Leicester boss Steve Cooper is “even more committed” to succeed following negative fan chants during the penalty shoot-out victory at League Two Walsall in the Carabao Cup.
The Foxes made 10 changes and had to rely on goalkeeper Danny Ward saving spot-kicks from Taylor Allen, David Okagbue and Liam Gordon in the shoot-out to advance to the fourth round.
Charlie Lakin and Albert Adomah missed big chances for Walsall in the 90 minutes as the hosts held their own.
Chants of “Cooper sort it out” and “this is embarrassing” were heard from the 2,000 strong travelling Leicester fans, who have only seen their side win once in all competitions this season.
Cooper, who took over at the King Power Stadium in June, said: “I obviously heard the chanting from the crowd, I’ll own it and you’ll never hear me having any disrespect to fans’ opinions.
“We have to build some credit with the supporters to do the job, but I knew that anyway. It’s things like that which will make me even more committed to do well, because I’m desperate to do that.
“I want to do well for this football club – I’ve bought into what it stands for, I take that responsibility seriously.
“Nobody said this season would be easy. It’s going to be a challenging season but nobody is up for it more than me.
“We can definitely play better. I won’t be hiding away from chants, no problem with it. I’m even more committed to that now than I have been before and even that was at its maximum.”
Cooper insists his side gave the League Two outfit confidence with their sloppy performance.
He added: “An average performance at best – we gave too much hope to Walsall and the crowd.
“For all the ball we had, we weren’t enough of an attacking threat and didn’t create enough dangerous moments in the game.
“You run the risk with changes but it was a very experienced team out there with high level players.”
Walsall boss Mat Sadler was proud of his side following their spirited performance against a team three divisions higher.
He said: “There were large parts where they were extremely rattled.
“I felt like it was going to happen where something was going to drop but it didn’t quite drop.
“It wasn’t meant to be. Everything but pride. Limited them to not many opportunities and I’m just proud, proud of everyone connected to the club.
“That’s not a normal performance of what we face in the league but we can use it for a yard stick for what we hope is many big games here for the rest of the season and that experience tonight will hopefully help us.”
[(Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.) Strength]: 1. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. will be at home first in this tie. They hope to extend winning record, with full motivation.2. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. beat Hapoel Jerusalem F.C. 2-1 in the last home game, making it three wins in a row.3. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. defeated Hamrun Spartans F.C. 5-2 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and advanced.4. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C....
[(Seattle Sounders FC) Strength]: 1. Seattle Sounders FC achieved 4 wins and 2 draws in the last 6 home games with good performances.2. In the previous group stage of the Leagues Cup, Seattle Sounders FC scored 11 goals in total. They are the top in Group B, with outstanding performances.3. Seattle Sounders FC conceded only 3 goals in the last 5 games with a good defense.4. Seattle Sounders FC los...
[(FC Midtjylland) Strength]: 1. In-form Dario Osorio scored and assisted in the last game. He may get more playing time in midweek's European game.2. FC Midtjylland scored at least 2 goals in all the last 4 games with a stunning offense.3. In the last UEFA Europa League qualifying round, FC Midtjylland defeated Eliteserien side Fredrikstad twice, with outstanding performances.4. FC Midtjylland bea...
[(KF Shkendija) Strength]: 1. KF Shkendija, playing at home in this game, need to go all out to gain the upper hand and are highly motivated.2. KF Shkendija won 3-1 away from home in the last league match, returning to the winning track and boosting their morale.3. KF Shkendija have performed well at home and have achieved three consecutive victories so far. They have only lost 2 of their last 20 ...
[(SC Internacional) Strength]: 1. SC Internacional lost 0-1 in the first leg and are currently 12th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, performing poorly. They urgently need to prove themselves in the Copa Libertadores. This time playing at home, they will do their best to win and strive for advancement, so the team are motivated.[(SC Internacional) Weakness]: 1. SC Internacional goalkeeper Ivan...
[(Rosenborg) Strength]: 1. Rosenborg won two consecutive rounds in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and advanced to the play-off stage. In the first leg against Bundesliga team 1.FSV Mainz 05, Rosenborg must capitalize on their home field advantage to secure a victory, laying a solid foundation for the second leg. So they are highly motivated.2. Rosenborg have remained unbeaten at home in the...
[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Strength]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude are currently near the bottom of the table with 15 points, still 4 points away from the survival zone. They are in strong intention of picking up points.2. Esporte Clube Juventude won the last two consecutive games in AH with an improved trend.[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Neutral]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude drew 2-2 away to Esporte Cl...
[(Estudiantes de La Plata) Strength]: 1. Santiago Ascacibar made 1 goal and 1 assist for the team in the last two games, being in good form.2. Estudiantes de La Plata kept unbeaten in the last 5 home games with 4 wins and 1 draw, being in great form.3. Estudiantes de La Plata have scored 12 goals since the group stage of Copa Libertadores. Their offensive performance in cup event is reliable.4. Es...
[(Fenerbahce S.K.) Strength]: 1. Fenerbahce S.K. have strengthened their squad by recruiting players during the off-season. Their goals for this season are to contend for the league title and qualify for the main tournament of the UEFA Champions League. Having eliminated the Eredivisie giants Feyenoord in the first round, the team must seize the home advantage in the first leg against SL Benfica, ...
[(Celtic F.C.) Strength]: 1. As a Scottish Premiership giant, Celtic F.C. have rich experience in European competitions and a high reputation. They have made a flying start to the season with three consecutive wins, and their morale is high. Facing the relatively weak FC Kairat Almaty, they hope to secure an easy victory with home advantage, lay the groundwork for the Play-off round, and smoothly ...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football