Leicester City players will get “left behind” if they don’t get on board with Steve Cooper’s plans.
While Cooper has not ripped up Enzo Maresca’s blueprint from last season, there have been changes to City’s tactics as they take on a different challenge in the Premier League. As far as the new manager is concerned, there are no excuses for players not buying into the team’s identity.
Cooper said he holds two-way conversations with the squad over the direction the team are taking, allowing for players’ input. But he is also assessing the City squad to see who is carrying out their agreed plans.
“You’re given a job with the intention to do it your way,” Cooper said ahead of Saturday’s 3pm clash at Crystal Palace. “Part of that is what I want as a team, the challenge of what’s in front of you – and the context there is the step up to the Premier League – and then identifying and respecting what had gone on before you.
“There is a balance of taking some of the things that have gone really well while tailoring it towards what I want and what we want, and the completely different challenge of the Premier League. We’re really clear on that. We’ve been really clear on that from day one. The players will be as well.
“Then it’s about delivery in games and becoming good at what we want. You see the players who are really buying into it and really going for it, and that can do it. The way I’m asking the team to play is not easy.
“There are some changes to last year on the basis of what I just said. The challenge is giving all of that to the players and then supporting them in delivering and seeing how they go with it.
“Large parts of it is seeing a real desire, a real commitment, and a real open-mindedness from the players to go: ‘Okay, this is where we’re now going, this is our identity, this is our league.’ We have a lot of two-way conversations with the players, we ask for their opinion. They’re really on board. If they’re ever in a situation where they’re not, they get left behind.
“Obviously there are some changes because I’m new, and that’s normal. Because we’re really clear about how we want to play, it’s also really clear to see who’s delivering it and who needs a bit of work. That’s what’s good about having an identity.”
There’s not a grace period if any players are not buying into the identity. Cooper expects everybody to get on board immediately.
He added: “I’m not going to be naive to say it’ll be in three months’ time, or six games’ time (before the new plans’ impact is felt). You need to see things straight away. I’ve been able to do that before, where you get hold of a team and get positive results and performances straight away.”
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