Maybe he's crap, or just not looking like in training? you have to see something from the players. Toff has been solid, Aina has been a catastrophe in recent games. so you change the bad one. If you have a choice. The keeper has shown nothing that's changed a game. So you change him. The three centre halves have all done well, so you play them. We've struggled to get control of midfield, so you pick a midfield that you think can. The strikers have shown nothing, so you don't pick them.
Okay, it looks like a massive panic move, if you are not considering it from a coaching perspective...but I think that's a dangerous assumption to make. Tactics extend much further than the first eleven a fan would pick. There is form, fitness, the way you want to play, how you can combat what you expect from the opposition....and you want to see players putting it in and trying to find a way. It is equally arguable that a coach/manager is chucking it in, if he sleep walks into a game with the same non-working approach.
Really the only thing that makes decisions look okay is good results. With what we have, and where we have come from, Cooper should have enough credit in the bank to not be under debilitating pressure from the odd bumpy run...especially when there are easily understandable reasons.
Absolutely no teams play well all of the time...and we are playing at a level where even playing well, with this squad, might not be enough every day.