Illan Meslier axe may be forced at Leeds United after win v Swansea
Leeds United came away from Swansea with a thrilling 4-3 win on Sunday, but it would’ve been better had Daniel Farke not seen Illan Meslier concede three goals.
The Whites travelled to Wales on 24 November, and chaos ensued in the final minutes of the match when Florian Bianchini scored a 90th-minute equaliser for the home side.
Wilfried Gnonto saved the day for the Peacocks with his stoppage-time winner, and the Italian’s strike might’ve also stopped the noise around Meslier’s performance.
The Leeds shot-stopper let a scuffed shot from Liam Cullen beat him just before half-time, and the Frenchman could’ve done better as Swansea scored their third goal of the game, beating the goalkeeper on his near side.
Farke has relied on the 24-year-old to be his first choice between the sticks since taking charge of the Whites in 2023, and he’s made multiple errors in goal — the Sunderland one being the most recent.
In the current campaign, Meslier has been the undisputed starter, making 16 appearances in the Championship, but maybe it’s time for the German manager to make a brave decision and drop the French national for Karl Darlow.
Daniel Farke must drop Illan Meslier at Leeds United
The 24-year-old seemingly gets the nod over other goalkeepers due to his ability on the ball, but the former Lorient star wasn’t convincing even in that aspect against Swansea, with just 64 per cent passing accuracy, as per FotMob.
Meslier made just two saves in the game as he was beaten three times, with a goals-prevented rating of 0.01 — highlighting just how bad the shot-stopper was when the Peacocks needed him the most.
The Frenchman also put more pressure on Leeds against the Swans, with a long ball accuracy of just 18 per cent.
With 37 touches on the ball, the 24-year-old had a big part to play in the game but failed as he recorded 11 recoveries, seven throws and two high claims.
Darlow did well for Wales during the November international break, and maybe it’s time Farke starts giving the 34-year-old more opportunities.
In other Leeds news, one fan has called for Farke to be sacked despite the win over Swansea.
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