Leeds United shutting out the noise as Liam Cooper rubbishes 'tiredness' claims

Liam Cooper has rubbished claims that Leeds United are exhibiting tiredness in the second half of the season (Pic: Bruce Rollinson)

The Whites skipper is in his sixth season at Elland Road and, as a boyhood Leeds fan, knows more than most the expectation levels resting on the players’ shoulders.

But Cooper couldn’t allow all the worry and talk of a second-half-of-the-season collapse, fuelled by recent defeats to Sheffield Wednesday, QPR, Wigan and Nottingham Forest, to enter the dressing room.

“It’s noise, that’s what it is,” he said.

“I’ll keep saying we can only look after what’s in there.

“Forget everything outside. I said a few weeks ago that you’re only one pass away from getting a hammering. Keep the lads upbeat, keep the intensity and keep going.”

It’s not always easy to drown out the noise, but Cooper says Leeds have a squad capable of both handling their status as big-club players and carrying out Marcelo Bielsa’s instructions to try and get the results expected of them by fans.

“Sometimes it can be but you’ve got to be a certain type of player to play for this club,” said the 28-year-old.

“It’s a club with big expectations and you see from the performances on Saturday [in a win over Bristol City], to a man we were unbelievable, we never stopped running and trying to score that next goal. That’s the way it’s got to be.

“We’re confident in our philosophy and that’s the way it will always be.”

The slump in form that saw Leeds win just one of five Championship outings, before a good point at Brentford and victory over the Robins, was analysed to death, bringing out the same accusations that were levelled at Leeds last season.

Cooper won’t hear it that the Whites are suffering from burnout or getting tired and says the distance players are running will continue to disprove that particular argument.

“It’s just noise,” he said.

“When you’re going as we are and you’ve got a chance to get out of this league, tiredness is not a thing. You’ve got so much to play for it could be a life-changing experience.

“To say we’re tired and burnt out is nonsense.

“If you saw the running stats you would see there’s no such thing as burnout.

“We run so much every single game and that’s the way it’s got to be. That’s what we pride ourselves on and that’s what we’ll keep doing.”