Walsall 0-0 LCFC (Leicester win 3-0 on penalties)
Post match analysis by Graham Tracey
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation.
The penalty shoot-out equivalent of a 9 darter did nothing to paper over a dreadful display in the last 32 of the League Cup, where we were lucky to avoid defeat in 90 minutes to a spirited 4th division side, managing only one effort of our own on target during the game. Danny Ward’s 3-peat of saves during the spot kicks saved our blushes in the national media, but every outfield player should have left the field embarrassed with their contribution.
As expected, Steve Cooper made wholesale changes from recent league games. The only surprise starter was Okali, with Vestergaard not in the squad without explanation (it was later attributed to a prior injury – poor communication beforehand then). In truth, several of the starting XI have been shown in 2022-23 and earlier to be short of true top flight quality – Ward, Thomas, Choudhry, especially Soumare. However, there was a lot of Premier League experience on the pitch and despite Cooper’s awful away record away from the Soar and the Trent, it should have been enough to blow the Saddlers away.
Instead, we suffered a torpid first-half. Odsanne Eduard was starting his first game for us up front. I think most of us wish we had bought him instead of Daka back in 2021. However, whether it just a lack of match fitness, the ball often bounced off him in a style reminiscent of the un-golden era of Akinbiyi and Benjamin. De Cordova-Reid must have something about him to have had a long stint at Fulham, but he looked lost on the wing and to date it is hard to see where he fits into our side. Buonanotte tried too hard to impress, often losing possession. Maybe he was affected by Cooper’s strange comment on Saturday that he wasn’t picked because El Khannous was “our player” – why bring loan players in if you see them as second class citizens? Most surprisingly and disappointingly, Ricardo and Thomas were sterile in any attempt to attack from the full back positions.
So all in all, the worry that Cooper either a) doesn’t have a clear strategy, or that b) this isn’t being embraced by the players, was only confirmed. I cannot understand Danny Ward’s rationale. If I were him, I would spend the rest of my life in regret about bench warming rather than playing. However, he saved well from close range in the one clear chance of the first half after we were carved open down their right.
Any hopes of improvement in the second half were immediately deflated when Coady backed off an underhit pass, leading to another glaring chance being skewed wide. While Fatawu grew into the game, Walsall defended soundly and we could only test their teenage keeper late on with a Buonanotte header. Indeed it was Walsall who finished the stronger with some dangerous corners. Our substitutions were again left too late to make a difference.
In the shoot-out, Ward three times dived to his left to pull off saves (two of them impressive), while Ricardo, Coady and Skipp all stroked home to the other side.
The abiding memory of the game is a Leicester fan invading the pitch and being unceremoniously brought down by a Walsall player. Perhaps a ban from watching us seemed appealing in the moment. I am normally an optimist and reflect on the positives, but in truth there were none. Notwithstanding the squad rotation, it feels like rustling up the 8 or 9 league wins that we will need for a chance of survival will be a monumental effort. Indeed everyone was so poor (Ward in the shoot-out aside) that there is no point giving marks out of 10 for each player on this occasion.
Leicester:
Ward, Pereira, Coady, Okoli, Thomas, Soumare, Choudhury, Fatawu, Buonanotte, Reid, Edouard
Subs:
Iversen, Justin, Faes, Skipp, Golding, El Khannouss, McAteer, Alves, Ayew