‘He’s nowhere’: Ian Wright critical of Leeds duo after West Ham defeat

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Ian Wright told Premier League Productions during their live coverage of Leeds’ defeat against West Ham that Liam Cooper was ‘nowhere’ when defending yesterday’s set-piece goal.

Added with that, he felt that goalkeeper Illan Meslier should have made ‘more of an effort’ as Craig Dawson doubled West Ham’s lead with a close-range header in the first half.

Inside the first half an hour, the game was gone for Leeds, who pushed and pushed for a goal but they couldn’t break down this Champions League-chasing side.

Wright shared his thoughts on Leeds’ defending from dead-ball situations and how there was more hope from the away side more than anything.

“I think when you look at the Leeds defending there, they are hoping that the ball is bad,” said Wright. “You look at Cooper, he’s nowhere. He (Dawson) has been left totally unmarked.

“I think what Leeds are doing in the way they are defending is that they are hoping that the ball isn’t good because if the ball is good then West Ham look like they can score with every delivery.

“You look at Leeds the marking, like I say it’s so poor. It’s not much movement that’s meeting them but the ball is so good that Leeds are hoping they get a bit of luck with it.

“It’s close enough to the goalkeeper for him to have some form of say in it. I know him and Antonio were having a little bit of argie-bargie but I think once that ball goes in the air, the goalkeeper should be seeing where it is and he should have made more of an effort to do so.

“He (Dawson) has headed that literally a yard out. So, you have to say that the GK has to take some of the blame. Anything that came in the box with any quality and Leeds were in trouble. It should be a worry for them.”

Well, when the team who have scored the most goals from set-piece situations meets the team who has conceded the most, there was only going to be one outcome.

Perhaps the only surprise was that Tomas Soucek, who has been lethal from corners this season, wasn’t the one putting the ball into the back of the net.

Either way, it’s another defeat for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who will be hoping that the return of Kalvin Phillips yesterday, can galvanise them during these final few months of the campaign.