Leeds United kick off their Championship campaign on Sunday afternoon with a very tough tie against recently relegated Stoke.
And Leeds fans are concerned after Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay said that centre-back Liam Cooper “will definitely start”.
He also added that he wasn’t sure who would be Leeds captain this season – Cooper was captain last season but came under criticism from Leeds fans, along admittedly with a number of first-team stars.
Hay made the claim on his personal Twitter page on Tuesday afternoon.
Cooper will definitely start. Captaincy, I don't know. Something we'll ask Bielsa about when he next speaks.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) July 31, 2018
Hay sounded pretty sure that Cooper would start and fans responded, unhappy at the news.
One Leeds fan said that he thought Cooper wasn’t good enough and another agreed, saying anyone who lived in the real world would think the same.
New manager Marcelo Bielsa also came in for criticism, with one Leeds fan asking which other ‘world-class’ coach would play Cooper?
Here are the reactions from disgruntled Leeds fans to the news that Cooper will “definitely start” on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/ChatLUFC/status/1024299636591349760
No your not wrong just being honest those who live in real world totally agree with you ???
— top cat Cooper (@kennybrown1964) July 31, 2018
I keep hearing Bielsa being called a world class coach can anyone name another world class coach who would play Cooper at CB ?
— John Evans (@evans1951) July 31, 2018
Jose is stuck with Jones and Smalling and he hasn't got the best out of them. Bielsa has his work cut out with Coops. I hope I'm wrong tho and he turns him into a defending machine
— Jonathon Sloan (@JSloan1995) July 31, 2018
— Ykeel (@lufcbeerpig) July 31, 2018
— Kevin Dwyer ??? (@lufcchamps92) July 31, 2018
OPINION
Leeds fans really wanted another centre-back signing this summer but it hasn’t happened, and it looks like Bielsa is content with what he’s got. Leeds fans don’t feel the same way and were hoping Kyle Bartley would rejoin them. Despite seeming to favour a move back to Elland Road, Bartley ended up at West Brom, and Leeds fans will have to hope that Bielsa can make his backline more resilient than they were last season. They do have new signing Barry Douglas at left-back to take their minds off Cooper. And they say attack is the best form of defence.