Phil Hay believes starting Liam Cooper would be a “big risk” ahead of Leeds United’s highly anticipated play-off semi-final against Norwich City on Sunday (12 May).
This season, the Scottish centre-back has made only 15 Championship appearances, eight of which have been starts, and has been replaced in defence by Ethan Ampadu.
The Whites, on the other hand, have not been as defensively solid as they had been early in the season, conceding 10 goals in their last four games.
It was suggested to Hay that Leeds could need to bring Ampadu back into midfield for the first leg at Carrow Road, but the Athletic journalist was not convinced.
Hay told The Square Ball podcast on Friday (10 May): “The problem is that if Ampadu isn’t at centre-back, Cooper will be.
“Bringing Cooper in against Watford didn’t work. Leeds conceded twice. Cooper claimed offside with people behind him on the second goal, alleging that the structure had collapsed.
“The problem with Cooper is that some people don’t think highly of him. Over the years, I believe the majority of the criticism has been unfair. However, at this stage of his career, he is unlikely to benefit from a lack of playing time.
“To put him in for the first leg of a play-off semi-final sounds like a big gamble to me. The Ampadu-Rodon combination, and the defence in general, have not performed well in recent weeks.
“But it was really excellent. You need to believe in things that function. You might try [Mateo] Joseph up front, Ampadu in midfield, and make a variety of adjustments since nothing has worked.”
Could Daniel Farke start Liam Cooper for Leeds United against Norwich City?
Most Elland Road fans will be hoping Cooper is not named to the starting lineup when Leeds face Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday.
The veteran has been a valuable member of the team since joining from Chesterfield in the summer of 2014, appearing in 283 matches.
Of course, his wisdom and experience will be required if the Whites are to gain promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, but this should probably remain in the dressing room.
Rodon and Ampadu’s centre-back combo has worked well this season, and just because they nearly lost out on automatic promotion, Daniel Farke should not feel compelled to change his approach.
Although Cooper was once a fantastic centre-back option, at 32 years old, his best days are behind him, and starting him against Norwich could cause more trouble than it solves.
As Hay mentioned, the player’s previous start came against Watford in March, when his limitations were exposed as the opposition’s pace was simply too much for him to handle.
The Canaries have similar players, most likely with more talent, who may be deadly in the opening leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals.
