Speaking on the Die For Three Points Podcast, Neil Warnock has been discussing Leeds United and some of their defensive issues.
The Whites picked up a historic win against Liverpool at the weekend, but due to their poor start to the season, they’re still in a bit of trouble.
Leeds’ main issue has undoubtedly been their defence. They’ve shipped far too many goals and made far too many individual errors during this campaign.
Warnock has highlighted two players in the United backline that he isn’t convinced by – Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling.
Warnock unconvinced
The former Leeds boss named Cooper and Ayling as two players he’s not sold on.
“They have a good game like that, but they’re so open on the counter. Some games they play well and lose a couple of goals. I’m not convinced by them at the back, even in my time there there were issues. Ayling and Cooper, I know they’re regulars, but I wasn’t convicned about the defensive side of Leeds,” Warnock said.
Championship players
Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper have been fantastic servants to Leeds over the years, but Warnock is right to have his doubts about their ability.
There’s a reason they never played regular Premier League football before earning promotion with Leeds. They have limited ability and while Marcelo Bielsa pushed them to their absolute limits, Jesse Marsch isn’t getting the same kind of levels out of these two.
If Leeds are to truly establish themselves as a Premier League force, they need to tighten up at the back, and replacing Cooper and Ayling may be their best course of action if they are going to improve their leaky defence.
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