'You've got to' - Paul Merson tells Daniel Farke what to do with 4/10 Leeds United player after Swansea draw

Paul Merson has urged Daniel Farke to stick with Illan Meslier for Leeds United’s final seven Championship games despite another difficult afternoon during Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Swansea City.

Meslier was at the heart of the action as Leeds twice threw away leads to draw on a weekend in which both of their promotion rivals won tougher games. Farke’s side went ahead at either end of the 90 minutes through Brenden Aaronson and then Willy Gnonto, but were punished for another under-par performance.

Goalkeeper Meslier was unchallenged when he dropped a corner at the feet of Harry Darling to level up at 1-1 and the French goalkeeper should have done better with Zan Vipotnik’s added-time equaliser, given the angle. The 25-year-old did save a penalty and started well, but the YEP’s chief football writer Graham Smyth eventually gave him a 4/10 in his player ratings.

Daniel Farke urged to ‘stick with’ Illan Meslier

Debate around Meslier has continued throughout a campaign in which the goalkeeper’s errors have cost points, most notably against the likes of Sunderland and Hull City. But with just a handful of games remaining and automatic promotion still very much possible, Merson believes consistency is key at the back.

“You’ve got to just stick with him,” the former Arsenal midfielder told Sky Sports following Saturday’s draw. “He makes mistakes, he does make good saves, but he does make mistakes. This is not the first mistake that he has made this season, but he’s got good mental strength, he comes back out. He always puts himself in the firing line, so I have a lot of respect for him. It's just one of those days, he goes from hero to villain in 70-80 minutes of football.”

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Farke has stayed loyal to Meslier all season, with the French goalkeeper playing every minute of Championship action despite intensifying calls from some sections of the fanbase for him to be dropped. The former FC Lorient youngster has regularly bounced back from difficult afternoons but another tough day saw points dropped at a time when the margin for error is so fine.

Farke’s stance on Meslier after Swansea City draw

Questions regarding Meslier’s place in the team resurfaced in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s draw, with a week to sit on those dropped points before next weekend’s Saturday lunchtime trip to Luton Town. And Farke was asked in his post-match press conference whether Saturday’s performance made him ponder his future choice of goalkeeper.

"Not right now straight away out of emotions,” he told the YEP. “After such a heartbreaking moment I really feel for my lads. I'm far away from sitting here in a press conference and punishing a player for something. We win together, lose together, draw together. It's not up to me to give any judgements or messages out of emotions straight away. They don't need a manager who puts his disappointment on the shoulders.

"I can't explain it [Meslier’s first error]. We don't have to talk too much about it. It was obvious to see what happened.” And on Vipotnik’s added-time equaliser, he added: “It was not even a chance out of this angle but somehow the ball was in the net and it was heartbreaking.”

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