Bailey Peacock-Farrell suggested that he could look to leave Leeds United if he is not given a chance as number one.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell seemed to recently add his name to the list of Leeds players who have question marks hanging over the future this summer by suggesting, in comments reported by the Daily Mirror, that he does not want to stay at Elland Road if he is going to remain the second choice goalkeeper.
It was a mixed season for the Northern Ireland international this past year. He kept Jamal Blackman out of the team early on in the campaign, but his form seemed to dip in the months before the turn of the year, and the arrival of Kiko Casilla in January was one that the large majority of supporters welcomed.
Casilla’s own struggles have opened the door for the academy graduate heading into pre-season. But Peacock-Farrell decided to put himself under additional pressure by insisting that he has no plans to stay if he is going to remain the Spaniard’s understudy.
Most supporters appeared to back Peacock-Farrell for another chance before he went away on international duty. But it seems that those comments may have backfired as some fans – probably including several who previously backed the youngster – have criticised the stopper.
He had a fantastic chance to prove exactly why he made those comments when Northern Ireland faced Estonia at the weekend. But unfortunately for Peacock-Farrell, he appears to have done himself no favours.
Given the concerns supporters have had about the former Middlesbrough trainee’s ability to deal with strikes from distance, the last thing he needed was to be beaten by a long-range free-kick in the early stages of the game in Tallinn.
While the effort was an incredibly clever one that had been well-struck, Peacock-Farrell has to take some blame for his setting up of the wall as well as for his inability to get across quick enough.
He grew into the game as Michael O’Neill’s men came from behind to win 2-1. But there were some shaky moments throughout the contest that will not have encouraged the Leeds supporters looking on.
Peacock-Farrell has a lot of potential. And if Marcelo Bielsa’s goalkeeping options do not change over the summer, it may not be a huge surprise to see the starlet get the nod ahead of Casilla.
But after angering a lot of the supporters with his comments ahead of the game, it is surely fair to say that he has done himself no favours at all with a performance that may have reminded fans of why he was dropped in the first place.
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