Leeds defender Pascal Struijk is enjoying his recent game time in the side and believes it’s helping him build a strong relationship with Liam Cooper. Diego Llorente suffered an injury against Newcastle United last month and Struijk has been an ever-present figure in Marcelo Bielsa’s side since. In that time, the 21-year-old has started the last three games alongside captain Cooper in the centre of the Whites’ defence. The pair were solid in Leeds’ comfortable win against Crystal Palace on Monday night. Speaking after the game,
Pascal Struijk said: “I think when we had the ball, we controlled all the game. We kept good possession and kept playing when necessary. I think the team looks at what we still can do and the points we can get. It’s very good that we have 32 points but we still want to get as many as possible. I’m enjoying my game time, I think as well it is helping to build a relationship between me and Liam Cooper, so that’s good.”
Paul Cook believes Leeds will only become ‘better and stronger’ in the Premier League this season after the Whites moved into the top half with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Cook, who went up against Bielsa four times during his time as Wigan Athletic boss, was full of praise for the Yorkshire club after the comfortable victory on Monday. When asked how to stop Leeds’ attacking threat, the former Latics manager made a tongue in cheek comment.
Paul Cook said: “Defend your 18-yard box with 11 men! I think when you reflect on Leeds, when you come up out of the Championship in general you’re used to winning. You’ve either come up by being in the top two or you’ve come up through the play-offs so you’re used to winning. Leeds have carried that mentality totally into the Premier League. What happens for Leeds is that they go to Old Trafford for example and they have real disappointment. Doesn’t hurt them. Doesn’t affect them. You don’t go into the next game and think ‘we’ve got to do this and we’ll play five at the back and we’ll overload these areas to stop people playing’. The reality of Leeds under Bielsa, they will get better and better and better and stronger and stronger because they are fearless. It’s only against the top teams, ie [Manchester] United, Liverpool or Man City when the colours will really get lowered because they are coming up against teams who can handle that athleticism and also they can hurt them heavily on the counter-attack, ie with Rashford and Martial, with Salah and Mane. Those type of players.”
