Daniel Wales and Lee Sobot discuss whether Daniel Farke should take goalkeeper Illan Meslier out of the Leeds United team.
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00:00If we look as well at the goals that they conceded as well, it does unfortunately come down to Elan Mellion again.
00:10We've had this conversation on a number of occasions this year, you look at Sunderland and you look at Hull City away from home as well.
00:16Daniel Farke is still backing him from what I can make out, but is it time for Karl Darlow to come in?
00:22That's the million dollar question now, and on the face of it you would think the answer's got to be yes really.
00:28It's a really hard one for him to weigh up, I think, because the errors that Mellier makes are obvious and they're staring you in the face.
00:36Basically, the costing leads points, there's no doubt about that, and you've run through some of the errors there.
00:42It was just ridiculous, again, that one at the weekend. It just looked like a routine corner, which he actually seemed to catch and then just dropped it.
00:48I've said on these a number of times now, I think the thing is with Mellier, I think he's a very good keeper when it comes to making saves
00:54and producing top draw saves, tipping something over the bar that's going into the top corner or whatever.
00:59He's really good at them, but it's a concentration thing, isn't it, and it just seems to keep happening again and again.
01:04What I would say with him is that every time he's made a really bad error like this, Daniel Farke has, as you quite rightly say, always stuck by him.
01:11He's always kept him in the team, and most of the time, I think all the time really, when there has been a really bad blunder, he's always bounced back.
01:18We talk about that Sunderland one, I think he kept a few clean sheets in a row after that and stuff.
01:22I wouldn't be surprised if that happened again, but I don't know, it's a difficult one because the thing is with Kyle Darlow, he hasn't had that many starts either, obviously, in goal.
01:30Obviously, the thing is with Mellier, he's in the team, he is the number one shot stopper, but it does seem to be staring you in the face really in terms of making a change in goal.
01:39I personally don't think Daniel Farke will make a change. Like you said, it sounds like he's sticking right by him, and it sounds like that's what he'll do,
01:46but I can totally understand the cause now to make a change. It just feels like if there is a change now and Darlow comes in, then unless it goes horribly wrong for him,
01:55then how do you see Mellier getting back in, that sort of thing? Obviously, you're making a change right towards the end of the season as well.
02:01I don't know, it's a very hard one to weigh up really. It almost feels like it's something that should have been sorted out before now, and if you're making a change now,
02:08it's very, very late to be making a change, and what will happen in the summer, we'll wait and see.
02:13There's no getting away from it, unfortunately, and all you can hope is that if he is kept in the side, that he produces the same response again,
02:20but it feels like he produces a good response for a few games in a row, and then obviously another one of these errors props up,
02:26and it could get to the stage where one more of these might end up costing them promotion.
02:30Obviously, you could argue it might already have done if a result like Sunderland is taken into account.
02:35I don't know, it's a difficult one. I would say maybe keep him in, and if there's one more, then that's it, but it's a hard one,
02:41and that's why Daniel Farker's paid the bucks for, isn't it? So, very interesting to see what happens next.
02:46Yeah, and that's the word, but obviously you mentioned that if you have one more, one more could be unbelievably costly,
02:52given what the point situation is now. So, I think you're right, you probably should have acted earlier, Daniel Farker,
02:57in the sense that after maybe Sunderland, fair enough, there's one, but maybe after Hull, you think, give Darlow maybe just a couple of games.
03:05If he doesn't do it, you're at a point in the season where there's enough time to react, sort of thing, then maybe you're back in.
03:10It's an interesting one, because the thing is, one big sort of thing that Darlow has got is he's got the international experience
03:18with the Wales players, hasn't he, as well and stuff, you know, so that's something that's naturally there.
03:22I just, I don't know, I think if you bring Darlow in, I think you're more likely, you're less likely to get a massive blunder,
03:29put it that way, something like that. I think you'd be a more solid, dependable option.
03:33But, you know, I think Mellier's maybe a better shot-stopper and stuff, and he might end up...
03:37Because the thing is with Mellier is obviously you can talk about all the blunders he's made and stuff,
03:41and this, that and the other, but he has also produced a lot of saves, you know, that obviously kind of get forgotten about
03:45when obviously there is such a horrific blunder as there have been, so difficult one to weigh up, really.
03:50But I certainly think if I'm predicting these things, I think Mellier will stay in for now,
03:54but I can well see the shouts and understand, you know, why they should make a change.
03:58Yeah, I think that's for Jorgen to sort of say on Milan-Mellier.
04:02It's just a situation that they're going to have to resolve one way or another.
04:05If we look at the All-Ireland promotion race itself, obviously Sheffield United two points ahead now.
04:11Let's be honest, would be more than that, would be four if they hadn't been abducted two points, obviously.
04:15And I think what's annoying about that from a Leeds point of view is that Leeds,
04:18when they've come up against Sheffield United this season, have outclassed them on two occasions.
04:23Certainly in Ireland Road and obviously, you know, in the second half at Bramall Lane as well.
04:29So you'd say on paper, and at least heads-to-heads, Leeds are the better side,
04:33but it's just Sheffield United at least are winning the games, you know,
04:39like the ugly game sort of thing that Leeds are, as we've seen, are struggling more so in.