Even if Leicester City is playing one of the Premier League’s top teams, the manager of the team is refusing to call their trip to the Emirates Stadium a free hit.
Steve Cooper said he “can’t think of anything worse” than labelling Arsenal vs. Leicester City as a free hit.
This Saturday (3pm kickoff) marks City’s hardest test of the Premier League season as they travel to the Emirates Stadium. With the Gunners undefeated and predicted to contend for the title, City’s chances of winning their first game of the year appear remote.
One could argue that City’s hopes of surviving the Premier League won’t depend on its performance against teams like Arsenal, but Cooper doesn’t think that way. If he saw the match this weekend as a “bonus,” he claims the City team would never have faith in him.
“We won’t approach any match considering it a bonus or a free hit,” he declared during his Thursday afternoon press conference. There is nothing that I can think of that is worse than that kind of mindset.
How could the players ever accept anything I said if I, as their leader, gave it off to them? It needs to be made clear that we will be fully committed to this game this coming Saturday.
“Even though the odds and the expectations are against us, we must support ourselves internally if we want to win the game.” These games are yours to win.
“I don’t think you can go into a game thinking: ‘They’re right at the top of the league so let’s just get through it.’ You must enter there with the goal of actually succeeding in the game.
“An amazing team that has been playing well for a lot of years awaits us. They have been competitive in both the Premier League and cup events, and in prior seasons they would have won the league based on the points they received in the Premier League. We are going up against a very formidable foe.
You have to accept these games and not enter them with a fear of failing. To support oneself is what we wish to accomplish. There has never been a finer opportunity to achieve the outcome we’re all after. We wish to pursue it.
Six teams, including City, are still seeking their first season win as we approach the weekend. Southampton and Ipswich, two other recently promoted teams, are included in the ranks.
Cooper continued, saying that it is extremely rare for a newly promoted team to have an easy time. Even though Leicester should have never been in the Championship and that the Premier League is the home of the team, we are still coming off of a Championship season. Our transformation into a Premier League team is still ongoing. We were aware that it would not be simple. However, we are confident that we can succeed this year.
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