BBC pundit blasts Leeds senior man, wants him axed after defeat v Southampton

Daniel Farke faced a reality check just two minutes into his trip to the South Coast, with Adam Armstrong giving the Saints a rare early lead.

Things went from bad to worse, and Cooper’s poor performance helped end Leeds’ six-game unbeaten run in the Championship.

While Cooper was just one of many Leeds players who were not up to standard at St Mary’s, many were surprised that Rodon was not brought back into the side.

The Welshman and Struijk have been Farke’s go-to partnership this season, but Cooper helped Leeds to a clean sheet last weekend against Watford, so perhaps the manager did not want to change a winning side.

Daniel Farke faced a reality check just two minutes into the trip to the south coast, with Adam Armstrong giving Saints a rare lead.

Things went from bad to worse and Cooper’s poor performance helped end Leeds’ six-match unbeaten run in the Championship.

While Cooper was just one of many Leeds players who did not perform well at St Mary’s, many were surprised that Rodon was not brought back into the squad.

The Welshman and Struijk have been Farke’s preferred partners this season, but Cooper helped Leeds keep a clean sheet last weekend against Watford, so perhaps the manager does not want to change the winning team.

However, this decision backfired. Cooper completely lost Armstrong for Southampton’s opener, and many thought he could have done more to try and stop Saint’s further strikes. Rodon has been one of Farke’s best players throughout the season and has fitted in perfectly with the club.

The Elland Road faithful will remain optimistic regardless of the result but are disappointed by the nature of the defeat. While Southampton got off to a terrible start in the Championship, most expected them to step up at some point, and Leeds were the victims.

There are many options, and although Cooper has been a key player for Los Blancos for many seasons, quality often takes precedence over loyalty. In other Leeds news, the Sky Sports commentator praised what an “outstanding” white star did against Southampton.