Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has dismissed claims from the club's former defender Pontus Jansson about the club's player becoming tired at the end of the season.
Speaking recently in an interview with The Guardian, Jansson - who left Leeds for their Championship promotion rivals Brentford last summer - claimed that he felt drained both physically and mentally, as Leeds' promotion push capitulated in dramatic fashion.
Cooper however, does not believe that is the case for his side, and speaking about those claims made by his former central defensive partner following Leeds' 1-0 win over Bristol City on Saturday afternoon, the 28-year-old told BBC West Yorkshire Sport: "No it's just noise. Honestly, it's noise. Tiredness is not a thing."
That victory over Bristol City may have been just Leeds' second win in their last seven games, but it has moved them three points clear of the play-off places in the race for automatic promotion.
Discussing the mindset that he and his teammates have when it comes to that battle for a place in the Premier League, Cooper continued: "You've got so much to play for. It could be a life-changing experience [winning promotion] and to say we're tired and burning out it's just nonsense."
Next up for Cooper and co. is the visit of mid-table Reading to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
The Verdict
This ought to be a welcome relief for those of a Leeds persuasion.
Given the way their form collapsed at the end of last season, that recent run of results understandably appeared to have led to a good deal of concern around Elland Road in the past month or so.
But with that win over Bristol City following up a midweek draw at Brentford, it does seem as though Marcelo Bielsa's side are once again starting to find their feet in the promotion race, and just at the right time with such a busy run of fixtures in the next few weeks.
As a result, Cooper's comments here about not feeling tired at all are encouraging, given the importance these games will inevitably have in the race for the Premier League.