Paul Robinson has been discussing Liam Cooper and his omission from the Leeds United team as of late.
Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Robinson has suggested that the Leeds manager doesn’t like Cooper as a player.
The Whites’ captain hasn’t started a game for Leeds since Gracia’s arrival, and while injuries have played their part, Robinson believes that the centre-back just isn’t fancied by Gracia after he started on the bench against Liverpool.
The pundit stated that he doesn’t understand why Gracia left the captain on the bench for this game, speculating that the gaffer isn’t a fan of the 31-year-old.
Gracia doesn’t fancy Cooper
Robinson spoke about the defender after the Whites’ embarrassing loss to Liverpool.
“Leeds could have lost this by a lot more. It’s the player’s performances, the lack of communication there. Liam Cooper hasn’t played, I don’t know why the manager is leaving him on the bench, he clearly doesn’t fancy him. The back four there doesn’t seem to be any cohesion. There’s a lot going wrong at Leeds at the moment,” Robinson said.
Bring him back
Leeds need to shore up their backline if they’re going to stay up this season, and they will need Cooper back in the side if they’re going to do that.
As Robinson says, the current back four just isn’t clicking, and while Cooper may not be the most talented player in the world, he is a leader and he can manage a defence on the pitch.
Above anything else, Leeds need to be organised right now, and Cooper is the type of defender who will get the Whites playing with a bit more steel in the backline.
Gracia will be digging his own grave if he refuses to put Cooper back into this team, because these defensive displays can’t go on like this.
