Dave Woods Fan Q&A: Is Liam Cooper destined to be a squad player next season?
Every week we’ll be asking Leeds fans on our Facebook account for questions that will be answered by MOT Leeds News editor Dave Woods. You can join in by following the Leeds Insider Facebook account and watching out for weekly mailbag posts. Get involved…
Leeds United fans know the squad is going to change again in the summer with Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa plotting to bring in up to five new players.
That’s going to see changes in the starting XI and some title-winning heroes dropping out as Leeds look to move up into the top-half of the Premier League, with an eye on the European places.
Leeds fan John White asked if that could mean skipper Liam Cooper becoming a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter.
Cooper playing for his place
Cooper has been a rock for Leeds and one of the players who have really kicked on and taken their careers to heights they probably never thought they would under Bielsa.
Saying that, there’s a very good chance that he becomes a squad player next season.
Leeds spent a lot of money on Diego Llorente and Robin Koch, and Pascal Struijk has been this season’s big breakthrough player.
Roberto Martinez wants him for Belgium for a reason and he’s looking better all the time at centre-back for Leeds.
So what’s the order at the moment?
If everyone was fit then I think it’s Koch, Cooper, Llorente and Struijk.
But we can see that changing and all four players will have the chance to play their way into Bielsa’s favour.
Cooper is out through illness at the moment and that means Struijk and Llorente are going to get the first chance to prove that they shouldn’t be dropped. And Bielsa is very loyal to players that are performing.
Llorente still has work to do but he’s been showing signs that he’s got the passing game to be a truly elite centre-back in the Premier League.
He’s a Spain international, Koch is a Germany international. They won’t be happy being on the bench.
If Struijk pushes on at the rate he is doing, I could easily see him and Koch at the back, with Llorente coming on as the third choice.
That’s tough on Cooper but he’ll still have a big part to play for the club.
What this does mean is that I can’t see another centre-back coming in this summer.
If players stay fit (and that’s a big ask, admittedly), we’re well-stocked there and there are other areas that need strengthening first.
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