Coming in against Villa, City kept the ball with much more composure, built patterns of play more comfortably, and moved it into the final third more regularly as a result.
Skipp also offers great work-rate, a defensive know-how, and a willingness to get forward. On the whole, it feels like he offers more than Wilfred Ndidi, and so may become the regular next to Winks.
Out wide
This is another intriguing one. Because of the idea with the full-backs, one winger will stay wide, and the other will shuffle in to become a number 10 when City have the ball.
That’s why City have not yet started with the combo from last season, with Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi on the flanks. Cooper sees both as being at their best when they stick to the touchline, and so if Fatawu starts, it’s likely Jordan Ayew will be in the team on the left-hand side, while if Mavididi is eventually given the nod, Bobby De Cordova-Reid could operate from the right.
Of those two choices, it feels like Fatawu and Ayew is the best combination for now. De Cordova-Reid has not made too much of an impact since joining the club, whereas Ayew was effective in his outing against Villa. That possibly wouldn’t appease supporters though, with many keen to see Fatawu and Mavididi play together.
Attacking midfield
Another big choice awaits. Facundo Buonanotte has won lots of plaudits among the City fanbase for his displays so far, the Argentinian showing off intricate footwork and good pressing.
However, Bilal El Khannouss is the big, exciting signing. The £20m man has great vision and is renowned for the through balls and expert forward passes he plays.
For now, it may be a case of splitting match minutes between the pair, particularly while El Khannouss gets used to the Premier League. But once the Moroccan is up and running, he may begin to be the main man behind the striker.
Striker
It’s still Jamie Vardy. Odsonne Edouard arrival on deadline day gives City a good option, and the Frenchman should definitely make a difference with Vardy unlikely to be able to play 90 minutes every week.
However, the number nine is still City’s go-to man. Cooper has a lot of faith in him, and the glimpses of this season so far suggest he can produce more moments of magic, even aged 37.
Our best City XI (for now): Hermansen; Ricardo, Vestergaard, Faes, Justin; Winks, Skipp; Fatawu, El Khannouss, Ayew; Vardy.
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