Leeds urged to ‘rest’ 24-year-old first-team star who is in the ‘firing line’

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·12 de enero de 2025

Leeds urged to ‘rest’ 24-year-old first-team star who is in the ‘firing line’

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has been criticised heavily for his performance against Hull City last weekend.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper was at fault for two goals in the 3-3 draw against the Tigers, and the Frenchman is clearly struggling with form and confidence right now.

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BBC pundit Paul Robinson has now claimed that Meslier is struggling with the lack of confidence and it has affected his performances. Furthermore, he added that the goalkeeper is overly dependent on his rhythm. He tends to play well when he is full of confidence, but he can be prone to making poor decisions when things are not going his way.

“I think the change from Meslier was inevitable. He’s got all the tools in the bag, but he’s a confidence goalkeeper”, Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 (11 January, 5:51 pm).

Meslier needs a breather

Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the popular pundit also reflected on Leeds United defender Joe Rodon’s impulsive reaction to a howler from Meslier against Hull City. Robinson added that the French goalkeeper is in the firing line and he is under tremendous pressure from his teammates as well.

“He needs a little bit of rest, Illan Meslier. He’s in the firing line, he’s under a lot of pressure”, the BBC pundit said. “You saw Joe Rodon’s reaction to him when he conceded the goal at Hull, maybe a little bit of unrest from his teammates as well.

It will be interesting to see if he can regain his sharpness in the coming weeks and establish himself as a regular starter once again. His mistake against Hull City resulted in the Whites dropping him against Sheffield Wednesday.

There is no doubt that he is a quality goalkeeper with a bright future, and it remains to be seen whether he can redeem himself in the coming weeks.