For Steve Cooper, there is no debate. He bullishly asserted that the VAR decision to rule Jean-Philippe Mateta onside was incorrect and that Leicester City have proven that to the Premier League.
He believes the club have been “wronged” and suggested the Premier League have engaged in a cover-up of sorts in not releasing the true footage to the public. For the City boss, these are the facts.He insisted that the Premier League and PGMOL had not sent an apology to the club. The reason why, as far as the PGMOL are concerned, is that there has been no mistake, nor a cover-up. For the referees body, the image they have published, with the line drawn from James Justin’s outstretched toe, is correct.
So for now, and probably forever, this particular issue is at a standstill. Cooper and City are sure of their opinion. The PGMOL are sure of theirs. The decision can’t be changed either way. Very quickly, everyone will move on.
Despite the issue dominating this week’s press conference, Cooper said he was already over it. So why engage in such a feisty, antagonistic approach? For the players and for the supporters, he said.
“In the past two games we’ve been charged for surrounding the referee and then been wronged by a VAR decision,” he said. “We’ve got to show strength of character as a club that we’re not accepting that. It’s really important that our supporters know that we will always stand up for the club and we won’t accept things like this without giving our opinion.
“The message really is to the players and supporters. It’s for the referees as well if they want to improve. We don’t want them making these kinds of mistakes. It’s embarrassing for them. I didn’t like the fact it didn’t reach the public and it didn’t reach the media.
“We can’t let that happen and not say something. It’s a message really to say to our supporters that we will stand up for you. I talked after the club won the appeal that we’ve really got to stand as a club and be strong and fight whatever comes our way.”
It is interesting that Cooper mentioned the club’s PSR appeal victory. While it’s ultimately brilliant news for the club’s survival hopes that one possible source of a points deduction has been blocked, it also meant, for a brief while, that City were no longer in opposition to the Premier League. Besides the 90 minutes on the pitch each week, there was no wider cause to fight for. But maybe Cooper feels City need one. They need an enemy.
Cooper’s success at keeping Nottingham Forest in the Premier League was built around terrific home form. It was raucous inside the City Ground, the noise enough to embolden Forest players and make the opposition feel small. Back in the Premier League for the first time in two decades, there was excitement and anticipation and a natural underdog status mixed in with a love for the manager and squad. That’s a recipe for a great atmosphere.
For City, it’s very different. This is not a long-awaited return to the promised land. They only had one year away. Facing Everton on Saturday (3pm kick-off) will not quite get the juices flowing like it did in 2014 for City’s first Premier League fixture in a decade. The thrill of facing the country’s biggest clubs has worn off slightly.
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