Illan Meslier needs to be reminded about his professionalism by his Leeds United teammates after what he did following his error against Sunderland.
Speaking post-match on BBC Radio Leeds (4 October), former Whites defender Jon Newsome said he wouldn’t have been happy to see Meslier “laughing and joking” with Regis Le Bris after the 2-2 draw.
Meslier’s spilling of a bouncing ball into his own net cost Daniel Farke’s side two points at the Stadium of Light, and the Frenchman’s place as number one is now surely under threat.
Newsome said: “You can’t be stood out there laughing and joking with the other team’s manager – I think you’ve got to be a bit more professional than that.
“If I was in his team and I’d have seen him laughing and joking, I think I would have had a few words to say to him.”
Illan Meslier cannot keep Leeds United place after Sunderland error
It’s not the first time that Newsome – and the fanbase as a whole – have been worried by Meslier’s performance between the sticks, but his blunder at the Stadium of Light really takes the cake.
Illan Meslier cannot keep Leeds United place after Sunderland error
It’s not the first time that Newsome – and the fanbase as a whole – have been worried by Meslier’s performance between the sticks, but his blunder at the Stadium of Light really takes the cake.
Winner of the Championship’s Golden Glove for a league-high 19 clean sheets last season, Meslier is clearly a good goalkeeper who has pulled off jaw-dropping saves in his time at Elland Road.
However, there is a feeling that since his explosion onto the scene as a 20-year-old, the Whites number one has stagnated in the years since and that the time is right for an upgrade to be sought out.
Deputy Karl Darlow impressed on his recent international debut for Wales but has never had a regular run of games in LS11, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be given the nod ahead of Farke’s first-choice stopper.
In other Leeds news, one injured United player has been given some new advice from doctors as he continues his recovery.