Leeds goalkeeper caused controversy this week, but should he be starting?
Leeds’ Marco Silvestri
Leeds United goalkeeper Marco Silvestri caused controversy this week when he was accused of ‘liking’ a twitter link to an article suggesting head coach Garry Monk could be sacked.
The Mirror reported the story, which Silvestri denied, with the insinuation being that the Italian would be unhappy sitting on the sidelines.
Silvestri lost his place in the team this summer to new signing Robert Green, who got off to a terrible start in the opening game away to QPR.
Leeds United’s Robert Green looks dejected
Green has improved since then, but the statistics show that Silvestri may be justified if he is feeling aggrieved that Green is being selected ahead of him.
Comparing Green’s performances for Leeds with Silvestri’s for the club on a per game basis, the Italian comes out as the better goalkeeper.
| Team | Saves per game | Punches per game | Good High Claims per game | Passing Accuracy | Goals Conceded per game | Error Lead To Goal per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Silvestri | Leeds | 3.43 | 0.99 | 1.05 | 43% | 1.3 | 0.08 |
| Robert Green | Leeds | 2.29 | 0.86 | 0.71 | 54% | 1.57 | 0.14 |
Silvestri makes more saves per game, collect more crosses, and concedes fewer goals per game than the former England international.
Green has a better passing accuracy, but also has a higher error rate than Silvestri.
The goalkeeping department at Leeds has plenty of competition, with former Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull still on the books, while young talent Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who made his debut last season, has been starring for the under-23s.
The stories surrounding Silvestri this week did not do his standing with supporters any good, but the pressure remains on Green to show he deserves to be the club’s first choice goalkeeper.
Leeds United’s Marco Silvestri makes a save
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