Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier made the costly mistake that led to Sunderland tying contest in the second half stoppage after he misplayed the ball at the end of last Friday’s contest.
While it’s now the FIFA international break, once that is over, one pundit believes Daniel Farke has to address the error and have every player on the same page ahead of a crucial clash against Sheffield United.
Chris Rigg put the home side ahead early with a ninth-minute goal to make it 1-0. However, the Whites quickly responded, as Joël Piroe equalized in the 22nd minute.
The teams went into halftime tied at 1-1. Junior Firpo gave Leeds the lead again with a goal in the 56th minute, which seemed enough to secure the win. But the game took a dramatic twist in stoppage time. A costly mistake from Meslier gifted Sunderland an equalizer.
Alan Browne’s cross deflected off Firpo’s head, and as Meslier tried to collect it, the ball slipped through his hands and into the net, earning Sunderland a vital point.
Daniel Farke will need to address the elephant in the room.
Alan Pardew has shared some advice for Leeds United manager Daniel Farke following the dramatic final moments of their match against Sunderland. After the game, few Leeds players were spotted comforting goalkeeper Illan Meslier after his mistake, with Junior Firpo clearly upset and heading straight down the tunnel.
As a result, to prevent the dressing room from cracking, Pardew must talk with the squad to put the mishap behind them before they face the Blades.
“As a manager I can’t imagine… he must have looked at that ball and thought ‘thank God for that,’” Pardew said (h/t MOT Leeds)
“You’re not going to point the finger – he’s feeling bad enough about it already. But you have to talk about it. The team will want you to talk about it, so you frame it as ‘we should have won, it’s a mistake at the end, don’t worry about it.’
“It’s an elephant in the room so of course you talk about it. Even silly sendings off, you address it in a similar way – you deal with it separately. As a player, you have more downs than ups and you have to bounce back from it.”
