Scored the most important goal of the season if you ask me away at Brentford. We really weren't playing well up to that point and the sinking feeling was beginning to set in as Brentford would have gone above us with a win and other teams were closing in. Well he was in the right place at the right time and we have never looked back since. He's been fantastic this season and how he loved his goal last night.
I didn't see the goal unfortunately as I was forced to pop out for 10 mins. I'd say typical of us to bang in 2 while I'm gone but honestly, after seeing Pablo brought on at half time and Costa scoring just before I left, I was half expecting it.
Anyway, we just have to talk about Cooper's goal. This wasn't a header from a set piece, this was a striker or quality no10's finish from a CENTRE BACK IN THE OPPOSITION BOX. This is just absolutely symbolic of Bielsaball, a system designed to break conventions to utterly confound the opposition and we see the result. On paper, bonkers. In reality, breathtaking.
I almost get the feeling rewatching it over and over that this was something the lads have been working on in training as an experiment but didn't want to risk unless they were absolutely 100% confident they had the game by the scruff of the neck. We might see this sort of thing a bit more now they know it works a treat. It's just one more player we can put into their box, freeing up the wingers to stay a bit wider, opening up the opposition defence just that little bit more. Now when teams park the bus they know we've got that in our locker, perhaps forcing them to pull in that extra player who could be part of a counterattack and nullifying their threat even further. At this stage of the season, that could be the difference between a point and a loss for us.
As for the finish itself, the more I watch it, the more I appreciate Coop's presence of mind to shift his body shape enough to get the shot onto his stronger foot. That technique, a bit raw and shaky but so effective, was the hallmark of another of our stars. It looked like a Pablo goal, and I was not surprised to hear from Cooper in his post-match interview that he had indeed been getting finishing lessons from Pablo himself.
I'm not sure if these were a few tips or genuine practice sessions with the Magician (Cooper only mentioned it but he is a humble man who is clearly a bit uncomfortable taking the limelight - to his credit imo), but two things immediately sprang to mind: firstly that I want Pablo in our midfield training staff at all costs when the time comes for him to hang up his boots, and secondly that these are the signs of a truly great team. They help one another on the pitch and off it, and I think it also speaks for their respect for Cooper as a leader, as a player and as a man.
Worth mentioning as well how well he did to avoid scoring an own goal last night too when the Barnsley lad shot across the face of the goal as Cooper was running back towards the goal. Managed to stop his momentum and suck his stomach in as any touch then and it was an own goal.
weasel wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:52 pm
Worth mentioning as well how well he did to avoid scoring an own goal last night too when the Barnsley lad shot across the face of the goal as Cooper was running back towards the goal. Managed to stop his momentum and suck his stomach in as any touch then and it was an own goal.
Yes with the pace of the ball it only needed to touch Cooper & we'd have gone one down!
1964white wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 8:38 pm
Anyone see Liam's interview on Quest tonight?
Full of praise for Marcelo saying the great man has taken his game to a different level
Spoke very eloquently, has become a top CB & a real leader of the squad
A massive turn around in Cooper, he has been brilliant the last two seasons. I think we’re all just looking forward to seeing him lift the trophy Wednesday!!!
I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat..
1964white wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 8:38 pm
Anyone see Liam's interview on Quest tonight?
Full of praise for Marcelo saying the great man has taken his game to a different level
Spoke very eloquently, has become a top CB & a real leader of the squad
Yes, was quite humble in the interview, but you could see it had touched him, and the squad, I may be wrong but MB has built the best team re spirit and togetherness I've ever seen....
Velotrax wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:41 pm
Yes, was quite humble in the interview, but you could see it had touched him, and the squad, I may be wrong but MB has built the best team re spirit and togetherness I've ever seen....
You're not wrong Velo, I haven't seen this type of togetherness apparent since the Revie's years
Credit to Coops. He will go down in the annals of Leeds History. He used to drive me mad with his rash challenges and seeming petulance. I guess when you get a man like Bielsa at the helm, all that stops like with a strict but fair headmaster.
No doubting along with all the players, Cooper will have to raise the stakes next year. The possession football we play certainly makes life easier for a CB, and who knows he may just surprise me again in the prem.
