'He's the one making mistakes' – Nigel Martyn claims Bielsa should axe Leeds big-money signing

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Published on:

13 Nov 2020, 4:32 am

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has claimed that Marcelo Bielsa should drop Robin Koch after a string of mistakes from the centre-back.

Koch signed for Leeds from Freiburg for an initial fee of £11.5m in the summer and he has played the full 90 minutes in all eight Premier League games so far.

Talking to LeedsUnited.News Martyn said, "The goals we have conceded, Koch makes the first error against Leicester. Goals are coming down his side, over Cooper.

"It was [Scott] Dann that got the header on him on Saturday. He is the one making mistakes, but he is the future. It is a difficult one, Liam is the captain.

"You don’t get long to get an understanding, but he has had long enough to see the current pairing. Once Llorente is fit, you have to see what he is like with Cooper – and then if there is an opportunity, bring Koch back in. Koch’s pace is important."

MOT Verdict: Dropping Koch not the answer

Diego Llorente is still waiting for his Leeds United debut and there's no timeframe given for his return from injury at the moment.

However, we disagree with Martyn. Koch has made a few mistakes but these aren't problems with his game just lapses in concentration.

The misplaced backpass was costly and that's not the only mistake he's made but he's had a baptism of fire at Leeds.

He played his first game alongside Pascal Struijk against Premier League champions Liverpool. And the backline has been changed constantly with injuries stretching Leeds.

He's not had a chance to bed in a partnership with Liam Cooper yet and it's far too early to give him the hook – even if Llorente were fit.

Llorente is an unknown at the moment. A Spain international, he obviously promises a lot, but we think he's going to have to prove himself in the Under-23s first.

There are some fans that think Cooper should be dropped before Koch. We think Koch and Cooper deserve more time

Koch showed what he can do for Germany in their 1-0 win against the Czech Republic on Wednesday night, winning 100% of his defensive duels. [WyScout]

We don't think the problems Leeds are facing are down to just one man.

In other Leeds United news, 'From what I'm told' – Phil Hay delivers big update on bust-up between Leeds and Hernandez

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Robin Koch