With Leeds United retained player list having been released and containing the news that Leeds have decided against retaining the services of Stuart Taylor, the ‘keeper who was understudy to their current #1 Marco Silvestri, the Whites are now on the lookout for a new goalkeeper to act as a backup…or are they? Stuart Taylor, the ex-Arsenal stopper, deputised well in the final three games of the season after Marco Silvestri’s unfortunate injury in the game against Norwich, an injury which ruled him out of the run-in to the end of the season. Taylor stepped into the breech and, in the eyes of many Leeds United fans was a more commanding player of his area that the man he was temporarily replacing. However, with Taylor’s release, especially when coupled with the release of youngster Alex Cairns, then only ‘keeper of note left at the club is 20-year old Irishman Eric Grimes. With this in mind, Leeds United will surely be on the lookout for added strength or depth in the goalkeeping department and, luckily it seems that there could well be a couple of irons in the fire, so to speak. But, it all depends on what strategy Leeds United are adopting next season really. Before I get onto the contenders that Leeds might be considering, the man currently in the driving seat is 24-year old Italian Marco Silvestri, a shot-stopper who caught the eye of many this season. Whilst conceding 58 goals over his 43 appearances (1.35 conceded goals p/game), he made 154 saves, placing him as the #2 ranked goalkeeper by saves alone. Silvestri’s shot-stopping was the highlight of the season for me, his 10 saves against Middlesbrough representing a masterclass in goalkeeping. It is this that the contenders have to measure up against.
The first ‘iron’ in the fire is a Leeds old boy, Paul Robinson, who has just been released by Blackburn Rovers. Robinson played in 119 games for the club, including a Champions League game against Barcelona, so comes well-known to the Elland Road faithful. Last season he only managed seven appearances for Blackburn, making a total of 26 saves; all of Robinson’s games coming at the start of the season before he was deposed as Blackburn’s #1 by Jason Steele, signed on loan from Middlesbrough. As well as the 26 saves that Paul Robinson made, he also conceded 14 goals (average of two goals conceded p/game) and had 1.86 saves per goal conceded; never keeping a clean sheet in any of those games. The main question I’d be asking is this, how strong is nostalgia, what is it’s pulling power? Why? Well I don’t see Paul Robinson coming in to spend yet another season as a ‘bench’ player the likes of what he was at Blackburn this year. A player of Robinson’s repute, at this stage in his career, can still offer something as a frontline ‘keeper and this is something that might sway his mind when looking at the offers that will come in for his services.
The second ‘iron’ in the Leeds United transfer embers is that of Southend United stopper Daniel Bentley, watched this season by none other than Leeds’ maverick majority owner and chairman Massimo Cellino. Bentley is extremely well regarded as one of the country’s up-and-coming young ‘keepers and this is shown in his performances for a Southend side who finished 5th in the League Two table this season just gone and are currently evenly poised in a 1-1 draw with Stevenage, the second leg of the playoff semi-final to be played tomorrow evening. For Southend this season, Bentley has conceded only 34 goals in his league total 42 appearances (0.81 goals conceded p/game) and has kept 21 clean sheets; the 21 games he has conceded in represented at 1.61 goals conceded p/game. However, again, will such a highly-rated youngster who has been the team’s regular #1 want to step down to the bench after a season where he has kept 21 clean sheets? Highly unlikely in my view. Whatever happens at Leeds United as regards the goalkeeping situation, be it an incoming backup or a new number 1, it is bound to be a rollercoaster of a transfer window for us Leeds United fans.
