Former Leicester Winger Matt Piper Criticizes Steve Cooper’s Post-Match Remarks and Tactical Decisions

Matt Piper, a former winger for Leicester, has stated that Steve Cooper’s remarks do not “help himself.” During an appearance on BBC Radio Leicester’s When You’re Smiling podcast, where he discussed the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United, Piper commented: “It was a particularly poor performance from the team, but also the manager – I don’t say that lightly.” Piper specifically referenced Steve Cooper’s statement that ‘he never felt like a goal was coming’, questioning the manager’s approach: “If you don’t feel there is a goal coming and you’re 2-0 down and you don’t make your first substitute until the 70th minute – that’s what I don’t understand.” He emphasized the necessity for tactical adjustments, adding, “You’ve got to change it. You’re not going to score if you feel like that standing in your technical area.” Despite Leicester registering more shots on target than United in the match, the home team established a comfortable two-goal advantage just before half-time, securing their victory in the final 10 minutes. Piper acknowledged the sentiment among many supporters, stating, “I know a lot of fans are already to the point where they want him gone, but he doesn’t help himself.” He further elaborated that Cooper “uses comments like that after the game but he didn’t do anything about it,” asserting that “As the manager and leader of the club, you have to do something about it to change the fortune on a particularly bad afternoon.” Piper concluded by noting that while Cooper identifies the issue, its recurrence “week on week” is ultimately “not helpful for the manager.”