Leicester City’s Manchester United Strategy and Boubakary Soumare’s Form Under Scrutiny

Owynn Palmer-Atkin and Matt Piper recently discussed the performance of Leicester manager Steve Cooper on the When You’re Smiling podcast. Matt Piper, a former Leicester player, commented: “He’s the gaffer [Cooper] and I like my gaffer to be confident and talk his side up.” Piper further stated, “I still don’t quite think his blueprint is there for this team, but if it’s there, I don’t think it’s at a level that it has been for a number of years.” He also noted, “The thing I was really impressed with at the weekend is the resilience of the side and they have shown that a number of times under Steve Cooper.” Piper concluded his remarks on the team’s play by saying, “I still don’t think it’s the full system that he wants to play. I don’t think the full 11 that they have out there have been at the top of their game all together.” Piper additionally addressed the situation of Leicester midfielder Boubakary Soumare, observing: “When he is in a Leicester shirt, you are thinking, what is he doing in the team? The players and crowd will see how good he is in the training ground but when he’s playing they will be thinking, ‘he’s going to be a passenger because that is what history tells us’.” However, Piper added, “But Steve Cooper comes in and gives him cameo appearances. You think ‘there is a player in there’. I think it’s a confidence thing. Confidence can do miraculous things for a player.” The podcast further included an interview with Leicester midfielder Harry Winks following the 1-1 draw with Ipswich, where he also looked ahead to the upcoming match against Manchester United this weekend. Winks stated: “We like to think that we would be in a better position by now points wise and in the table. We are not in the the worst position, but with the quality that we have in the dressing room, it’s disappointing.” He continued, “I think United are in a transition period with the managers. We played them the other day and it was a strange game.” Winks concluded by emphasizing, “We are a good team, its important we go into the game with the mentality that we are not the underdogs [of the Premier League] but with the mentality of why not go in and impose, control the game and try and go there and compete.”