Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier is under serious pressure to lose his place in the team following his game-changing error against Swansea City. The Frenchman’s inconsistency has cost Leeds several points this season and Daniel Farke is now under fire to drop him for their trip to Luton Town on Saturday.
Illan Meslier has weathered several storms during his time in the Leeds team over the last five years. But the latest firestorm is threatening to engulf his career at Elland Road.
Leeds fans have run out of patience and excuses for Leeds, and there is now a groundswell of support for him to get dropped from the team against Luton Town next weekend.
Farke has been supporting him despite all his errors, but there is now a real feeling that even the Leeds boss has run out of rope to give the Frenchman.
The Leeds manager has been urged to seek counsel on whether to drop Meslier from the team.
Daniel Farke should get this player’s opinion on Illan Meslier
BBC’s Leeds journalist, Adam Pope, has admitted that Leeds would have probably won had Meslier not dropped that clanger against Swansea on Saturday.
Farke is under real pressure to drop the Frenchman, and Pope stressed that the Leeds manager should speak to Ethan Ampadu and get a sense of what the squad think about Meslier.
He is wary that Leeds could now squander their chances of getting promoted to the Premier League this season.
“If he doesn’t drop that ball, then it’s another victory”, Pope said on the BBC’s Don’t Go To Bed Yet podcast.
“Maybe Farke sits down with Ampadu and says, ‘Ethan, do the lads trust him at all, be honest, look me in the eyes and tell me’.
“The way it’s going, this will ruin Leeds’ chances.”
Can the Leeds defence trust Meslier again?
Leeds have been termed the best team in the Championship this season. However, it doesn’t mean that they cannot have an off day where they produce a sputtering performance.
On such days, the ‘best’ teams in the league have goalkeepers who ensure that their side get over the line. Leeds do not have that luxury because of Meslier.
Can you name the season these 10 Leeds United shirts are from?
The reaction of the Leeds players after the Frenchman’s error on Saturday showed they have lost all confidence in the goalkeeper, and he needs to be replaced.
The defence can never feel steady if they cannot trust the man behind the sticks, and they will always look shaky regardless of how good they are.
For the sake of the rest of the team’s confidence, Farke needs to bring in Karl Darlow against Luton on Saturday.
