Journalist Dean Jones has surfaced the news that Liam Cooper spoke to Marcelo Bielsa in the latter stages of his reign to ask for a change of philosophy.
After a heroic first season back in the top flight last season when Bielsa spurred his side on to achieve a top 10 finish, it has been somewhat the opposite this year, and in the final month in charge for Bielsa, Leeds broke the record for the most goals (20) conceded in a calendar month in the Premier League.
Leeds find themselves still at slight risk of slipping into a deep relegation scrap as we head into the business end of the season, and this has been largely down to the injury woes of key players such as Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips, and Patrick Bamford, who have all missed lengthy periods due to injury.
Interestingly, it’s now been claimed that Liam Cooper did all he could to get Marcelo Bielsa to remain at Leeds, according to Dean Jones who spoke to GIVEMESPORT.
“I know that he was one of the players that were trying to get Bielsa to rethink his philosophy in those final weeks of his reign. He was desperate for things to work out. He was desperate for the side to get back on track,” Jones said.
TIF Thoughts on Leeds United…
It comes as no surprise to see Liam Cooper, who is valued at £6.3 million (Transfermarkt), desperate for Marcelo Bielsa to stay as he even came out and said last year that the South American has ‘changed his life’ since coming to Leeds.
The Bielsa way was something that Leeds supporters had grown to love, so it seemed fitting for the South American to stay true to what had worked wonders for him in the Championship and for parts in the Premier League.
Jesse Marsch was brought in at Elland Road as Marcelo Bielsa’s successor, and the American coach is getting important results having won two games on the bounce with last-minute drama against both Wolves and Norwich.
The American coach has evidently brought some much-needed fresh air into Elland Road after Bielsa was sticking to his ways and supposedly not adapting to the circumstances that he found himself in.