Liam Cooper decision mooted by Jeff Stelling and Michael Dawson for Leeds United v Liverpool on Sky Sports
Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling and pundit Michael Dawson have called for Leeds United boss Javi Gracia to start Liam Cooper against Liverpool on Monday [17 April] after his surprising omission against Crystal Palace.
Gracia’s side are facing their third home match in a row and are looking to bounce back from their humiliation against Crystal Palace.
Cooper, who has recently returned from injury was left out of the side with Gracia preferring to start Pascal Struijk in place of the injured Max Wober and Stelling and Dawson agreed live on Sky Sports that it’s time the club captain returns to the side against Liverpool on Monday.
“Liam Cooper, their captain was an unused sub, as he often has been recently,” Stelling said [15 April, 14:06]. “He’s a leader on the pitch, is it time to install Cooper in that defence?”
Dawson responded, stating his disbelief at Struijk starting instead of the Leeds United captain.
He said: “I’m surprised that when Wober got injured, they put Struijk back in, I thought Liam Cooper would have come back in, he’d been out injured so it gave Wober a chance to play, but to not have him and Struijk go in.
“We’ve seen him at left-back and I couldn’t believe that performance in the second half.”
Critical decision
Considering Cooper’s experience and know-how at this level in such a crucial and pivotal game for the Whites, it was baffling that Gracia decided to leave him out of the team, especially in a game where Leeds United had the ideal chance to claim another important three points.
Whether the Scottish international was not fit to return so soon or he was is another matter entirely but that unfortunate collapse in the second half may not have happened had Cooper been on the pitch last weekend.
Struijk still remains a key figure for the club in the long-term and whatever Cooper’s uncertain future right now, Gracia and the West Yorkshire desperately need his leadership, experience and assuredness at the back at such a crucial period in their season.
In Wober’s unfortunate absence, maybe it is time Gracia starts his next best left-sided centre-back against Liverpool on Monday [17 April]. It’s up to Cooper himself to prove whether he’s up to the task once again.
In other Leeds United news, the club have been blasted for their “stupid” decision amid a massive development this week.