Robin Koch has been speaking to Sky Germany about all things Leeds, where he had some kind words to share about Raphinha.
What’s the story?
Well, when asked about his £63,500-a-week teammate, Koch only had good things to say.
Speaking to Sky Germany, the 25-year-old said: ”He’s a great technician, you can see that on the pitch. In addition, he has an enormous speed. That’s not a bad combination for a footballer. It’s fun to watch him. A great kicker. He fits in with many teams because he brings a lot with him.”
Clearly, Koch has a lot of admiration for Raphinha.
The pair have now played 22 games together for Leeds since arriving in the summer of 2020, averaging 1.32 points per game in that time.
Since arriving at Elland Road, Koch has also become a Germany international, whereas Raphinha has become a Brazil international.
In some ways, their development is very similar to that of Leeds as a football club, with the Whites also on the up despite this season’s issues.
Leeds need Raphinha to step up
In our view, Jesse Marsch needs to get more out of Raphinha.
The £17m man is a phenomenal forward, who is too good to be involved in a relegation battle, in our view.
Nevertheless, he is in one, and as a result, Marsch needs to find a way to get more out of his No.10, as he can be the difference between relegation and survival.
Raphinha has only scored two goals in his last 12 Premier League games, which isn’t good enough for a player of his quality.
For context, he scored six goals in his first 12 Premier League games of the campaign, so he can clearly do better.
If he can rediscover his spark, then the South American has more than enough talent to carry Leeds to safety almost single handedly.
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