Robin Koch has a ‘bad old time’ as Leeds United loanee commits ‘ridiculous’ errors in Sunday outing
Robin Koch had a “bad old time” in Eintracht Frankfurt’s draw with Mainz as the Leeds United loanee gave away a goal and then got booked, according to Seb Stafford-Bloor.
The Athletic journalist reacted via Twitter Sunday (27 August) as the German centre-back had a game to forget in the Bundesliga, where he “gifted” Mainz the opener by “clattering his own goalkeeper” and then was shown a yellow card for a “ridiculous lunge on the touchline”.
His side eventually rescued a point with a last-minute equaliser from Omar Marmoush, following a red card to teammate Ansgar Knauff.
Koch left Elland Road this summer after exercising the relegation release clause in his contract, but with his Whites deal expiring at the end of the season anyway he won’t be back.
He is not the only one of the legion of first-team departures who who struggled this weekend, with Brenden Aaronson sent off after 21 minutes in his Bundesliga game for Union Berlin.
Rough
Leeds United fans will be all too familiar with Stafford-Bloor’s description of such a defensive performance from Koch, who was the one man who remained a virtual constant in the Whites back line in the past two seasons.
The German international attracted various transfer links all the same [90min, 16 June], and was snapped up by Frankfurt just like Roma swooped for both Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen, and later Max Wober left for Borussia Monchengladbach.
It would appear therefore that the perception around Europe is that the being a part of an underperforming Leeds defence, which was the worst in the Premier League last season, is more an issue with the club than the players.
None of those who have left Elland Road on loan this summer have enhanced their reputations among the club’s fanbase, but for Koch that matters less than most as he isn’t due back in Yorkshire next year.
For the others only time will tell, since Willy Gnonto’s goalscoring return to the team against Ipswich on Saturday helped him, after becoming hugely unpopular as he missed the previous three games while attempting to leave.
Koch has played the full 90 minutes in all four of Frankfurt’s games so far this season, but he also started 36 of 28 Premier League games last season.
A parting of the ways probably did make sense either way this summer, but the fact that his exit only netted a minimal loan fee rather than a proper transfer return was certainly a frustration.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have tabled a new transfer bid for a World Cup “hero” who could head to England in the “next few days”.