Bielsa and Orta got 2019 Leeds United call wrong - it might have impacted Farke's thinking this January | OneFootball

Kiko Casilla was brought in during the 2018/19 season, but he never lived up to the hype and proved to be costly for the Whites.

Leeds United headed into the January transfer window in the 2018/19 campaign full of confidence, with the team flying high at the top of the Championship table, under the watchful eye of Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentinian legend had made quite the mark at Elland Road, with supporters growing to love him incredibly quickly and there was a huge amount of trust in the decisions that he and Vitor Orta planned to make with the squad.

While they had been a threat on the attacking side of things, they left a lot to be desired defensively at times, with goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell coming under fire for some of his performances - most notably following a 4-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in November 2018.

Leeds made a move to replace their young shot-stopper with a more reliable and experienced pair of hands, as Kiko Casilla worked his way out of the final 18 months of his contract at Real Madrid to make the switch to West Yorkshire. However, it was not a move that worked out how many expected it to, and this may have played on the mind of current boss Daniel Farke in January.

Casilla had some extremely rash moments with Leeds

Bringing in a player with the pedigree that the Spaniard had was huge for the Whites, and it was a signing that sent shockwaves throughout the Championship as Bielsa looked to tighten his grip around the division.

He made his debut against Rotherham United soon after his arrival, as his side ran out 2-1 winners. But their poor run of form that they found themselves embarking on continued, as Norwich City beat them 3-1 before Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw away at Middlesbrough.

These dropped points saw the West Yorkshire outfit knocked off the top of the Championship table, as the pressure mounted on the team to get back to their very best.

Five wins in six matches followed, as Casilla registered his first three clean sheets, and it was clear to see why Orta had funded his new goalkeeper's £35,000-a-week contract.

However, that positive feeling quickly unravelled as he was sent off in the final minute of a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United at Elland Road, bringing down Billy Sharp way outside his box, meaning that he missed the next game against Millwall. That defeat against Sheffield United felt crucial as the Blades pipped Leeds to second behind Daniel Farke's Norwich City.

The pressure was mounting on Leeds once again, and they ended the season incredibly poorly, with a defeat to already relegated Ipswich Town leading them into the play-offs on a negative foot, with Casilla making a costly mistake to hand the Tractor Boys all three points.

The mistakes did not stop there, however, and in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals against Derby County, with the Whites 2-0 up on aggregate after a Stuart Dallas opener at home following a 1-0 win at Pride Park, the now 38-year-old had a huge mix-up with Liam Cooper, allowing Jack Marriott the opportunity to fire into an empty net.

The Rams went on to win the tie 4-3, with that moment proving to be decisive in the game, as Frank Lampard's side were handed all the momentum heading into half-time.

Farke may have wanted to avoid a similar situation with Illan Meslier in January

Flash-forward six years, Leeds find themselves in a very similar position with their goalkeeper making consistent mistakes that are hindering their chances of returning to the Premier League.

However, Farke may have looked at the decision made by Bielsa and Orta in 2019 and tried to go his own way and not replace Illan Meslier. But in doing so, he has shown the Frenchman that he is the number one at the club, and he will not face a fight for his position this season.

Nevertheless, this has not proven to be successful, and the 25-year-old is continuing to struggle between the posts at Elland Road.

While the decision to bring in Casilla was the wrong one by Leeds all those years ago, they should have made the decision to bring in a new goalkeeper in January and fix a problem that has become a greater frustration as this season has progressed.

They are different eras at Elland Road, but you do have to wonder if Bielsa rolling the dice with his No.1 six seasons ago had any impact on Farke's thinking.