Leicester wanted Steve Cooper to succeed but felt they could not afford to fail.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea, inflicted by Cooper's predecessor Enzo Maresca, left the Foxes 16th in the Premier League and a point above the relegation zone.

While the Foxes are outside the bottom three their points total is short of where the hierarchy wants it to be. There was a growing fear performances would not generate the results to stay in the top flight of English football.

It is one of the main reasons why Leicester have acted, even if the decision to sack Cooper came as a surprise on Sunday afternoon, especially as the 44-year-old had been positive about his impact on the squad.

The in-game stats had started to prove it, even if overall results had not highlighted it.

Maresca took the Foxes back to the Premier League by winning the Championship last season and his philosophy was so ingrained in the players it had been difficult for some to readjust to Cooper's style.

The Italian was well-liked by the squad and there have been teething problems in ensuring they adapted to Cooper's way of working - less expansive and working the ball quicker - with a struggle to connect with some of the players.

That was another reason for the decision, with a growing concern any disconnect would impact their survival prospects.