First, the positive. Leeds United remain at the top of the Championship table, holding a one-point advantage over the chasing pack of Burnley and Sheffield United following Saturday’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Hull City.
That slim lead at the summit will be little consolation for Daniel Farke’s side in truth, however, with the Yorkshire outfit throwing away a two-goal margin at the MKM Stadium and thus throwing away three points in the process.
The visitors had gone behind early on following Abu Kamara’s fifth-minute lob, although an impressive response after the break saw the Whites storm into a commanding position, with Ao Tanaka’s curling stunner followed by goals from Daniel James and Joel Piroe.
Life in the Championship is never straightforward, however, with the away side miraculously conspiring to collapse in the closing stages, with that man Kamara snatching a draw after Joao Pedro had poked home minutes earlier.
Fingers will be pointed, unsurprisingly, at the hapless Illan Meslier in the sticks, although – while the Frenchman deserves criticism – he wasn’t alone in enduring a dismal day at the office.
Illam Meslier’s performance vs Hull
Previously lauded as the “best keeper in this league” by his manager, the 6 foot 6 enigma looked anything but on Saturday, having been the man most responsible for Leeds dropping points.
The 24-year-old’s mistakes may not rank on par with his last-gasp clanger at the Stadium of Light back in October, but to have been culpable for all three goals is good-going indeed.
For the opener, while the sluggish Max Wober should well have done better to track the speedy Kamara, there appears no excuse for Meslier finding himself in No Man’s Land after surging out of his goal, with the Hull forward duly dinking the ball into the back of the net from range.
Illan Meslier’s stats vs Hull
90 minutes played
3 saves
1 save inside the box
1 error leading to a goal
-0.02 goals prevented
1 punch
30 touches
83% pass accuracy
2/6 long balls completed
Stats via Sofascore
While perhaps not solely to blame for that early strike, Meslier was certainly the main culprit for Pedro’s 81st-minute effort, having comically flapped at a looping header and in turn spilt the ball into the path of the Brazilian.
With the clock then ticking toward stoppage time, the former Lorient stopper rushed out of his goal to meet Gustavo Puerta’s inswinging corner, yet ultimately didn’t get near the ball, with Kamara subsequently firing home from the ensuing scramble.
There have been reports that the Leeds number one is courting interest from clubs across Europe, although the Elland Road side may wish to consider acquiring a replacement regardless, with Farke’s loyalty to his goalkeeper perhaps needing to be questioned.
The Leeds star who had a “shocker” vs Hull
It must be said, however, that it wasn’t just Meslier who was under-par on the day, with former Swansea City and Manchester United man, James, enduring something of a “shocker” on the flanks, in the words of journalist Graham Smyth.
Also awarded a meagre 4/10 match rating by Smyth and the Yorkshire Evening Post, it certainly wasn’t the Welshman’s finest hour, even despite getting himself on the scoresheet.
That goal, at the time, looked set to help steer Leeds to a valuable away win, with James slotting home from Jayden Bogle’s pullback, following fine work on the opposite flank by Manor Solomon.
While that man Solomon caught the eye down the left – racking up three key passes, no less – James was far less effective on the right, having notably lost the ball on 18 occasions, as per Sofascore, while failing to provide a single key pass himself.
To make matters worse, the 5 foot 7 winger also failed to win a single duel while being dribbled past twice, having also missed three big chances to add insult to injury.
While he does now boast six goals and three assists in the Championship this season, it is likely that Farke will be looking for a lot more from his flying forward, with James’ overall display having been far from good enough.
đ¨Not just Meslier: Farke’s 4/10 Leeds star had a “shocker” vs Hull
