David Prutton slammed Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla for his display in the 4-2 loss to Derby County on Wednesday.
The Sky Sports pundit claimed the 32-year-old lost his marbles during the match against the Rams and that ahead of the keeper doing so Leeds looked like they would safely reach the play-off final.
Prutton admitted that while everyone has an error in them, you wouldn’t have expected Casilla, who joined from Real Madrid, to gift Jack Marriott a goal in the way that he did.
“I probably echo the thoughts of everyone when I say that Leeds looked like they were home and dry before Kiko Casilla lost his marbles,” wrote Prutton in his column for the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“Everyone has an error in them, some of us more than others, but the lapses of judgement we saw from him just aren’t what you expect of a goalkeeper with La Liga experience who signed from Real Madrid.
“He should have made Leeds safer at the back but on nights like Wednesday, it’s inevitable that some of what he’s doing seeps into the consciousness of the back four.
“They’ll start to worry about what’s behind them and what’s going to happen if the ball goes over their heads. There’s simply no doubt that the gift to Jack Marriott right on half-time was the instant where everything changed.”
OPINION
Will anyone argue with Prutton’s decision to single Casilla out? Surely not. The goalkeeper appeared to lose the plot against Derby and while football is a team game, it’s hard not to point the finger of blame at him after Leeds’ dreams of promotion were brutally cut short. Casilla came charging out of his goal just before half-time and Marriott ensured he payed the price for such a bizarre decision. The 32-year-old no doubt is aware of how bad his error was on Wednesday and will strive to prove himself to Leeds fans in the upcoming season. Casilla may have a hard task winning over Leeds supporters but on his day he is a very talented goalkeeper, so he is more than capable of doing that. While some Leeds supporters are no doubt keen on the idea of Casilla leaving after Wednesday, the 32-year-old is contracted to stay at Elland Road until 2023, so it’s hard to imagine him leaving anytime soon.