Liam Cooper on The Super 6 Podcast: Marcelo Bielsa 'lives, breathes and sleeps football'

Liam Cooper joined Laura Woods and Adebayo Akinfenwa as the latest Premier League star to feature on the Super 6 Podcast.

Leeds United, who host Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football, find themselves in 11th position in the Premier League on their return following a 16-year absence from England's top-flight.

Cooper has had his fair share of critics but now captains the side he supported as a boy.

The Super 6 Podcast had the fortune of speaking with Cooper last week.

That Friday Night

It was just a standard Friday night with Leeds closing in on promotion.

It soon turned into the polar opposite when West Brom failed to claim three points at Huddersfield's John Smith's Stadium, having been locked at 1-1 with only five minutes remaining.

"I didn't expect them [West Brom] to lose, I think fate played a part in that," Cooper told the Super 6 Podcast.

"I messaged the lads after training saying there's a chance we could go up. I spoke to the player liaison officer and sorted something out at the club, socially distanced of course.

"We didn't expect it all. Huddersfield went 1-0 up, my palms were sweating and I was sat with my head in my hands all game. West Brom equalised so I thought about getting in my car and getting off. It got to the 86th minute, Emile Smith Rowe scored and the place just erupted.

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"It was mental - you could hear people outside within 10 minutes. Horns and fireworks sounding outside, blue and yellow smoke everywhere, it was just unbelievable."

Leeds knew where they were with a couple of games still to play, so many fans and neutrals were wondering what Marcelo Bielsa side was going to turn up in the subsequent days and weeks.

"The three, four days after that were a complete blur," he added. "The gaffer must have known I couldn't speak. My throat and voice had completely gone. Bielsa said I was on the bench, I think he rested me and [Mateusz] Klich.

"That game, the boys went out and got their best stats of the season! It was mental, we went 1-0 down and ended up winning 3-1. We could enjoy it then and I was so glad we won it with a few games to spare. We got to enjoy the moment and really take it in.

"We got the guard of honour at Derby, which was nice, and we then got to lift the trophy a week later at home to Charlton."

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Working under Bielsa

'Spygate' did ruffle a lot of feathers, and Bielsa in general has certainly divided opinions since taking over at Leeds.

"My favourite part of it was when people found out about it [Spygate] and he decided to hold a press conference to share a PowerPoint presentation on exactly what he does and how he does it. To him, that's his methods of working, and they are different from those of other people. He does not see anything wrong with it," said Laura Woods.

Bielsa has often been spotted in Costa Coffee or walking to training, and is loved by those who support Leeds, but similarly so off the field for his sheer presence in community, stopping for chats, photos, signatures.

Kalvin Phillips gave his first England shirt to him after Bielsa had handed the Leeds-born midfielder a Newell's Old Boys shirt to commemorate his first England call-up. It signifies that there are many ways of Bielsa connecting with people, despite English not being his first language.

"That just shows the human side to Marcelo," Cooper said. "He doesn't live a lavish lifestyle, he lives in a flat in Wetherby and goes to Costa on a morning to do his analysis.

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"That's the way he is, he likes to keep things simple. I think he lives in his Leeds United clothes. I've never seen him in normal clothes, he lives, sleeps and breathes football.

"For a player at a club, when your manager is so obsessed, it can only work wonders for yourself. We go on to the pitch knowing how teams are going to play and if a team does switch we know exactly what we are doing," explained Cooper.

No more evidence required than Sunday's match at Leicester, which was compared to a game of chess between Brendan Rodgers and Bielsa.

"It was difficult at first but I cannot imagine working in any other way now, he is an unbelievable person - the relationship is powerful but respectful. It is give and take and that is definitely something we have improved on as a team. We respect the manager, what he says goes, and we have shared good moments with him."

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Doom and Gloom at first sight

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Despite the great times that followed, David Hockaday was in charge of Leeds when Cooper came to the club, which was notoriously a difficult and torrid period in time, both as players and supporters. Massimo Cellino was the owner, and it was not all plain-sailing after the Scottish international signed.

"I remember our first day of training. Billy Sharp and I joined on the same day, I knew a few of the lads and they were saying, 'Coops what have you done?' I had just got a move to a club I supported as a boy, an absolute dream come true for me and I just thought, oh no what is going on?'

"You have other players who are used to playing Championship and Premier League football. We had a lot of overseas players coming in that maybe didn't get up to speed, especially with the language barrier.

"It was a hard period and the fans let us know, as they always do! It was tough times but tough times don't last, yet tough people do. We came out of the end of it and Andrea [Radrizzani] came in, hired Marcelo [Bielsa] and we have never looked back.

"The last two and a half, three years have been unbelievable for me personally and as a team as well."

Listen to the full episode with Laura, Bayo and Liam on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts now! Stay tuned for the upcoming shows, which are available on all channels every Thursday.

If you missed earlier episodes, don't worry. You can listen back to interviews with Conor Coady, Michail Antonio, Jack Wilshere, Declan Rice and Ben Foster, on YouTube or on Apple Podcasts.

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