Walsall 0-0 Leicester (0-3 pens): Foxes average at best says Cooper

Mere weeks into his Leicester tenure, Steve Cooper heard his first real cat-calls – and vowed after the game he would not shy away from them.

Chants of ‘Cooper, sort it out’ and ‘this is embarrassing’ punctuated the second half at the Poundland Bescot Stadium as Leicester looked prime cup-shock material.

The boos at the final whistle were replaced by cheers after the penalty shootout triumph but Cooper admitted afterwards the outcome glossed over a display he termed “average at best”.

Rather than attempting to deflect the unrest, however, Cooper said he was determined to tackle it head on and “prove himself” to the Leicester support.

His vow to “own” the criticism made a refreshing change from so many bosses who either ignore fan unhappiness or wheel out excuses.

Cooper did none of that – but he did defend his decision to make 10 changes, insisting the team he put out should have been experienced enough to prevail.

Ultimately, they did – but the fact they needed penalties to eke past a League Two side will raise concerns about the depth of quality at his disposal.