Morning Leeds-in for 6 December: Cooper tips the “Little Wizard” to help with set pieces

Liam Cooper sure seems sold on the new “set piece coach” at Leeds.

Gianni Vio, the “little wizard” from Serie A, has the club doing all kinds of unconventional things at set pieces in an attempt to increase the number of goals that Leeds score from dead-ball situations. Pontus Jansson scored his first of the season against Aston Villa in the last match, and Liam Cooper was unlucky that his effort was judged to be offside for what would have been a match-killing goal to put Leeds up 2-0. Liam Cooper said, “We can create problems and we can be much more of a threat from set-plays. I’m due a goal. Seemingly I was inches offside. Pontus said he was definitely off but he wasn’t sure about me. Someone saw the video and told me after the game that I was by a couple of inches. Sometimes you get that luck but we do look a threat.”

So will the former AC Milan, Fiorentina, Catania, and Brentford FC man really make a 12 point difference? Hopefully he will, and Leeds will end the season in the playoffs or better.

On to the links.

Leeds United Links

MarchingOutTogether’s Pete Allison wrote something about the importance of the Rainbow Laces campaign. [Through It All Together]

Leeds Foundation star Danny got a national award youth outreach. [Leeds United.com]

It looks like those offers from Leeds for Sheffield Wednesday starlet George Hirst were true after all. [Yorkshire Evening Post]

England and English football Links

Despite losing in the 2nd round of the FA Cup on the weekend to Mansfield Town, Guiseley AFC boss Paul Cox says this is “just the beginning” for the local club. [Yorkshire Evening Post]

The Yorkshire International Football Association has announced plans to launch their own football team. [BBC.com]

West Ham United and Sporting CP resolve the “breakdown in communication” so basically it means that David Sullivan really isn’t going to sue anyone. [BBC.com]

World Football Links

Speaking of Sporting Clube de Portugal (Sporting Lisbon’s acutal name), they lost to Barcelona 2-0 in the Champions League match as both teams seemed to go through the motions. [Barca Blaugranes]

AS Roma beat FK Qarabag to win their Champions League group and advance as top seed over Chelsea. [Chiesa di Totti]

Former Rangers FC flop manager Pedro Caixinha has been named the manager of LigaMX team Cruz Azul. [Daily Record]