Written by Mike Courtney.
Crisis!!! What crisis?? A goalkeeping one... Maybe, maybe not...
It’s been a few days since the Hull match and it's only now I feel able to write about it. Like most Leeds fans last Saturday, the anger towards our much maligned Goalie was toxic after his howler for the second Hull goal allowed them a way back into the match and ultimately cost us two points. It was such a basic error. If my U12 keeper did it, I would be disappointed, but for a seasoned professional with his experience to do it is baffling to say the least.
The expletives that turned my living room blue last Saturday could be heard miles away. Unfortunately, it is not Meslier's first offence this season. None of us need reminding of the Sunderland howler, yet here I am reminding you of it... So the question on a lot of fans minds is whether Farke will stand by him for the next league match, or will we see Darlow get a chance. Thankfully there is time for the manager to make his decision. The fact that we have an FA Cup match this weekend against Harrogate, in which we all fully expect to see Darlow between the sticks gives Farke the excuse, whether he needs it or not, to change the keeper. It is what happens for the home match against Sheffield Wednesday that will be the big talking point. I honestly don’t see us bringing in a new keeper this season so we have to make do with what we have.
All keepers make mistakes and because these usually lead to goals, they inevitably get highlighted more. I don’t like being too critical of our players and try to focus on the positives if I can, but in some instances criticism is valid. The flack that Meslier has got these past few days is justified. These dropped points could cost us dearly at the end of the season. So its now a matter of whether the manager and the other players can trust him to cut out the silly mistakes and restore the confidence in the player himself and the rest of the team.
Goalkeeping howlers are not unique to Leeds but we have had our fair share down through the years. I am old enough to remember Gary Sprake, who was a fine keeper, but was prone to a howler every now and again - famously throwing the ball into his own net against Liverpool, but he was also part of our most successful team. John Lukic is another who springs to mind. In his first spell at Leeds he made some huge errors, but came back to win a League Title with us in 92, having won a League Title with Arsenal in-between. Let’s not forget Meslier predecessor, Kiko Casillas, who many feel cost us promotion in 2019, after his error before half time in the Play-off Semi Final, when we were in control and two up on aggregate against Derby. He didn’t bounce back like the other two I mentioned and left under a cloud after being banned for alleged racist comments.
So which way will it turn out for Meslier. He has already been a part of our previous Promotion winning team but will his mistakes cost us this time or will he bounce back and prove the doubters wrong?
Only time will tell…………… MOT
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I remember that Gary Sprake incident at Anfield (and the Kop's memorable reaction to it!) and particularly the first Wembley match in the 1970 Cup Final. I also remember him being absolutely unbeatable on other occasions with some magnificent saves. The away leg at Ferencváros in 1968 to defend our 1.0 lead and win the Fairc Cup stands out. Similarly with Meslier, there will be many matches where he shows what a great shot-stopper he is. However, I think the Leeds defence needs a more commanding presence in goal and they are clearly getting really nervous about what may happen behind them... I wince each time he passes it out. At the end of the day it's about the team not the player. It isn't personal. Similarly I wouldn't want one individual to be under that kind of pressure - for his own self-respect as a professional, for the club's progress and for all of us who get behind the team, week in and week out.