Illan Meslier

[Orange Box]

I’ll have a wild guess here but is your dad David Seaman? It is isn’t it.
That was very welsh
He was wasn’t he. That’s better.
He is isn’t he.
Got there in the end

If weasel’s dad was a good keeper he certainly wasn’t Scottish.

[weasel]

I’ll have a wild guess here but is your dad David Seaman? It is isn’t it.
That was very welsh
He was wasn’t he. That’s better.
He is isn’t he.
Got there in the end

Nope English like me and not Seaman. He had trials with Middlesborough but preferred the drinking and didn't like the running, in them days all the players had to do loads of running - also in those days you could still earn more doing a normal job than you would as a youth player. As such he only played at lower levels but had loads of player of the season awards but very few medals for winning leagues/cups etc.

[DDB220]

I would agree with you CJay and the argument that some use about having a sh*t defence in front of him has no substance. My Dad played in goal for a lot of sh*t sides and he was regularly player of the season as he kept the score down and would make countless saves. Often keepers for poor teams look better because they have the oportunity to make lots of saves. Messlier didn't do that for us last season.

I also agree with Overman that Messlier should have saved that last night and I would have expected most keepers to have saved it comfortably.

Big difference between levels. The s**t defence destroyed his confidence. There are many moments where his decision making could be better and he doesn’t get down as quick as one would like on occasion. Some posters moan about him punching the ball rather than catching it. This is a modern game goalkeeper tactic. I do not agree with punching the ball, especially when it is apparent that catching it seems the easier option. However, this became fashionable when lighter balls that moved in the air too much were introduced. This is not the case now but it appears to be part of the modern keepers game.

Stats give only half the picture of what goes on in a game, the mental part of the game which is just as important as running, passing etc is not measurable.

There have been so many post match comments about Coopers lack of pace in the Rotherham game, as if it was a new observation by some. The reading of the game and positioning to clear a certain 2nd for Rotherham did not attract half as many comments. Cooper is a big player in the mental department. Technically he isn’t the most gifted. People who have played the game know that players with that all or nothing attitude is massive. Those who look at spreadsheets are half blind to what goes on in a game.

[weasel]

Big difference between levels. The s**t defence destroyed his confidence. There are many moments where his decision making could be better and he doesn’t get down as quick as one would like on occasion. Some posters moan about him punching the ball rather than catching it. This is a modern game goalkeeper tactic. I do not agree with punching the ball, especially when it is apparent that catching it seems the easier option. However, this became fashionable when lighter balls that moved in the air too much were introduced. This is not the case now but it appears to be part of the modern keepers game.

Stats give only half the picture of what goes on in a game, the mental part of the game which is just as important as running, passing etc is not measurable.

There have been so many post match comments about Coopers lack of pace in the Rotherham game, as if it was a new observation by some. The reading of the game and positioning to clear a certain 2nd for Rotherham did not attract half as many comments. Cooper is a big player in the mental department. Technically he isn’t the most gifted. People who have played the game know that players with that all or nothing attitude is massive. Those who look at spreadsheets are half blind to what goes on in a game.

Spot on with Cooper and I also feel he may have picked up a slight niggle which slowed him down too otherwise I doubt they would have brought Struyjk on. He certainly looked to be walking a bit gingerly when he walked off.

[danhirons]

Meslier been fine this season. Crap reserve keeper we got from Newcastle was awful in the game he played for us...people seem to conveniently forget that!

[DDB220]

Article on BBC Sport about Onana at Manure. Now based on what I have seen this season that fella makes Bruce Grobbelaar look boring.

For all his feck ups so far and there have been a few, where would you according to OPTA stats rate Onana in terms of premiership keepers this season.

Well guess what he is the 2nd best keeper in the prem according to the stats.


STATs like I say - they only give half a story, yet some cannot see beyond a decimal point when they judge a player.

[Boo Radley]

Why is Meslier being beaten so often at his near post? That's another one today, after Rotherham and a couple of others if I'm not mistaken.

Surely the principle of not being beaten there still stands. At least force a striker to be able to cross you and stay accurate. You'd expect this to be sorted after a couple such goals have been conceded.

[mentalcase]

Why is Meslier being beaten so often at his near post? That's another one today, after Rotherham and a couple of others if I'm not mistaken.

Surely the principle of not being beaten there still stands. At least force a striker to be able to cross you and stay accurate. You'd expect this to be sorted after a couple such goals have been conceded.

Got to agree, that was more than saveable today, poor keeping.

