Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has said that the form of Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla is “concerning” and that he needs to change if he wants to succeed in the Championship.
Casilla signed from Real Madrid in January on a four-year deal but made a huge mistake in the play-off semi-final that could have cost his side a place in the final.
“That was an absolute gift and we should talk about Casilla,” Hay said on the latest episode of the Inside Elland Road podcast.
“It’s not as if that came from nowhere, we’ve seen it before over the past three or four weeks. There was the foul on Quaner at Ipswich, the error at Ipswich, which was not unlike what we saw against Derby.
“Considering he’s come from Real Madrid on a very big wage, it’s concerning. He’s got four years to go on his contract and you have to say that there needs to be changes there otherwise he’s going to struggle in this division constantly.
“I asked Bielsa if that was the point Leeds lost it and he said, ‘I can never think like that’, but I think all of us think that’s the point Leeds relinquished all the impetus.”
OPINION
Casilla seemed like a real coup at Leeds when they signed him in January but he hasn’t covered himself in glory. He’s made a number of high-profile mistakes that have cost Leeds points and potentially a place in the play-off final, most of them from his charging outside of his box when there’s no need. That was definitely the case for Derby’s first goal in the play-off semi-final. If he hadn’t come out Liam Cooper would have just cleared the ball and Leeds might well be wat Wembley on Monday. Leeds have the summer to work with him and to try to get that impulse out of his game, but Bielsa brought him in to be a sweeper keeper and he’s not young. It could be hard for him to change his ways now but Hay is right – if he doesn’t then he will carry on struggling in the Championship.