Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Bailey Peacock-Farrell would have been dropped for the weekend if Jamal Blackman not broken his leg.
With Jamal Blackman’s season-ending injury leaving Bailey Peacock-Farrell as the only senior goalkeeper available to Marcelo Bielsa, the Leeds boss would have been forgiven for not publicly disclosing his initial plans for the Whites’ clash with Bristol City.
With Peacock-Farrell subsequently sustaining an injury, Bielsa was arguably given even more reason to keep his previous plans under wraps. But the Leeds head coach decided to make it clear that Peacock-Farrell would not have started had his goalkeeper options remained the same from the defeat to West Brom.
And perhaps Bielsa’s decision to send a warning to Peacock-Farrell could prove to be a masterstroke.
The 22-year-old has done very little wrong during his time as number one, but did endure a disappointing night at The Hawthorns and there were plenty of calls for a change to be made.
His form had arguably dipped. But Bielsa’s comments could be exactly the kind of wake-up call that he needs.
If Peacock-Farrell gets back to his best, Leeds have arguably got a goalkeeper who is good enough to hold down the number one spot in a promotion-chasing side. And he has the potential to improve further.
He had appeared to lose his way slightly in a couple of games before the international break. Perhaps Bielsa’s public criticism could be what puts the youngster right back on track.
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