Opinion: Goalkeeping position is just an example of a much bigger problem under Marcelo Bielsa

Right, what do we make of all this then?

I’ve written pretty extensively in the past when it comes to the goalkeeper position, mainly because it appears to be one of the most baffling and interesting aspects of Leeds’ United season. And because it also provides a distraction from the horror show that has been our attack this campaign.

Leeds United confirmed yesterday the signing of 18-year-old goalkeeper Elia Caprile from Italian side Chievo Verona, with SBNation reporting that he is likely to head into the U23 team for the rest of the season, which puts him in direct competition with the incumbent at that spot Illan Meslier.

With Meslier fliting between the U23 side and the first-team bench, where does he land in all of this? Is he going to keep his place with the U23 side, or was his performance against Arsenal good enough to promote him into the first-team permanently? And if he is going to stay in the U23 side, then why bring in Caprile for a position that he’s not going to get a run at?

I just find it baffling how Marcelo Bielsa runs his teams, he has too many players in one position, like the goalkeeper, but then doesn’t have enough players at some such as upfront. There needs to be a lot more balance in this side, and that’s one of the reasons that The Daily Mail have listed in their article on ‘Why Leeds are falling apart again’, calling it the ‘Bielsa burnout’.

Whilst granted goalkeepers don’t go through such a thing because their position doesn’t exactly require a lot of running, but the fact that there is so much uncertainty about what is going to happen to the position, not just in the first-team, but into the academy as well is just a microcosm of the problems Bielsa is bringing to the club.

And whilst he may bring attractive football, what goes in to making it happen is what ultimately cost the club last season, and it has the potential to do exactly the same in this one.