Ben Parker has lauded Joel Robles after his performance for Leeds United in their draw with Newcastle, and praised his antics to try and frustrate the visitors at Elland Road.
Parker was speaking on the LS11 Podcast after the Whites secured a point against Eddie Howe’s men. It was a spirited display from Sam Allardyce’s side, who kept their hopes of remaining in the Premier League alive.
It was certainly an eventful occasion. And one of the more noteworthy performances came from Joel Robles, as he made his second league start for Leeds.
The Spaniard did fairly well in the loss to Manchester City. And he arguably looked even better against Newcastle. He made a couple of smart stops. And he kept things incredibly simple.
Ben Parker praises Joel Robles after Leeds draw
Most of his kicks went long. Most of the saves he made were gathered immediately. And he just seemed to instil greater confidence in the defence with his presence.
He also tried to prove a menace for Newcastle, particularly when they were awarded a second penalty. He walked away from his goal before doing his best to put Callum Wilson off.
It obviously did not work with Wilson taking another outstanding penalty. But Parker admitted that he was a massive fan of Joel trying to bring a bit of nastiness to the performance.
“I loved it. It was absolutely brilliant because I think a lot of people have said for a while, at times we’re too nice as a team, and let things go too easy,” he told LS11.
“I actually thought he might get a second yellow card for the same incident, just shouting at Callum Wilson, trying to put him off. But I loved every aspect of him doing that. There were times throughout the game where he’d be shouting at the strikers, defence, just getting people in the right position.
“I think the fans have taken to him. He didn’t have too much to do in the game. Just doing the basics well. And that’s what we needed from Robles.”
The pressure has been off Joel somewhat. He has been Illan Meslier’s understudy. And he probably would not have expected to feature in the league unless Meslier sustained an injury.
But the Frenchman has been in such poor form, and his confidence appears to be so low. That presented Joel with a brilliant opportunity – particularly in games Leeds were underdogs in.
Whether this leads to Joel getting a longer run in the side remains to be seen. But there is absolutely no doubt that the 32-year-old is the man to stay between the sticks for the final two games of this campaign.