Why Bolton boss Steven Schumacher was 'fuming' with Michael Cooper after Sheffield United defeat
Sheffield United beat Bolton Wanderers in dramatic fashion at Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening, winning 3-2.
Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher joked that he was “fuming” with Sheffield United goalkeeper and former colleague Michael Cooper after he played a starring role in the Blades’ 3-2 win over the Trotters at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.
The United shot-stopper made a cluster of fine saves to help his side come from behind twice and secure their first Championship victory of the season in dramatic fashion. After trailing 1-0 and then 2-1, United eventually flipped the game on its head in second-half injury time, taking the lead for the first time through a thunderous finish from Romelle Donovan.
Bolton created their fair share of chances in the second half, registering 13 shots compared with United’s six, with four of them requiring saves from Cooper. The goalkeeper had also been busy in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Cardiff City, making eight saves.
The 26-year-old’s performances at the beginning of this season have offered signs that he is getting back to his best, and Bolton boss Schumacher, who worked with him at Plymouth Argyle, was not surprised by his performance between the posts, admitting that he often produced similar displays for Argyle.
“I’m fuming with one of my old players, Michael Cooper, because he was in top form tonight, and that’s what he does,” Schumacher joked.
“The amount of times when we were down in Plymouth, he kept us in games, made big saves in the big moments, and we’d go down the other end and win it.
“I’ve seen that happen loads of times because he’s a top goalkeeper, and that’s why Sheffield United paid a lot of money for him a few years ago.”
Having watched his side create plenty of chances, Schumacher was understandably gutted not to have left Bramall Lane with at least a point in the bag.
“I’m obviously devastated to lose the game,” he added. “I felt that, in the way we played, we certainly deserved something from the game.
“I thought you could argue that, in the second half, we deserved to win the game. I thought we were the better team.
“To have 18 shots on their goal away at Bramall Lane, and their goalkeeper to be in top form, is pleasing from a performance perspective. But to come away from it without anything is devastating.
“That’s what this league is like; it’s brutal. We, as a team and as a squad, have got to learn quickly.”