Bailey Peacock-Farrell hardly put a foot wrong during Leeds United’s weekend defeat.
With Kiko Casilla joining Leeds in the days before they faced Stoke, Bailey Peacock-Farrell would have known how important it was to put in a flawless performance against the Potters.
Peacock-Farrell has seen off a challenge from one rival in Jamal Blackman before injury denied the latter the chance to enjoy a run in the side. And Marcelo Bielsa’s loyalty to his players arguably gives him a real chance of delaying Casilla’s debut for much longer than anyone would expect.
In fact, despite the 2-1 defeat, the youngster performed well and it should perhaps not be the biggest surprise if he keeps the gloves for this weekend’s clash with Rotherham.
But at this stage of the season, surely the smart decision would be for Bielsa to be ruthless and make the change on Saturday.
The contract Casilla signed hints that Leeds expect the Spaniard to spend the majority of the coming years as the Whites’ number one. He arrives with a big reputation, and it appears to be a matter of time before he gets his chance.
If he is fit and ready, he has the potential to be well ahead of Peacock-Farrell, whose form has, understandably, been mixed at times this season.
And by making a change, Bielsa may just send out a message to the rest of the squad that performing well may no longer be enough. Leeds are in a promotion race, and need to continue pushing each other if they hope to keep their rivals at arm’s length.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
