A Sky Sports graphic popped up about 20 minutes into Leeds United’s Yorkshire derby clash with Championship title rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
It read, under Illan Meslier’s name, ‘one save, two dropped catches, and one own goal’. That rather summed up how the opening stanza had gone for Leeds United’s fumbling Frenchman.
Ilya Gruev may have been on hand to save Meslier’s blushes shortly after kick-off – the Bulgarian cleared a goalbound effort off the line after a high ball into the box had slipped through his goalkeeper’s grasp – but there would be no reprieve moments later.
Despite initially pulling off a sublime stop to tip an effort onto the crossbar from point blank range – Illan Meslier is capable of producing the ‘world-class’, as Coventry City found out recently but also the kind of ridiculous errors seen at Sunderland – he then inadvertently bundled Tyrese Campbell’s follow-up into his own net.
Dominic Matteo defends Illan Meslier as Leeds beat Sheffield United
This was far from the first time an individual error from the man between the sticks had stalled Leeds’ promotion challenge.
Meslier arguably cost his team four points late on against both Sunderland and Hull City, and that is only accounting for his more egregious mistakes.
But, as Leeds fought back to claim all three points at Bramall Lane thanks to a trio of late strikes from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe, former Elland Road captain Dominic Matteo preferred to focus on how Meslier responded as he again found himself under the microscope.
To his credit, the former FC Lorient youngster barely put a foot wrong after Sheffield United’s 14th minute opener. He made one excellent intervention to deny Campbell one-on-one, and also made a couple of confident catches from difficult drilled balls through a crowd of bodies.
“The goalkeeper had a few moments but he’s recovered,” Matteo said, defending Meslier and showing that his old captain’s instincts have followed him into the television studios.
“That is what good players do. They get better.”
Matteo says Leeds can now do one thing they couldn’t last season
For the second time in the space of a week, Leeds came from behind to win against a promotion rival. After Pascal Struijk struck in the 95th minute to see off Sunderland, Leeds would find the net three times in the final 20 minutes to put a five point gap between themselves in Sheffield United.
This, Matteo said, is the biggest difference between this team and the one which fell just short in Daniel Farke’s debut season. An ability to climb off the canvas and start throwing punches again just as they appeared destined to be counted out.
“All round in that second-half, it was a joy to watch,” beams Matteo, skipper during Leeds’ famous run to the semi-finals of the Champions League around the turn of the Century. “We dominated. We looked the better team by a country mile.
“A couple of changes we made really helped. What we have seen is a team who, when we are going behind, are recovering and getting better. That is one thing we couldn’t do last season. Now, we are doing it.
“All over the pitch, everyone has done well.”
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