Steve Cooper’s woes continued as his Leicester City side limped past League Two Walsall on penalties after a 0-0 draw in 90 minutes.
Steve Cooper is still seeking his first Premier League win as Leicester City manger but the trip to fourth tier Walsall was expected to be a confidence-building exercise for his fringe players.
However, that could not be further from what played out as a dismal Leicester display left the travelling supporters incredibly frustrated.
Whilst the likes of Jamie Vardy, Harry Winks and Wilfred Ndidi were all not involved, Cooper still named a vastly experienced side that included the likes of Ricardo Pereira, Conor Coady, Hamza Choudhury and Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
In the end it was Danny Ward’s heroics that saw Leicester scrape through on penalties as the back-up goalkeeper saved all three of Walsall’s spot-kicks, but it was a night to forget for the majority of those involved.
Odsonne Edouard failed to take Leicester City chance vs Walsall
Cooper was desperate to sign a striker in the summer and he finally got his wish after a series of failed pursuits as Odsonne Edouard joined on loan from Crystal Palace on Deadline Day.
Having signed too late to feature against Aston Villa the following day and been ineligible to face his parent club in the next match, Edouard finally made his debut off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Everton at the weekend.
With 37-year-old Vardy left at home for the Carabao Cup tie, Edouard was handed the perfect opportunity to prove himself against lower league opposition and kickstart his Leicester career.
This is not what happened, though, as the French centre-forward failed to make an impact and showed very little to suggest he can act as a capable back-up to Vardy, let alone challenge him for a starting spot.
Statistics behind Edouard’s poor full Leicester City debut
Edouard played 69 minutes before Cooper decided he had seen enough and replaced the 26-year-old with Jordan Ayew.
Leicester struggled to get the striker in the game but, in truth, he did little to help himself in that regard and he managed just 23 touches in the match according to Sofascore; fewer than goalkeeper Ward on 32.
The loanee had just one shot which was off target and completed just seven out of the ten passes he attempted.
Cooper has plenty to worry about right now – not least with a trip to Arsenal at the weekend – but Edouard’s display against Walsall has highlighted just how vital it is that Vardy stays fit this season.