Phil Hay has lauded Liam Cooper for his reliability at the heart of the defence for Leeds United – but admits there is a ceiling to his ability.
Cooper has had a very frustrating season as Leeds captain, with the centre-back having picked up an injury in December that saw him miss out on 14 matchday squads, with the Whites winning just three of those matches – while they have remained unbeaten since his return.
Should Cooper start for Leeds next season?
Yes!
No!
The 30-year-old was originally handed the captain’s armband under former manager Marcelo Bielsa when he took over in the Championship and appears to have displayed his commanding presence at the back amid his comeback under Marsch.
Hay had claimed that Cooper is the most reliable centre-back at the club, but while speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he did admit that there are limitations with regard to the defender’s ability.
He said: “As I’ve said previously with Cooper, I think there is definitely a ceiling of ability there, I don’t think he is going to develop into a truly sort of outstanding Premier League centre-back in the way that we recognise them.
“But I think he is still the most reliable centre-back at the club, and I think that performance on Saturday is as good as we’ve seen from any of the centre-backs who have been used this season – very much the right performance at the right time.”
TIF Thoughts on Cooper…
It’s quite obvious to see how Cooper is so highly rated and trusted within the Leeds United squad and by two different managers now as he boasts the second-highest percentage of tackles won against opposition players dribbling towards him out of players to have started more than five games (as per FBRef).
Despite only starting 17 games in the league this season, Cooper has also racked up the most clearances out of anyone in the entire Leeds squad, showing that he clearly loves defending and the dirty and tough side of the game.
In other news: ‘Massive’ – Phil Hay buzzing over behind-scenes Radrizzani plan at Leeds