Illan Meslier accusation made amid Leeds woes
Leeds United lead the way in the Championship promotion race, but goalkeeper Illan Meslier has been under growing scrutiny.
Despite winning just one of their last four games, Daniel Farke’s side sit top of the table during the current international break.
But recent draws with West Brom and QPR, as well as a defeat at Portsmouth, have invited pressure from promotion rivals Sheffield United and Burnley.
The Blades are now level on points with Leeds, while the third-place Clarets are just two points adrift of Farke’s men.
Meslier has been pinned as a negative decisive factor for Leeds
With just two points separating the league leaders and third-place Burnley, with eight games left to play, the end of the Championship season is set to be decided by fine margins.
| Championship table (top three) | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 Leeds | 38 | 51 | 80 |
| 2 Sheffield Utd | 38 | 25 | 80 |
| 3 Burnley | 38 | 41 | 78 |
Football reporter Ben Fisher told the Guardian Football Weekly podcast [18 March] that Meslier could hinder Leeds’ promotion push: “The goalkeeper situation is interesting because Illan Meslier can make some other-worldly saves, but he has made some big errors and he has cost Leeds some points.
“I do wonder if that could be a significant factor here because it’s so tight every mistake is going to count from here.
“I just think maybe, with the defence of Burnley and James Trafford obviously in the England squad and (Michael Cooper) at Sheffield United, maybe will make fewer errors than Meslier.”
Also speaking on the podcast, EFL expert George Elek backed up Fisher’s point and said: “A lot of it is to do with the goalkeepers.
“In Michael Cooper and James Trafford, Sheffield United and Burnley have the two best keepers in the league.
“Whereas Illan Meslier has made a number of high-profile mistakes.
“If you put Cooper or Trafford in goal for Leeds, over the course of the season, and put Meslier in goal for the other one, there would be a 10-point gap between them.
“It’s that stark.”
Leeds need to seek a Meslier upgrade this summer
Sheffield United and Burnley may feel more comfortable with Cooper and Trafford between the sticks respectively for the Championship run-in than Leeds do with Meslier.
But the Whites should have enough firepower at the end of the pitch to book their spot in next season’s Premier League, as they have scored a whopping 76 goals in 38 second-tier outings so far this term.
However, Meslier’s performances for Farke’s side have been repeatedly brought into question this season, while he was at fault when he was beaten by Darnell Furlong’s looping header during Leeds’ 1-1 draw with West Brom on 1 March.
His most high-profile mistake this campaign, though, came back in early October when he let a seemingly harmless ball slip through his grasp and into the back of the net as the Whites drew 2-2 at Sunderland.
Farke and Co simply have to recruit a more solid goalkeeper to survive in the Premier League next season, should they win promotion.