Illan Meslier is now confirmed to be on the bench when Leeds United take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday. Daniel Farke has wielded the axe after it became apparent that the goalkeeper’s position in the team was untenable. However, Meslier’s reaction to getting dropped the last time tells a lot about his mentality, and should be a red herring for Farke and Leeds.
The Frenchman’s latest error against Swansea City last weekend was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and Farke decided to make the change to the Leeds United team.
Karl Darlow is set to start against Luton Town in his first Championship game this season, and Meslier will look on from the bench at Kenilworth Road.
Meslier has been more or less the undisputed number one since he broke into the team towards the end of the 2019/20 season, apart from a spell on the bench under Sam Allardyce in 2023.
And his reaction to getting dropped as Leeds slide towards relegation from the Premier League is a damning indictment of his mentality.
Leeds United should be worried about Meslier
Allardyce dropped Meslier to the bench after a string of poor performances, and very few complained as the Frenchman’s form didn’t deserve a place in the team.
However, speaking to the Guardian in 2024, the goalkeeper insisted that it was an ‘unfair’ decision and did more than he should have for the team during that period.
“With Sam, my confidence went down. In the moment, I would have said it was unfair. But it’s not easy in this situation”, Meslier said.
“One year later, I can see I was very exposed. I tried to help the team more than I should have, and when you’re in this situation, you have to understand you cannot do more than your position allows you to do.
“It was a dark moment, it was difficult.”
He should be done at Leeds
Meslier’s words paint a picture of a player who is not self-aware and refuses to acknowledge that he was not playing well enough to warrant a place on the team.
Before Farke, Allardyce was the last manager to drop Meslier, and his reaction was not something that would please many who’d have wanted him to fight harder to prove himself.
Can you name these past and present Leeds United players?
The Frenchman has cost Leeds several points this season, and there is an understanding that the club need an upgrade on him in the summer transfer.
He has likely played his last game for Leeds, but these words must reinforce the fact that he should have no way back in the team.
