Illan Meslier embarrassed by Jamie Carragher amid scathing Leeds United criticism after 6-1 Liverpool collapse
Leeds United look like they’ve “got a kid in goal” in Illan Meslier according to Jamie Carragher as he tore into the home defence after the Liverpool loss.
The French keeper spent more time picking the ball out of his net at Elland Road on Monday night (17 April) than making saves, as the Whites fell to an even heavier loss when desperately needing a reaction to the 5-1 result against Crystal Palace last Sunday (9 April).
The 23-year-old has been drawing transfer interest from some of the Premier League’s top sides in recent months, but former Reds defender doesn’t rate him at all and embarrassed the Elland Road man with his criticism after conceding 11 times in two games.
Speaking live on Sky Sports after the final whistle Carragher tore into the Whites and said (10.04pm): “They’ve got really poor defenders, really poor. I’ve never been convinced with the goalkeeper, I haven’t.
“I know he’s a young player and obviously [Marcelo] Bielsa brought him up from the Championship. He was young then, maybe 20, he was good on the ball using his feet.
“But he’s got no presence. It looks like you’ve got a kid in goal. I’ve always felt that but I thought, ‘Okay, he’s a young goalkeeper learning his way’. But I’ve never been convinced with him at all.
“And when I see the defenders that they’ve got. Individually they’re really, really poor. Big mistakes every time you see them play.”
Hurts
That isn’t just strong criticism, it is almost belittling for a towering top flight goalkeeper to be dismissed as no more effective than a child on the pitch.
Meslier perhaps doesn’t have the aura that the best in the world posses, but very few are regulars in his position at his age.
His importance to Leeds United might see him overrated by some, but playing behind the Whites defence puts him in a no-win position a lot of the time.
He could probably have done better than to let Mo Salah’s second in high at his near post against Liverpool, and his positioning had room for improvement for a couple of others, but when his back line was having the kind of collective nightmare that happens all too often with this team there wasn’t a huge amount the keeper could do.
There are times when his handling leaves something to be desired, but equally he has saved Leeds United on plenty of occasions, so it is harsh to single him out.
Few goalkeepers have over 100 Premier League appearances at his age, and David de Gea, one of the men he has been tipped to replace [Sun, 18 February], was also seen as not imposing enough when he arrived in England over a decade ago as a youngster.
But Meslier has now conceded 60 goals in the top flight this season, and by any measure that is not a recipe for success, so he and his team simply have to find a way to lift themselves as soon as possible.
In other Leeds United news, Gary Lineker was left bemused by what he saw at Elland Road compared to what has happened elsewhere recently.