Time running out for Steve Cooper after James Maddison magic show

James Maddison showed why he is so important to Leicester City, and why so many people want him in the England squad, by running the show at the King Power Stadium last night, scoring twice and setting up another goal.

Turning 26 next month, Maddison has matured on and off the field and has been in good form for most of this year, a rare bright light during some dark days for Leicester. Brendan Rodgers, his manager, spoke powerfully of his No 10 and why England would be missing out if Gareth Southgate does not take him to the World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s such a shame for the country and for James himself,” Rodgers said. “He’s an incredible player and that’s how consistent he’s been for probably the past 18 months with the ability he has. But I will add that his pressing and his aggression has really developed. Tactically he is very good. He’s really matured as a man and a team player.

“Gareth has never asked about him. Respectfully it’s something I don’t think Gareth does much, which I can understand because he’d have every manager talking to him. But I’d really hope there is a place for a player like that in a squad when you have someone who is so talented, such a hard worker and such a team player.

“He really is up at that level. You see young Phil Foden, who is an amazing talent, and Mason Mount I really like. Jack Grealish is a different type, more from the side. This is a player who can change the course of a game. If he wasn’t starting, for you to have that ability to come in and bring something in a tight World Cup game is what a team like England needs, really.”

The problem Maddison has with England is that Southgate does not play with a No 10, yet Maddison showed his versatility as well as virtuosity here. He started on the right in Rodgers’s 4-2-3-1 system and cut inside to good effect.

Renan Lodi is a good left back, a Brazil international on loan from Atletico Madrid, but he was turned inside out by Maddison. He kept feinting on to his left and Lodi kept buying it.

Barnes cuts inside to curl in the second goal from a similar position to Maddison’s opener

DARREN STAPLES/SPORTIMAGE

With England, Maddison also has talent ahead of him. Foden and Bukayo Saka play the right-sided role in Southgate’s 3-4-3. Foden and Grealish can play centrally, should Southgate switch to 3-4-1-2. Maddison was certainly central to Leicester’s success here, showing what a team player he is, encouraging Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall when he missed an early chance and even helping out defensively with a clearance.

Maddison embodied the commitment in Rodgers’s team. They were fighting for the cause and for their manager. For all their recent travails, the six defeats on the spin, Leicester’s fans were behind them, especially when they could see the determination of the players. Leicester’s owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, had flown in for the game and celebrated with the fans.

Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, was not present but was doubtless tuning in, and cannot have been impressed. There was little organisation, discipline or creativity in the first half in particular and no cutting edge. Too many players lost their duels. The only elite thing about Forest were the 3,000 away fans who sang loudly and defiantly, including for their under-pressure head coach, Steve Cooper.

“Forest are magic on and off the pitch,” they sang, over and over until Leicester’s fourth goal went in with 17 minutes remaining. They then fell silent. Now it was Leicester fans being heard, borrowing the away fans’ tune and chanting: “Forest get battered everywhere they go.” Some Forest fans could take no more and left. The rest stood there watching mournfully, probably wondering whether Cooper will be in the dugout on Monday when Aston Villa visit the City Ground. He deserves to be.

The opening goal from Maddison, after Lingard had given the ball away, took a huge deflection

TIM GOODE/PRESS ASSOCIATION

If he gets dismissed, Cooper will simply be the victim of raising expectations. He did brilliantly in lifting Forest from the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship to Premier League promotion, but the huge influx of players has complicated his task. How many of them Cooper actually wanted has still to be confirmed. They looked a bunch of strangers who were confused by Cooper’s switch to a back four. Yet how can Cooper be expected to build camaraderie in such a short period?

How different this game might have been had Taiwo Awoniyi found the net and not a post when put through by Morgan Gibbs-White after 21 minutes. Within four minutes Leicester were ahead. Maddison sent Harvey Barnes down the left and Jesse Lingard made a terrible clearance, gifting possession straight to Maddison. He controlled the ball instantly with his left foot and then, as Lewis O’Brien slid in, shot goalwards, the ball deflecting off Scott McKenna and past Dean Henderson.

Maddison was involved in Leicester’s second two minutes later. He released Jamie Vardy down the left, the ball was soon with Barnes and soon in the back of the net. Maddison added his second with ten minutes of the half remaining, taking his club tally to 50. Presented with a free kick 25 yards out, centrally located, Maddison took a quick look at a flimsy Forest wall that would never have got planning permission. He stepped up and curled the ball in past the flat-footed Henderson.

Maddison turned creator for Leicester’s fourth after 64 minutes, sliding the ball across for Patson Daka to score with a back-heel flick. All that remained was for Maddison to depart to a standing ovation and collect the man-of-the-match honours.

Leicester City (4-1-4-1): D Ward 7 — T Castagne 7, J Evans 7, W Faes 6, J Justin 7 — W Ndidi 6 (B Soumare 45min, 7) – J Maddison 9 (M Albrighton 85), Y Tielemans 7 (D Praet 80), K Dewsbury-Hall 7, H Barnes 7 — J Vardy 6 (P Daka 61, 7). Booked Soumare, Maddison.Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): D Henderson 6 — C Kouyate 5 (R Freuler 45), S McKenna 6, S Cook 6— N Williams (S Aurier 45, 6 ) 5, L O’Brien 5 (R Yates 45), M Gibbs-White 5, J Lingard 4 (O Mangala 69, 6), R Lodi 5 — B Johnson 5, T Awoniyi 5 (E Dennis 62). Booked Williams, Kouyate, Lingard, Cook.Referee R Jones.