Steve Cooper Addresses Team Ambition, Ayew’s Contribution, and Upcoming Manchester United Fixture

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper addressed the media ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United, scheduled for a 14:00 kick-off. Below are the main points from his press conference: Striker Bobby De Cordova-Reid sustained “quite a nasty wound on his Achilles” during the League Cup encounter with Manchester United 10 days prior and is still considered “doubtful” for the upcoming weekend match. Addressing the question of whether 10 points from 10 games represents a satisfactory outcome for Leicester, Cooper stated: “We have to have the mentality that we can do better. It’s been a decent start but I also know that we can get better and hopefully we’ll have more points from the next 10 games. Me personally and the guys will always want more. The ambition is to be higher [than 15th place]. I’m always going to say that I want more because that is the elite world of the Premier League.” Cooper expressed his desire for his team to “believe big,” remarking: “We’ve got to think big but at the same time we have got to make it happen. Let’s go into the next 10 games looking to be better than the previous.” Regarding Jordan Ayew’s influence since his summer arrival, Cooper commented: “We knew that we needed to bring in Premier League experience to add to what was already here. We’ve always been delighted that Jordan is with us because of the level he plays at and knowing what it takes to be a Premier League player. It comes in abundance with him. He’s hard working and is very much about the team and the greater good.” Cooper further elaborated on Ayew’s contributions to the Foxes, stating: “It can’t be about individuals just looking after themselves, it’s got to be about what is right for the team and Jordan is a good example of that. Some really important moments so far from him and I’m sure some to come in the future as well.” Discussing the rapid rematch against Manchester United following their previous meeting, Cooper noted: “It was a League Cup game and now it’s in the league. They’ve got a few players back and that makes a difference. Whenever you play Man Utd, home or away, you come up against a team with talented players.”