Fans at Elland Road are currently buzzing since the appointment of veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa. The deal was talked about for quite some time now and just a few days back the official announcement was finally made. The Whites haven’t had much to cheer during the last season as they finished 13th in the Championship but they sure are now looking forward to the upcoming season.
There is every reason for the fans to be positive given the body of work the experienced Argentine manager has done. He has managed national teams like Chile and Argentina along with various clubs in his long career but his finest work came in the form of making Chile a South American powerhouse. The Whites fans will be keen on seeing how he rebuilds this team and what players he lets go in the summer.
Leeds United had been defensively poor the last time around and some fans might feel that the appointment of Bielsa will be the end of the road for club captain Liam Cooper. The veteran is known as a hard taskmaster and expects nothing less than 100 per cent from his players during training and matches. He is known for his unorthodox training regime which centres around fitness level and there might be a chance that Cooper might struggle to get a foothold in the playing eleven.
However, we don’t think that the Peacocks can let someone like Cooper leave when they are in need of defensive options. The Whites might be on the lookout for a new centre-back currently and they have been linked with quite a few of them. However, nothing is certain as of now and it is expected that Cooper will keep his place in the playing eleven.
Pontus Jansson is expected to be the one half of the centre-back pairing and it remains to be seen whether the Whites can bring in someone like Kyle Bartley to partner him. If not, Cooper will surely be expected to start alongside the Swede.
Read More: Leeds United Get Odds Slashed To Win The Championship: Can Bielsa Spin His Wizardry At Elland Road?
Cooper is an able defender more often than not but he is usually reckless in his challenges and tackles which is his undoing most of the time. However, he is a commanding centre-half and in the absence of other leaders at the back, it is necessary for Leeds United to keep hold of him. Even if they go on to sign a proven centre-back, Cooper will definitely be a good option to have on the bench and the 26-year-old is expected to play a part in the Leeds resurgence in the next season.
