Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was honest in his admission that the timing was right to take Illan Meslier out of the side.
“The goalkeeper position is not one you change week-to-week like outfield players,” Farke tells Sky Sports. “Illan had the perfect February with many wins and many clean sheets, but in the last few weeks, there have been a few incidents where we thought he could have done better.”
Ahead of their trip to Luton on Saturday, Farke has made the choice, announcing on Thursday that Karl Darlow would start at Kenilworth Road – live on Sky Sports Football.
“Obviously he was involved in both [Swansea] goals in the last game, and it was a shame because after the penalty save he was on his way to being man of the match.
“So it was clear we had to make a decision. And we had to make it early in the week, because in that position the players need clarity, and Karl [Darlow] needs the time to prepare.
“We had a pretty open, honest conversation. Of course he’s disappointed he won’t start. But he took it very professionally and he was still more disappointed about the Swansea game.
“But it’s still professional football, and you have to deliver. You have to perform and he knows that. He will have one or two days to suffer, but then he has to be ready for Saturday.
“Karl hasn’t played too many league games in recent years, but I see him every day in training and I see the quality he delivers. He’s a top professional and a very experienced goalkeeper.
“With a goalkeeper of Illan’s class, who already has as many games as he’s played at his age, you are a bit more careful about dropping him, because you want to give him confidence.
“He has been at the club since well before I arrived and I know what he’s done for this club. He played an important role in securing promotion, and had some fantastic seasons in the Premier League.”
A familiar blip at the wrong time
Cycle back a few weeks to the end of February. Leeds had just sealed back-to-back wins over Sunderland and Sheffield United on consecutive Monday nights. Five victories in a row. 16 unbeaten.
The latter win at Bramall Lane sent Leeds five points clear of the Blades in second, and seven clear of Burnley in third. The celebrations that night felt like one foot had landed back in the Premier League.
Since then, however, trouble has once again set in.
A draw at home to West Brom, followed by defeat at Portsmouth. Hope afforded to the chasing pair in the promotion race. Victory over Millwall, as Sheffield United and Burnley stumbled, briefly allayed some nerves. But since then, two very different 2-2 draws either side of the international break have fired those fears back up again.
QPR came first, the west London site of their season-defining collapse a year ago. Albeit they did battle back from two down to earn a point.
The Swansea game was the real concern. An opening-minute lead. Meslier even then saved a first-half penalty. But then he dropped the corner under no real pressure that allowed Harry Darling to equalise.
Willy Gnonto looked like he had saved them, putting them 2-1 up in the 86th minute. But then, deep in added time, Zan Vipotnik found his way through Meslier from the angle. The goalkeeper will be dropped.
Sheffield United and Burnley, in the five-game run, have picked up four wins and a draw apiece. The Blades are now top, two points clear of Leeds. Burnley only trail them on goal difference in third.
It is starting to feel a familar story. Last season, Leeds came off the back of the March internationals top of the table, but won just two of their final eight games to stumble into the play-offs. In 2018/19 it was a similar story. Three wins in their last nine, none in their last four. There was a 2-1 defeat at home to a 10-player Wigan Athletic on Easter Monday that year that had to be seen to really be believed.
A year later, in 2019/20, they got themselves over the line. But they played their last nine games behind closed doors in June and July following the return of season during the Covid pandemic.
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‘There is no hiding place as a goalkeeper when you don’t get the basics right’
David Prutton on the Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast:
“Football is a team game, but when goalkeepers make mistakes like that it can be very, very tough.
“The fact they allowed Swansea back into the game, so deep into the game, has really set the cat among the pigeons with Leeds fans.
“Broadly, I think he’s been good for Leeds. But obviously when goalkeepers make mistake it leads to catastrophic conclusions in terms of football. There is no hiding place as a goalkeeper when you don’t get the basics right. But on a human level, you’ve got to feel for him.
“It’s not the first time it’s happened, and we’ve seen before the reaction of his team-mates. We’ve all been in that position where something happens and you can’t help yourself but throw your hands up in the air.
“If a goalkeeper is not doing his job properly and allowing goals like the ones against Swansea, then major questions do have to be asked. But then that does create the rod for Farke’s back where, whoever comes in, has to be completely flawless to justify the decision.”
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Leeds fan view: Anxiety is setting in again
Mike Chard, All Leeds TV
“For a long time it’s been said that Leeds will always fall apart. Are the fans worried history will repeat itself? Yes. That’s because we’ve been here before, multiple times.
“We didn’t strengthen in January when the other two teams did, and that looks like it may come back to haunt us. Meslier has been an issue with his errors, and it has come as a relief that Farke – despite his usual stubbornness – has dropped him.
“We have the best squad on paper, but he doesn’t rotate the outfield players anyway enough so they burn out. We have the most goals from the bench this season, but too often he still makes subs too late.
“His tactics aren’t to everyone’s liking, so when we have a blip the frustration among the fans shows.
“Do I think we’ll still get top two? Yes. But the anxiety is there that we may fall away.”
Farke defiant that promotion will still be achieved
“Yes.”
Farke’s answer is defiant when asked if he still believes Leeds will be promoted.
“I can sense the spirit and the mentality, and also the quality within the group. I compare it with situations in the past when I’ve done it, and also when I’ve been involved and we didn’t bring it over the line.
“Of course, you can’t guarantee in such a tight race that you’ll finish top two, because it would be disrespectful to our competitors. Sheffield United and Burnley have unbelievable, experienced coaches and top players, and they played Premier League last season.
“But my feeling is we still have a great chance to finish top two, and if not then we will do it in the play-offs. I’m 100 per cent convinced that we have everything necessary to go up.
“It’s just my honest opinion.”