12 Feb 2025 17:46:03
Illan Meslier is the first goalkeeper in Leeds United history to keep 20 clean sheets in the first 32 games of a league season.
12 Feb 2025 18:01:30
Useless!
In all seriousness he has made some mistakes and his form has declined but for me he is the best shot stopper we’ve ever had, great at one on ones. Decent in the air and so much potential remember he is very young for a keeper.
Seaman, martyn, schimcle I think hadn’t played 200 games at that age.
12 Feb 2025 18:09:54
People will have you know Bright that it’s because of our defense and not his goalkeeping abilities. It’s ok for other goalkeeper stats on this but not Meslier’s for some bizarre reason?
12 Feb 2025 18:20:26
Bright, the 32 games I have watched had other teammates playing as well! You mean the team has had 20 clean sheets.
12 Feb 2025 18:53:41
Brightwhite top post Meslier who loves you baby, we do but Aus don’t ?
As Berm said yes he’s made mistakes so do we all and OP your right some will never let it go.
12 Feb 2025 19:11:26
Very well said Hooksie
Bright and Co try asking Sheff Utd, Burnley, Sunderland, Stoke fans etc if they would swap their goalkeeper for Meslier ?
Jeez.
12 Feb 2025 19:12:01
In all honesty those stats don't fully reflect Meslier, but the defence overall. Rodon, Ampadu, and even the team with Aaronson and James' work rate, Tanaka, Gruev, Rothwell, even Piroe's improved pressing in recent games.
Also just being dominant in a lot of games. if we have the ball and control it means the opposition have less chance to do anything.
The commentator on Sky last night was so lazy calling Meslier as having had an outstanding season- probably just looked at our clean sheet record. He hasn't had an outstanding season. I think his last six games, and particularly the last 2-3 games have been very good. You balance that out with the poor games like Hull and Portsmouth and Sunderland he's approaching average for the season I'd suggest. Keep the performances of the last few games up and he'll amount to above average overall for the season with an optimistic projection for next, and if that's the case hopefully a new contract in the summer.
12 Feb 2025 19:12:28
Remember his first season in the prem? Week after week he made great saves. Last season against lecister even just the other week.
I have always said one city clubs become echo chambers and for some reason some players are over hyped and some under rated
And this site can be an exaggeration of that. Mes was voted in team of the year by his peers, managers and experts… but still he is derived on by some. I can’t work out why.
12 Feb 2025 19:32:31
Farke has pointed out that a keeper that is not very active during a game due to the outfield possession has greater difficulty in switching on for few random moments of opposition attacks.
So to take this factor into consideration is difficult for some to understand.
No keeper in this league could perform better than Meslier in the same circumstances and for the same club, I would absolutely guarantee that.
Food for thought.
12 Feb 2025 20:03:09
So Berma in which case Meslier was good under Bielsa? ?.
12 Feb 2025 20:06:34
To also add to OP, the pressure players are under playing for Leeds united. Many greats have came and failed. It’s not the same for most keepers playing for tinpot clubs. Every mistake is magnified and seemingly spoke about on the site for example for years after.
12 Feb 2025 20:09:15
And conversely OP .
Meslier was extremely busy in EPL
And an absolute shipwreck of a keeper in 2022/ 23 where virtually any shot on goal led to goal concession ?
Notorious matches vs Palace, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Spuds etc etc ?.
12 Feb 2025 20:38:13
Baz. I have no “Co”, and of course Hooksie, there is a full team playing. Duh!
But if Mes gets the digs for every goal that goes in, he can take a fair share of the plaudits for when none go in, surely? You can’t have it both ways!?
There is a certain defiance of balance and logic to say otherwise, is there not?
12 Feb 2025 21:03:12
Don’t think we would have had clean sheets without a goalkeeper, so there you have it all the other nonsense is immaterial, you will always find that every player will have off or bad days . ??♂️.
12 Feb 2025 22:42:32
Funny baz yes mes was better under Belisa because the defence was so bad mes was busy he was always switched on.
As op rightly says under farke it’s easy to switch off.
I played for a awful team I’d let in nine still get motm where as my Saturday leauge team were great and I’d maybe only make one save a half. it was much harder.
Playing under besila is a keepers dream, farke not so much.
12 Feb 2025 22:56:32
Suggest you rewatch 22/ 23 season Berm . Mes permenantly clocked out.
12 Feb 2025 23:01:35
Excellent post Ealing.
Bermo how can you say he’s the best shot stopper we’ve ever had? I understand you sticking up for the lad but that’s just ridiculous.
Nigel Martyn and your mate John Lukic way way better than Mez. Not to mention Mervyn Day and Robinson.
Too many times he let's in soft goals and normally the first shot he’s faced.
Can he get better? Yes because he has the talent but needs to be more switched on more of the time.
13 Feb 2025 01:49:17
Well of course he was Baz, having a virtual non existent defense left his goal wide open to be pounded every match.
13 Feb 2025 08:35:50
Cork mes on his day makes saves no other leeds keeper can make certainly stop his age. Only keepers I seen that good are martyn robbo and schmlicke
Mes has potential to be better than then if he sorts out his concentration.
14 Feb 2025 11:58:26
A slight addition to my response. I don’t know who held the record before Mes, tho I’m sure a googler will enlighten me, but, do you think that GK received credit for his contribution to that achievement, or was it just dismissed and swept under the carpet as a few of you are trying to do for our current keeper?