Leicester

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Cooper has no fresh injury concerns after Tuesday's Carabao Cup match at Walsall but defender Jannik Vestergaard remains unavailable for selection.

• He said he "accepts" criticism from fans after some boos were heard after recent games: "I will always try to understand fans' perspectives and my initial reaction is not to be too defensive and see the rational of why the feeling is the way it is, and then try to do something about it. Supporters pay a lot of money and every supporter's reaction is authentic and you have to respect that."

• He sees it as a chance to respond: "I see it as a good opportunity to show the real me, to show how well I want to do here and how strong I am as a character, and how good I am as a coach. When feelings are not as we want them I will try and take responsibility to change that."

• On the challenge posed by Arsenal: "We're coming up against an incredible team who have been in great form for a number of years. In other seasons with the points they got they would have won the league. It's these games that you have to embrace with anticipation of succeeding and not fearing failure."

• Asked how the Foxes will approach the game, Cooper said: "Everything in our game has to be right - on the ball, off the ball, game management, set-pieces - they’ve scored some important goals from set-pieces. Everything has to be close to perfect, including the mentality and belief. We need to be mindful of where Arsenal's strengths are but we have to back ourselves to deal with that."

• On improving performances: "We know what it takes to play well. We know what it looks like tactically, technically. We're very clear on how the team plays, we train it every day. We've got to get consistency on our style of play. We do have a way of playing and sometimes we've not managed to reach the heights."

• Cooper says the core principles on what he wants from his team are: "We want to play with the ball, exciting attacking football. We want to create overloads in certain areas of the pitch that allow us to hit the hotspots in a game that can hurt the opponents. Players through the middle in midfielders and number 10s and offering width from high full-backs or wide wingers. When we get through the lines we want enough players to continue the attack."

Catch up on all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, PA Media

Leicester are yet to win in the Premier League and some fans vented their anger towards manager Steve Cooper during the Foxes' Carabao Cup tie at Walsall, a game they won on penalties.

They lost Enzo Maresca, who was fundamentally changing the way the team played and what their team's culture was.

Then, to change to someone else who is coming from a rival - I thought it was strange. Appointing somebody whose last job was at Nottingham Forest to me does not necessarily give you the greatest foundation when you go to Leicester.

Some players have been unavailable and some players have left as well. It is a tough situation for them but results will count, results will matter, so if they can get them, this feeling will cease a little bit.

Ultimately for Cooper, the pressing thing is to make sure of staying in the Premier League and if you are one of those teams that is down there, that is the objective.

It does feel like it is going to be a dogfight down near the bottom and as a consequence it will not be too glamorous.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright

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The draw has been made for the Carabao Cup fourth round, with 12 Premier League clubs having made it through and Newcastle set to play their postponed tie against Wimbledon on 1 October.

There are four confirmed all-Premier League fixtures, including Tottenham hosting Manchester City and holders Liverpool travelling to Brighton.

Ties are scheduled to take place the week commencing 28 October.

All the fixtures featuring top-flight sides are shown below:

• Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

• Southampton v Stoke

• Tottenham v Manchester City

• AFC Wimbledon/Newcastle v Chelsea

• Manchester United v Leicester

• Brighton v Liverpool

• Preston North End v Arsenal

• Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

See the full draw

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Tensions were laid bare for Leicester on Tuesday.

Their 3-0 penalty shootout win over Walsall, following a 0-0 draw, sent the Foxes through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Yet, struggling to break the League Two side down, a section of supporters directed negative chants towards boss Steve Cooper urging him to "sort it out" with a fan also running onto the pitch, gesturing at the dugout before being escorted off.

From his first day, when he wrote an open letter to supporters, Cooper has strived for unity, while he has invited legends like Matt Elliott and Gerry Taggart into the training ground to soak up their knowledge of the club.

He has looked to get under the skin of the Foxes but, after Tuesday, it appears he has yet to break the surface with some of the fanbase.

That is not something Cooper has ignored - he spoke following the shootout about needing to build credit with supporters and owning any chants at him.

Putting Saturday's visit to Arsenal aside, the next two home games against Bournemouth and Cooper's former side Nottingham Forest, either side of a trip to Southampton, are likely to go a long way to determining the opinion of the paying fans.

Regardless of this being a different era for Leicester - following their title winning and Champions League exploits - there is always an expectation to get results, even if Cooper has only had five league games with a new squad.

Few newly promoted sides fly up the league, especially ones who lost their manager and star man when both Enzo Maresca and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left left for Chelsea.

Managers always need time, though it is the one commodity rarely afforded to them.

And Cooper is no different.

Image source, PA Media

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper says that he is seeing "positive signs" after his side's victory over Walsall in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

The Premier League side required a penalty shootout to overcome League Two opposition, with goalkeeper Danny Ward saving three spot kicks to spare an upset.

"A tough night but you didn't see anyone shying away from it," Cooper said. "There have been so many moments, times where we've gone down in games and come back, they are positive signs.

"We just have to do other things better to make sure we are whole in our performance and getting better results overall. We feel like we are doing a lot of good things but have to turn it into performances on match days."

Sections of the Foxes' travelling support voiced their frustrations during the match but Cooper hopes the victory will mark a turning point for the team.

"It's maybe nights like this we can look back and form a strong relationship," he said. "We are only a game or two away now from the quarter-final so we want to do well in this cup."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's Carabao Cup game between Walsall and Leicester.

Here are some of your comments:

Brian: We were awful for much of the game, a few bright spots but mostly not very good. I fear the game against Arsenal on Saturday.

Mark: Woeful performance. I'm at a loss to see what system/style they're trying to play. I get that it was a much changed team but these are Premier League players, including many internationals, facing a League Two team. You'd never have known it. Cooper has work to do if he wants to still be here at Christmas.

James: Hardly a performance worthy of silencing the doubters and the rumours of a possible dressing room mutiny. To barely lay a glove on lower-league opposition only raises more questions. That said, cup runs are a welcome distraction from early league struggles, so Steve Cooper can breathe an huge sigh of relief, for now. Up next? Arsenal away...ah.

Richard: Leicester very fortunate to get through in the end. Seemed to lack any cohesion and clearly crying out for a goal scorer and playmaker. The body language of the players was poor and left me wondering whether the camp is happy with how the coaching staff are asking them to play. It is clear without more quality we will struggle this season.

Andy: Going to be a long season. No fox in the box and no urgency when in front of goal. Danny Ward to the rescue.

Former Leicester City striker Matty Fryatt believes the Foxes have goalkeeper Danny Ward to thank for still being in the Carabao Cup following the penalty shoot-out victory away at League Two side Walsall.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Fryatt said: "To think you've come away to a League Two side and your hero is your goalkeeper, it doesn't look great.

"The only one really is probably Danny Ward who can feel good about it. Steve Cooper in that it saves an embarrassment but in terms of the players out there it was really poor.

"The quality throughout was poor. The biggest compliment I can pay to Walsall is that you'd probably say they were the Premier League team.

"You can make excuses for Leicester with all the changes but it wasn't a good showing, it was far from convincing."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Leicester manager Steve Cooper on his side's Carabao Cup third-round win over Walsall on penalties: "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."

On negative chants from the visiting supporters: "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."