It wasn’t exactly a surprise to see Liam Cooper lining up in the heart of Leeds United’s defence on Sunday afternoon against Aston Villa. The defender has struggled with injuries for most of the season so far, but the month-long lay-off gave him to time needed to regain full fitness and Diego Llorente’s calamitous performance last time out at Brentford well and truly opened the door for his return.
As such, after hinting as much in his pre-match press conference, Marsch gave Cooper the nod to partner Robin Koch at Elland Road and the defender proudly led the Whites out against Steven Gerrard’s side. It was Cooper’s first Premier League start since last season and there was a bit of noticeable rust in the first half.
The skipper showed indecisiveness on one or two occasions and he was at fault losing possession a couple of times, too, as he found his feet and got to grips with the speed of the top flight once more. However, his influence and leadership on the field was quite simply immense, particularly in the second half after the dismissal of Luis Sinisterra, which left Leeds down to 10 men for more than 40 minutes.
Read more: Every word Jesse Marsch said on Leeds United's draw, officiating, Gelhardt and Bamford's knock
The Colombian’s red card sparked a change of formation with Marsch opting to go with a back five, with Cooper at the centre, and his sturdiness, level-headedness and nous was critical, alongside Koch, who turned in yet another excellent performance at the back. The sending off changed the nature of the game, of course, as Leeds desperately attempted to keep hold of their clean sheet, while Villa tried to make the most of their numerical advantage.
However, the visitors couldn’t find the breakthrough and while some of that was down to their own issues in front of goal, Leeds’ defensive character and resilience played a huge role, too, and Cooper was instrumental in that. In fact, it’s probably a fair assumption to make that Leeds’ defence may have bowed and snapped under the pressure had Cooper not been involved.
He won almost every aerial battle that came his way, he frustrated Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings and he put his body on the line with regularity. It was a performance that gave those around him confidence and Marsch could be heard acknowledging his impact in his post-match press conference.
“This is one of the reasons we put Luke (Ayling)on the pitch, because we know between his intelligence, experience, resolve, character and mentality and you see that with Coops,” the head coach said when asked about Cooper’s influence. “I thought in general, especially once we were a man down, everyone exhibited that and the guys that came off the bench gave also a big effort to do whatever it takes.
“We almost got a big chance for Klichy at the end. There’s moments in there where I think we can be smarter and manage moments in the game and the referee and everything but in the end, we'll continue to work toward that.”
Managing moments is exactly what Cooper does well, as one of the most senior figures at the club and Marsch will be grateful to see his experience and personality back to anchor what is still a very young side. Sinisterra’s red, after receiving two yellows, was just a reminder that he is only 23 years old and still has plenty of maturing to do as he grows as a player at Elland Road.
The winger will learn from the dismissal, which came after deliberately blocking a Villa free-kick, and Marsch is confident that he’ll be better for it.
“I've now become a manager that coaches a lot of young players and I've coached a lot of really, really good highly talented young players and helped them in their lives and in their careers,” he added. “You have to be patient and at times understand that they're going to make foolish mistakes and in the process, help them learn from those mistakes and help them understand that it's part of the process and try to accelerate the process and the learning curve as much as possible.
“We are doing that. I believe we are doing that and I really like our team. I really like our group, and we certainly can help ourselves by managing things and having more savviness on the pitch no doubt.”
Cooper’s availability will certainly help on that front, with his know-how and intelligence rubbing off on those around him. Leeds have entered a key period of the season now with seven more games coming up before the next international break and the World Cup gets underway.
A difficult trip to Crystal Palace awaits Leeds next Sunday before games with Arsenal, Leicester City, Fulham and Liverpool wrap up the month of October. Leeds must pick up points over this coming run of games if they are to reach a comfortable position before the break and the fit-again Cooper, alongside leaders in the pack Ayling and Patrick Bamford, should help them do that.
READ NEXT:
'Dreading Boxing Day' - Leeds United supporters react to Haaland hat-trick and Man United thrashing
Leeds United supporters make depth claim after Jesse Marsch confirms side to face Aston Villa
'So special' - Leeds United defender Robin Koch opens up about moving to England
Leeds United winners and losers as Whites hold firm vs Aston Villa after Luis Sinisterra red
How Jesse Marsch will turn his Leeds United touchline ban against Aston Villa into a positive
