Player Profile : Liam Cooper - Player Profile : Liam Cooper - Chapel, Kindest, Radebe, Richard, SG, Smudge, White Riot,

[1964white]

Now we've played five games we will be profiling the current squad of players as we did last season

We'll begin with a player who has divided opinions although the majority of fans have had serious reservations with regard to our first player profile

Liam Cooper

[1964white]

I for one not only have to eat my words but must take my hat off to Liam Cooper who has improved beyond my expectations by a country mile. It's like having a top new signing

Where has the old Liam Cooper gone ?

The one that often got caught out of position, the one who played a slack pass which would cost us, the one that stood around ball-watching, the one that lost his man at set-pieces

None of the above type of errors on show this season

Christiansen & our new coaching team have obviously worked on Liam big-time doing a brilliant job ironing out all his previous crucial errors. I also think Cooper has observed & taken note of the CB skills of Pontus & Bartley whilst he spent much time watching from the bench last season

I know it is early doors however Cooper has developed a very good partnership with Pontus & is one of the first names on the team sheet for me.

Our players obviously have much respect for Cooper as they all wanted him to be the captain of our team & by golly he has taken on the mantle in impressive style showing good leadership skills. You can see the togetherness of this squad

Apologies & well done Liam Cooper

[Ratscoot]

Agree Leon, when he fi st signed I had big hopes for him but he was highly prone to errors and then the crowd started getting on his back no matter how he played - Tom Lees strings to mind.

But it seems the season sat on the bench watching real top level pros perform (Bartley + Pontus I mean not Jade + Porcha at you local dancing bar) and then the new management team seem to have given him confidence and brought out the player we all hoped he would be.

Well done our Captain All Leeds Aren't We

[gessa]

When He came here he looked as though he had what it takes, just needed perhaps an old head to play along to nurture him. Things became difficult for him, not sure he learnt a lot from Bellusci, too much of a maverick, then unfortunately he seemed to drop a few clangers and the crowd got on his back at every opportunity, the Leeds crowd are an unforgiving bunch and over the years they have ruined a few players here, the biggest problem for Cooper was he was having a nightmare at probably the most turbulent couple of years in the clubs history, when the crowd were even more unforgiving, we then had a much better season but he was only getting the odd game here and there with no consistency to his game and then there was that "penalty" at Villa and the crowd turned on him big style. Not sure how much the new regime have helped his game or how much B and J have helped him but he is now showing glimpses of the player we hoped we had when he came here, there are fine lines in football and also players luck changes, Wood had it last year with a few lucky goals but they gave him the confidence to go on and have a great season, Cooper made a great block on the line Saturday to prevent a certain goal, over the last couple of seasons that could have easily skimmed off him for an own goal and he was the villain again, hopefully the new found form gives him that confidence that brings out another 20% in a player, whatever happens this season he has certainly shown great character coming out and playing the way he has.

[weasel]

All defenders need time and matches to iron out mistakes. Defenders learn from mistakes and also improve their reading of the game as they get older but only if they are playing regularly.

Football is also fickle as Sunderland had a great chance to score even before the Cooper header. If we'd gone a goal, or two, down then we probably lose the game and nobody sings Cooper's praises, similarly if Preston's late shot, which also deflected off Cooper onto the crossbar, goes in we lose and perhaps people are saying Cooper should have closed him down quicker.

The jury is still out for me regarding Cooper's ability to be worthy of starting in a team with promotion ambitions but it looks like he will have a few games to prove himself.

[1964white]

All defenders need time and matches to iron out mistakes. Defenders learn from mistakes and also improve their reading of the game as they get older but only if they are playing regularly.

Football is also fickle as Sunderland had a great chance to score even before the Cooper header. If we'd gone a goal, or two, down then we probably lose the game and nobody sings Cooper's praises, similarly if Preston's late shot, which also deflected off Cooper onto the crossbar, goes in we lose and perhaps people are saying Cooper should have closed him down quicker.

The jury is still out for me regarding Cooper's ability to be worthy of starting in a team with promotion ambitions but it looks like he will have a few games to prove himself.

