Leeds United are under siege after winning just one of their last five Championship games. A few weeks back, they seemed destined for automatic promotion, but their recent form has brought them back down to earth. Daniel Farke has been urged to carry out a few key changes to the team ahead of the Luton game this Saturday, and one player has been backed to make a big difference.
Farke and his Leeds United players are focused on preparing for the Luton game, but the air around Elland Road has been one of doom and gloom ahead of the weekend’s fixture.
Leeds need a positive performance and a win to lift the spirits inside the club, and it remains to be seen whether the Whites boss makes the changes the team seem to be needing at this stage.
Former Leeds star Stuart Dallas has revealed his thoughts on the potential changes and insisted that they have a top player in the ranks who could come in and make a real difference.
“He is more than capable” – Former Leeds United winger backs key change
Illan Meslier’s errors appear to have gone too far for some Leeds supporters, and there is now a clamour for Karl Darlow to start his first Championship game.
Dallas insisted that Meslier needs to be supported, but conceded that may be it is the right time to get him out of the team and introduce the Wales number one.
He pointed out that Darlow is vastly experienced and is more than a capable goalkeeper who can come in and steady the ship behind the defence for the rest of the season.
“I’m sure the manager will deal with it in the right kind of way, [Illan] needs an arm around him as well, but I know you’re hinting to take him out of the team – he’s done really, really well and he still is a fantastic goalkeeper but for me, they’ve got Karl Darlow there as well, who is an experienced goalkeeper”, Dallas told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“He’s not an 18-year-old kid with no experience. He’s a really, really top, top goalkeeper. It might be time to take [Illan] out. I don’t know.
“Obviously, only the manager will make that decision. As I said before, he’s had a difficult season. I said it a number of weeks ago, after the Hull game, obviously, Karl played in the Harrogate game, and I was asked about it on ITV for the Sheffield Wednesday game.
“My point then was that Karl is a more than capable replacement, so it’ll be interesting to see what Daniel does.”
Will Darlow be any worse than Meslier? Hard to imagine
The Leeds boss will invite ridicule if he selects Meslier in the starting eleven. He could get accused of being stubborn in the face of all logic.
Also, the Frenchman’s confidence must be shot and putting him between the sticks at an away ground where the crowd will be on his back all afternoon would be close to suicidal.
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Darlow is the Wales number 1 and is vastly experienced in English football. He might not be one of the best goalkeepers, but he could be the steadier head Leeds need at this stage of the season.
The Leeds defence just needs someone more reliable than Meslier in goal, and Darlow could provide the calmness that they need in the remaining seven games of the season.
