SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Recently, Swansea City boss Steve Cooper was linked with a move to Selhurst Park as a possible replacement for Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace.
Now, some of us within the fanbase might be apprehensive about this news.
Before taking the Swansea job, Cooper had never managed a senior club side. The 41-year-old spent time in charge of Wrexham and Liverpool’s youth teams, before taking the reins of England’s Under-16 side, and then the Under-17s.
It was the latter role where he made his name, and some valuable connections which could be key for the Eagles if he is appointed.
Cooper actually guided the England Under-17 side to win the Under-17 World Cup, where he helped the likes of Rhian Brewster, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi and Morgan Gibbs-White develop their talents.
The quartet clearly enjoyed working with Cooper so much that they all followed him to Swansea.
Additionally, The Athletic revealed that clubs are literally reaching out to Swansea about placing their players on loan at the Liberty Stadium, because of his ability to develop young prodigies.
Now, this should be all Steve Parish needs to hear.
We are in desperate need of a youthful overhaul, and what better man to oversee that than someone who the nation’s best youngsters admire?
Even senior professionals admire him, with Conor Hourihane – on loan at Swansea from Aston Villa – telling Wales Online that Cooper is ‘first class’.
Only Jairo Riedewald, Nathan Ferguson, Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell are under the age of 28 within Palace’s squad.
We are an ageing team in desperate need of someone to inject a bit of youthfulness and life into our style of play and infrastructure – Cooper seems to fit the bill perfectly.
His Swansea side currently sit third in the Championship, just five points off the summit with two games in hand while playing free-flowing football.
In terms of the football Palace fans want to see now, and the development of gems from the academy that Parish surely wants to see, Cooper seems like a good fit.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t get his Swansea team promoted, or it’ll presumably be tough to convince him to join.
