Liam Cooper: It’s the start of a new chapter now
Captain looks ahead to season opener.
Ahead of Sunday’s first Sky Bet Championship match of the season, Liam Cooper has given his thoughts exclusively to LUTV.
Leeds United face Cardiff City at packed-out Elland Road in the 2:30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports.
Reflecting on hard-work over pre-season, working with Daniel Farke and the clash against the Bluebirds, Cooper shared his views ahead of the big kick-off on Sunday.
“The first thing the manager said when he came in, was be patient and open minded,” the captain explained.
“I think to a man, everyone has done that. We’ve really taken on what he [Daniel Farke] has tried to get across to us and I think you’ve seen over the pre-season that our performances have got better.
“You can see the ideas we are implementing, what we are going to do in possession and out of possession. It’s coming together nicely.
“After all that practice and gearing up, it’s upon us now, so we need to go out there and start the season properly to get a good positive results in front of our own fans.”
On facing Cardiff, Cooper knows how hard the Championship is and has been on the winning side as well as the losing side before, against Sunday’s opponents.
He said: “You’ve got to be prepared to stand up, fight and dig in. Games are always tight in this league.
“We can’t wait for it [kick-off against Cardiff]. Pre-season is good to get your minutes in, but there is not that sense of a three points on it.
“This is the fun stuff now, this is where players are tested and what players live for. Going out there in front of a packed out Elland Road on a Sunday afternoon will be brilliant.
“We’ve got players who will be experiencing it for the first time so I hope they enjoy it, it’s the start of a new chapter now.
“Hopefully we can get it rolling early doors with a big three points, it would be massive for us in front of our own fans.
“Let’s get everyone on the same hymn sheet and get those stands bouncing again, it’s an intimidating place when it’s like that.
“We’ve got to deliver on the pitch and the fans will bring that.”
