Cologne bounced back from its thrashing by Hoffenheim last weekend to earn a point at fellow struggler Bochum, but the result will do little to ease the pressure on coach Zvonimir Soldo.
Soldo held a crisis meeting with his players earlier this week and on Thursday stripped Milivoje Novakovic of the captaincy, revealing he was unhappy with the player's attitude.
His team responded with a display which was much improved from its 4-0 home defeat last Saturday, but again its attacking failings were all too evident.
The visitors have now scored just seven goals in 14 Bundesliga games.
The point did, though, keep it a point ahead of its opponents, who are third from bottom.
Cologne started brightly and it was Novakovic who almost gave it a second-minute lead.
The striker had a free header from Adil Chihi's high cross from the right only to be ruled offside.
At the other end Christoph Dabrowski's header from Shinji Ono's pass forced a parry from Cologne keeper Faryd Mondragon.
Chihi then shot just over the bar from around 30 yards before Novakovic was also too high with a free-kick from the left channel.
But Cologne found itself on the back foot early in the second half.
Dabrowski went close again for Bochum a minute after the restart as his right-footed effort from 18 yards was blocked away for a corner.
And in the 65th minute the midfielder set up Stanislav Sestak, who drove his shot from the right side of the area straight at Mondragon.
Cologne also had chances to win it, Petit and Chihi both sending efforts wide of the right post.
But Soldo's men could not make the breakthrough as they drew a blank for the sixth time in the last eight league games.