Liam Cooper still playing a key Leeds United role as Daniel Farke pushes through his new era
Daniel Farke has outlined why he selected a youthful leadership group at Leeds United this summer, emphasising the importance of Liam Cooper’s guidance, and how he hopes to get more from them.
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stepping on or leaving a foot on an adversary. It’s all a part of the Championship, the nine demanding months spent mastering the dark arts that every victorious side must learn. Having experience, intuition, and the ability to read people well are often prerequisites for that aspect of the game.
Leeds United lacks this kind of background. With two outfield players over 30, Daniel Farke will have a different starting lineup for the upcoming campaign. You get the idea when you consider that the manager’s newly chosen leadership group is, on average, 24 years old.
But, Saturday’s game against Valencia gave us a taste of the edge that captain Ethan Ampadu is beginning to show. A week prior, during Wales’ international match versus Schalke in Germany, there were indications of hostility.
Ampadu essentially gave as good as he got, but the La Liga team did not require a second invitation to display a frustrated, combative side to their play. Farke has demanded this edge from his skipper as well as
“Not just from Ethan, even with our leadership group,” said Farke. “Normally, especially in this league, you have club captains who are older than 30 and the leadership group is three or four guys who are in their 30s. “We have a pretty young side. Ethan had the best mentor with Liam Cooper. Ethan, as the new club captain, has to fill big footsteps because Liam has done unbelievable for this club. “What he has done and delivered over a decade was outstanding. He has led this club into the Premier League, has made sure they also had one really good year there and was a fantastic person, a fantastic player for this club.”
Cooper’s contract expired on June 30, at which point he was released. He has not yet signed with a new team. His departure has ushered in a new era at Elland Road, along with that of Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling in 2024.
Through his selection of Ampadu, Strijp, and Meslier, Farke hopes to complete his long-term plan. He wants to wrangle more accountability from these players so they can be the cornerstones of the team going ahead.
