Illan Meslier at heart of Leeds United's crisis of confidence which threatens promotion hopes as lows overshadow highs against Swansea City — Yorkshire Post 30/3/25
By Stuart Rayner
Only one team can stop Leeds United winning promotion to the
Premier League in May but that team is Leeds United, and they have history.
On paper at least, they have the title race’s gentlest
run-in with Middlesbrough and Bristol City the only current top-half opposition
still to tick off. But a bumpy start at home to Swansea City brought the demons
are out in force again.
Next come Luton Town, 23rd in the Championship but fifth in
the five-match form table, seven places above Leeds. It kicks off at 12.30pm.
Leeds even have a hang-up with that.
In February, the Whites looked imperious, unstoppable. There
were crushing wins – Cardiff City and Watford – but also late ones – Sunderland
and Sheffield United – the mark of champions.
March is the month doubt crept in – beaten at Portsmouth,
points dropped to West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers and now a 2-2 draw
with Swansea. When you messed up last season's run-in and lost the play-off
final, never mind when you are playing for a big club desperate to get back to
the top division, those doubts are magnified.
As against Sunderland and Sheffield United, a Pascal Struijk
header allowed Leeds to find something late, and Willy Gnonto "won"
the game. The problem was, later still, they tossed victory away.
The timeline was sapping, the manner of the goals crushing,
the fall guy obvious.
Illan Meslier is second only to Burnley's James Trafford in
the Championship's "golden gloves" award for most Championship clean
sheets which he won last season.
When Leeds were unable to build on Brenden Aaronson’s goal
after 35 seconds, it was Meslier who kept out Josh Tymon's penalty, Meslier
whose save from the same player in the 30th minute probably stopped not him but
Ronald – running onto a shot going wide – from scoring.
In the second half he was quick off his line to stop Ronald
mugging a fit-again but rusty-looking Ethan Ampadu being costly, and brilliant
to throw himself to his left again to keep out the Brazilian.
Then, he was man of the match.
But none of that matters when you drop a 64th-minute corner
at the feet of Harry Darling to let in the equaliser you have worked so hard
for an hour to keep out.
Or when you flop over a tame Zan Vipotnik effort from a
tight angle in the sixth added minute to shatter the elation Gnonto created 10
minutes earlier, seconds after coming on as an injury-restricted substitute.
Meslier was not the only person to make mistakes. Joe Rodon
was clumsy in his challenge on Lewis O'Brien to concede the penalty, Ao Tanaka
sloppy in the build-up to Swansea’s first goal. Mateo Joseph's control let him
down from the Leeds throw-in that ended with their second. It is a game played
by humans.
But sadly goalkeeping errors often linger longer than
brilliance.
Maybe had Leeds won, they could have been brushed under the
carpet. Maybe they could have been more easily shrugged off if Meslier did not
have form for this, but replays of Sunderland and Hull City away instantly ran
through the mind. There have been other soft goals too.
The reactions of his team-mates to Swansea’s goals showed it
is not just fans who carry those memories.
Perhaps Meslier will recover but if the confidence his
defenders have in him evaporates, uncertainty can quickly become a pandemic.
The fans' fears are significant too, given Farke said pre-match Leeds would go
up if they won their remaining four matches at Elland Road. That ambition has
already been dashed.
They lack self-belief at a bad time.
"I'm not cranking any pressure up," Chris Wilder
insisted the previous night, but his Sheffield United team had done it for him
with an assured win over Coventry City to retake leadership of the table.
Aaronson's scrambled goal after two blocked Joel Piroe shots
ought to have calmed Leeds down but not yet in their rhythm, they invited
Swansea in rather than move up the gears. They only really started to perform
in the second half.
Now third-placed Burnley are only behind Leeds on goal
difference having seen off a tricky-looking game against Bristol City.
Farke did his best to inspire confidence afterwards,
claiming he was "100 per cent convinced next season we will play in the
Premier League". The boldness leapt out until you read the small print.
"I'm pretty confident there will be something to cheer
about come May – hopefully soon in May and if not late in May" was the
clanking caveat.
He was much coyer on Meslier.
"Not right now, straight away after a game, out of the
emotions," Farke replied when asked to pass judgement on whether it was
time to drop him for a second run-in out of three.
Maybe when he speaks to the media next – probably on
Thursday – he will come to Meslier's defence as he did post-Hull, but it jarred
against his unequivocal belief in the team.
April could yet make fools of the doubters, but only if the
Leeds players are not amongst them.