Alan Shearer said during commentary on BBC One that Illan Meslier was caught out of position by “five or six yards” as Fulham star Joao Palhinha curled home the opener against Leeds on Tuesday – branding his positioning as “terrible”.
Leeds started the game the brighter against Fulham in the fifth-round FA Cup tie. We had chances on the counter while Fulham dominated large spells of the ball. But, a misplaced pass from Tyler Adams saw Palhinha intercept and shoot.
Adams was poor on the night in a new-look midfield that saw him partner Marc Roca, behind Weston McKennie in a no.8 role. It was Adams that handed possession to Palhinha and the Portuguese ace immediately took full advantage.
With Leeds in possession, £30k-a-week Meslier was caught under the flight of the shot – because of just how quickly Palhinha took aim. His curling effort might have been saved had Meslier been on his line. Shearer criticised Meslier.
“The goalkeeper is in a terrible position because he doesn’t expect his teammates to give the ball away. He’s five or six yards out of position,” Shearer said on BBC One, during his role as co-commentator at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.
Shearer: Meslier positioning terrible as Palhinha scored against Leeds
There were positives to take from the performance. Two disallowed goals, hitting the post and a goalmouth scramble towards the end of the game that inexplicably did not hit the back of the net. Leeds had an abundance of chances.
Javi Gracia might just be realising the issue he has at Leeds. Defensively, not bad. Midfield, pretty good. Transition and width, is pretty much there. But, Leeds are not clinical. If it wasn’t clear already, Gracia knows it is now – more than ever.
The Whites are out of the FA Cup, then. A game that was always going to prove difficult especially given our record in London over the years. Now, attention turns to survival in the Premier League. Chelsea away, on Saturday.