I hoping Cooper will remain sound alongside Pontus

I noticed quite a few hi-fives/hugs between them on Saturday so I reckon they are determined not to concede goals, they seem to get on well with each other. Promising partnership developing which we ultimately require at the heart of our defence & through the spine of our team

[lufc1304]

I'm really pleased for Cooper. He's taken a lot of stick (some justified, some not), but he's stuck it out without complaint. I think he genuinely loves being at Leeds, and he appears to be held in high esteem by his team-mates. The captaincy vote will certainly have done his confidence no harm, and he has started the season really well. Hope it continues, and him and PJ form a solid partnership. The lad deserves a chance

[mav]

Many Leeds fans decide someone is not good enough, then always see the negative in anything they do.

(Also just the opposite, look at things the highly rated are forgiven!)

[Gandalf]

Really pleased for Liam. He was my MOM against Sunderland, he just shaved Pontus and Saiz with that goal saving header onto the bar. As Ges says it is fine margins, and if that header had gone in, he would have got the boo boys going again. Really liked how he got everybody together in a huddle after the match finished, as well, which shows that his fellow pros respect him.

[weasel]

I hoping Cooper will remain sound alongside Pontus

I noticed quite a few hi-fives/hugs between them on Saturday so I reckon they are determined not to concede goals, they seem to get on well with each other. Promising partnership developing which we ultimately require at the heart of our defence & through the spine of our team

Definitely the key is them forging a strong partnership as no matter how good 2 individual centrebacks are unless they form a partnership then gaps will always appear.

[hector]

Was a dipstick...

now getting better, and can stay in the team for a while.....

[eastyorkshirewhite]

As someone who knows liam quite well glad to see that people are starting to see his true value he is a model proffesional and a real gentleman as a player he has been given very unfair ccomments over his time at least he can now hold his head high once again.

[1964white]

2019/20

Liam Cooper

A starter in our first X1

Retain as a squad player

Thank you very much, sadly time to move on

Loan out to another club

Seasons rating out of ten

[hector]

One of our most improved players over the last 2 seasons, and MB will no doubt start him next season,,,

However for me, squad player
8/10 for a good season for Liam.

[1964white]

Agree Hector, a unbelievable transformation over the last two years. Bielsa is likely to start with his captain although I have two major concerns :

1) Can Coops handle the the pace & class of the likes of Salah, Firmino, Mane, Rashford, Vardy, etc

2) Unless he stops pulling the shirt of his marker we are more likely to concede penalties with the intervention of VAR

If Coops can cope with the above then we have one hell of our CB on our books

Rating : 8.5

[Denman]

LC’s turned into a good player. And a good leader too.

But for me playing CB is a bit like driving a car, anticipation counts for so much. Think White is well ahead of him on that. I also think White is quicker, safer in the box, better on the ball, and times his tackles better. Which all leads me to suggest that perhaps LC shouldn’t be a starter for us next year.

Squad player, and 7.5/10 for me.

[Ratscoot]

Retain and a starter for me, he deserves his shot at the Prem, but I’d still like us to bring in at least another CB with Ben White returning as well. Still worry he grabs at free kicks and corners and he won’t get away with that in the Prem

A definite 8/10 for the season White all the plaudits but Coops was our rock

[Byebyegeegee]

Looks like we’ll have to replace Ben White and I can’t see us bringing 2 new centre backs in, Bielsa seems to like him and he’s our captain too so Liam must be a starter. To be fair he’s just had an excellent season and deserves a shot at the Premiership, only time will tell whether he’s up to it or not. 7.5/10

[Leeds1000]

Retain and a starter for me, he deserves his shot at the Prem, but I’d still like us to bring in at least another CB with Ben White returning as well. Still worry he grabs at free kicks and corners and he won’t get away with that in the Prem

A definite 8/10 for the season White all the plaudits but Coops was our rock

I will go with the above score and starter. Which is strange because when i talk about us signing 2 CB i want them both to be a improvement on Coops. It will be up to Cooper and the rest to prove they are good enough in the Prem.
He's our Captain, he seems a great lad, and i want him to succeed so i wish him all the best this season, but lets hope Bielsa, especially this season, doesn't let loyalty get in the way of performance. 8/10

[weasel]

Cooper had an excellent season. The season previously he had a good season but made errors at the worst possible times. Having a settled defence is often better than having 4 individually great defenders as they know each other's strengths and weaknesses, know theirs and each other's roles and have the understanding so less mistakes, as a group, are made. Cooper is an integral part of our settled defence and would remain as a starter for me.

Rating: 8