Cooper on Vestergaard, changes at Man Utd and 'loving' a cup run

Cooper on Vestergaard, changes at Man Utd and ‘loving’ a cup run

Posted by Admin October 29, 2024 Football

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper has been speaking to the media before Wednesday’s Carabao Cup game against Manchester United (kick-off 19:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

Jannik Vestergaard will be available for selection after recovering from “a bit of a setback” with his ankle injury.
Viktor Kristiansen’s groin injury is “not as bad as thought”. Cooper said: “At least it will be a matter of days or weeks, as opposed to longer than that.”
He did not rule out making changes to his team because the Foxes have two away games this week: “We have another game at Ipswich on Saturday. It is times like this where it is good to have a squad. We will need to utilise it over the week.” He added that “full focus” is on taking “one game at a time”.
On Erik ten Hag’s sacking: “You always applaud managers when they do well and feel sorry for them when there is criticism or they lose their job – that’s how I feel about Erik. It is never nice to see. I wish him well and I’m sure he will bounce back as and when he feels ready.”
Manchester United’s managerial situation will not change his game plan: “We won’t overthink it. If you do, you can end up going loads of places that might be miles away from what it ends up being. It is a really good chance to show how good your own work is. There is even more reason to focus on ourselves. We have got to make sure we take that opportunity.”
He recognises their opponents have “real quality” all over the pitch: “They have got players that can really change moments from nothing to something, whether it be through their athleticism or talent. We get that in every game we play in the Premier League, but it is an away game so that can influence it as well.”
The squad is continuing to adapt to the “tweaks and ideas” he has implemented since taking charge: “We just want to become a really strong and competitive Premier League team. That comes with time and delivering when it counts. You have to be seen to be making progress, even when the results aren’t what you want. We will have more good days than bad days when we get our identity and our way right.”
He would “love” for his team to have a “really good cup run” because there are “so many good things to be gained” from being involved in one: “It is what we all want. If we can do it, then we can get even more excited. You have to plan to win every single game. We back ourselves.”