Leeds United flag at Elland Road. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Leeds United goalkeeper Ilan Meslier has been heavily criticized 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 at the moment.
BBC pundit Paul Robinson has now claimed that Meslier is struggling with a lack of confidence and this has affected his performances. Furthermore, he added that the goalkeeper is too dependent on his pace. He tends to play well when he’s full of confidence, but can be prone to making bad decisions when things don’t go his way.
“I think the change from Meslier was inevitable. He’s got all the tools in the bag, but he’s a confident goalie,” Robinson said. BBC Radio 5 (January 11, 5:51 PM).
“When he plays well, he makes good decisions, makes good saves and it goes without saying that he plays very well every week.”
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Meanwhile, the popular pundit also reflected on Leeds United defender Joe Rondon’s impulsive reaction to a Meslier screamer against Hull City. Robinson added that the French goalkeeper is on the line and is under tremendous pressure from his team-mates as well.
“He needs some rest, Illan Meslier. He’s in the firing line, he’s under a lot of pressure,” the BBC expert said.
“You saw Joe Rodon’s reaction to him when he conceded the goal at Hull, maybe a bit of a disturbance from his team-mates.
It will be interesting to see if he can regain his sharpness in the coming weeks and re-establish himself as a regular starter. 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 if he can redeem himself in the coming weeks.
