OPINION
As Leeds United’s season has slowly but surely unravelled to the point where the Whites are now basically out of contention for the play-offs, there has been one question come to mind again and again.
Why is Liam Cooper captain of Leeds United?
The centre-back has shown neither the footballing or leadership qualities required to be captain of the club, and that has never been more obvious than during Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Derby on Wednesday evening.
Both of the Rams goals were totally avoidable, and both stemmed from horrible defensive mistakes.
The first saw Cooper completely miscue his defensive header into the path of Andreas Weimann, who slotted past Felix Weidwald.
The second saw a nothing ball into the box from Tom Huddlestone somehow bounce around the area before Kasey Palmer lashed it home.
To be fair to Cooper, this was his first game back after a four-match suspension.
But, on the other hand, the suspension came after he saw red for the second time this season.
That is not a record fit for a club captain, let alone one at such a club as Leeds, and in truth it is totally indicative of Cooper’s poor form all year.
The 26-year-old talisman is no doubt a long-serving player at Leeds, having been at the club since 2014, but that cannot be the main reason behind someone being given the captaincy.
In terms of better options, there are two clear choices.
Standing alongside Cooper at the heart of defence is a man who would be perfect for the role.
Pontus Jansson has been an absolute rock at the back for Leeds ever since he joined on an initial loan deal from Torino in 2016.
The big Swede also seems to be the best communicator at the back, and looks to be a pretty clear shout for the captaincy.
The other option is a player that has just joined Leeds, but one that looks right at home in the Whites midfield.
Adam Forshaw put in another solid display on Wednesday, and his £4million transfer from Middlesbrough in January looks to be a stroke of genius from Victor Orta.
And, a cursory glance on Twitter shows that there is an increasing number of Leeds fans who would like to see the 26-year-old handed the armband.
Either man would be miles better than Cooper, and a change in the captaincy could be a step in the right direction for a club that is most certainly heading the wrong way.
With new boss Paul Heckingbottom just finding his feet, now would be the perfect time for the former Barnsley man to assert some authority and sack him as captain.
Cooper is simply not up to the task, and the quicker he realises that the better.