The Whites manager was perfectly within his rights to put his trust in the team that won admirably by a score of 3-0 last week against Watford and give them the opportunity to reproduce that performance against the hapless Saints.
His trust was not rewarded, however, as Russell Martin’s 3-1 victory following four straight losses might have prevented him from losing his position.
Cooper had replaced Rodon last week and, while the club captain might not have been solely at fault for the 3-0 loss at St Mary’s last Saturday (30 September), he was at the heart of a defensive collapse that saw Leeds lose 3-0 inside 35 minutes.
Farke told Hay after the game that he did not believe his choice of centre-back was the cause of Leeds losing their six-game winning streak, but Rodon, who has been a key player since joining on loan from Tottenham, is almost certain to return to the starting line-up to face QPR next Wednesday (4 October).
The German was correct that he needed to demonstrate to those who had come into the changed team to beat the Hornets (which included Glen Kamara in place of Archie Gray, and Jamie Shackleton in place of Luke Ayling), that strong performances would be rewarded, but it is equally likely that poor performances will be punished.
It’s a blow for Cooper, who’s spent much of the last two years in and out with injury problems, but the defence has looked very much like it did during major periods of Premier League difficulty without Rodon in the side. Pascal Struijk has been criticised for his choice of partner when he’s been available as a first-choice pairing, and he did score a fine consolation goal, but it’s not enough to make up for defensive lapses.
Rodon has been the better player when compared to Cooper this season, according to Opta stats from FB Ref, but he makes more goals per game (0.85 to 0.53) and blocks more shots per 90 minutes (1.49 to 1.05) compared to Cooper (0.43 to 0.62). While it’s possible Southampton would have reacted if the Welsh international was in the side, it looks likely that the captain will now spend an extended period on the bench.
Cooper has a better intercepting rate (2.11/90 minutes) than Rodon (1.49/90 minutes), while the Spurs loanee has a better clearance rate (4.26/60 minutes) than the Scotland international (2.63/60 minutes).
Rodon has a better success rate (71.9%) compared to Cooper’s (64.3%).
Cooper’s sending off against Hull was controversial, but the numbers all suggest he’s back in the team and likely to stay there barring another suspension or injury.
On the other hand, Farke warned in his pre-match press conference that it might be “the worst possible time” to face Southampton, and he’s been proven right as his players have failed to live up to expectations.
So the manager will have to make changes, and Cooper is likely to be one of the casualties, although he may not be the only one.
