OPINION
If Leeds United fans were unsure about Liam Cooper being the club captain before, they must be unflinchingly certain about his unsuitability after his latest comments.
Speaking to the press ahead of their final match of the season against QPR this weekend, Cooper amazingly claimed that the squad had not recovered from their defeat by Millwall…in September.
Liam Cooper speaking now: says the Millwall defeat in September hit the players hard and they haven't ever truly recovered from that. On Heckingbottom, described him as a "very good coach". #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) May 4, 2018
That was the day that Leeds first lost in the Championship this season after a flying start under former boss Thomas Christiansen, with the Lions running out 1-0 winners.
The result did not affect the Whites position at the top of the table, being level with now-champions Wolves on 17 points from eight games.
On the same day, Fulham and Aston Villa, both of whom are guaranteed play-off spots, occupied 13th and 14th places respectively, with the Cottagers losing to now-bottom side Burton.
Since then, Leeds have had nearly 40 games to recover and continue their challenge for promotion, which was looking so good at that point.
How can the man who has been appointed to lead a side, to take teammates under his wing, come out and make such a comment?
It is his responsibility to make sure that players do not get their heads down after a defeat, especially one so early in the season, and help them to push on the week after.
These farcical comments show a distinct lack of leadership skills from the 26-year-old, who has come under pressure as Leeds captain this season after being sent off on two separate occasions.
They also show an unwillingness to take responsibility for his team and their results, which should not be his solely, but should fall onto his shoulders more than others.
If his position as Whites skipper was already under question, it should be doubly so now, with many fans already calling for the armband to be passed to another.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom needs to make some changes this summer for progress to be made next season, and before he gets involved in any transfer business he should take care of internal problems, such as his captaincy.
Ruthlessly stripping Cooper should therefore be his first priority, with the armband passing to someone more capable of basic leadership.