[Kennyb41]

Article on BBC Sport about Onana at Manure. Now based on what I have seen this season that fella makes Bruce Grobbelaar look boring.

For all his feck ups so far and there have been a few, where would you according to OPTA stats rate Onana in terms of premiership keepers this season.

Well guess what he is the 2nd best keeper in the prem according to the stats.


STATs like I say - they only give half a story, yet some cannot see beyond a decimal point when they judge a player.

[Kennyb41]

Why is Meslier being beaten so often at his near post? That's another one today, after Rotherham and a couple of others if I'm not mistaken.

Surely the principle of not being beaten there still stands. At least force a striker to be able to cross you and stay accurate. You'd expect this to be sorted after a couple such goals have been conceded.

I think you have to ask yourself today how many players would've shot for that side, I see where you're coimng from, but there was some power in that shot, and i'll bet Mes was getting ready to go the other way

[Kennyb41]

I haven't watched it again yet, but i'm looking forward to freezeframing the player as he runs , and again when he unleashes

[Aussieleeds]

Most keepers would not be being beaten at that height at the near post. Really ordinary.

Said it before …. Meslier has now played 123 first team games yet he’s still treated like an up and comer. He is a very average shot stopper compared to most keepers and has no presence under high balls.
It is no coincidence that we think every keeper that plays against us has the game of their lives. It’s not that at all … it’s just that they are much better keepers than ours.
I don’t think Mes is any better now than he was after his first 20 games for us. I reckon he’s in the bottom third of keepers in the Championship.

[PhoenixUnited]

Meslier been fine this season. Crap reserve keeper we got from Newcastle was awful in the game he played for us...people seem to conveniently forget that!

Don't disagree with that at all.

The defence we have really does not fill me with confidence and it is a real problem everywhere. Yesterday, even when Boro, who are a good passing team, were down a man they still managed to play on the counterattack and outnumber us at the back when they did! This was more Bielsa than Farke so what the heck is happening? Meslier saved us a couple of times and Boro did not get the rub of the green at times otherwise the score line might have been very different

We need to keep our fingers crossed that Meslier does not get injured as we really will be in the poo if he is

There are much bigger squad problems that need to be addressed - like the whole of the back line where we don't have a recognised Right Back - Byram is but he is being employed as a makeshift Left Back and fair enough he is making a good fist of it whilst he remains fit. Spence has finally made it to the match day squad but not yet got on the pitch and it's nearly Christmas! Besides he's here on loan. I've discounted Ayling on the basis that he is in the twilight of his career.

We don't have a recognised Left Back - forget Firpo who is neither use nor ornament when he is fit! We are making do with Byram as said.

At Centre Back it's a case of crossing fingers again that neither Rondon, who is on loan anyway or Struijk is not unavailable as we'd be scratching about for adequate cover. Cresswell can't seem to get a look in for some reason and I'm not sure what else we have for quality cover. I've discounted Cooper on the basis that he is in the twilight of his career.

I am supposing that Farke has his round pegs for square holes sorted out

[DDB220]

So when he saved the one on one that isn’t worth a comment ?

What is it with some people who only pipe up to criticise. Is Meslier without weaknesses of course he isn’t.

At least provide a balanced critique.

[Aussieleeds]

So when he saved the one on one that isn’t worth a comment ?

What is it with some people who only pipe up to criticise. Is Meslier without weaknesses of course he isn’t.

At least provide a balanced critique.

I don’t think anyone is saying he never makes a save. But opposition teams do seem to score against us at a rate higher than their xG.
Based on saves vs shots on target, this site has Mes rated second worst in the Championship.

https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/keepers/C ... ship-Stats.

[DDB220]

I don’t think anyone is saying he never makes a save. But opposition teams do seem to score against us at a rate higher than their xG.
Based on saves vs shots on target, this site has Mes rated second worst in the Championship.

https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/keepers/C ... ship-Stats.

Stats ??

Look at my Onana post - stats are a useful tool but they only paint part of the picture.

Some people are obsessed with them. The money ball film exposes how stats are useful, but baseball is a non contact sport. Throwing catching and running are very measurable stats.

XG has an element of subjectivity. What defines a great chance ? - especially if that chance falls to a player on his right side when he is left footed. Football has a lot of moving parts. Quantifying fitness is fine but there is now this obsession to try and measure every part of the game. Many actions are just not quantifiable to a trustworthy degree.

That is my take on it - the decimal point disciples have a different perspective.

[Kennyb41]

So when he saved the one on one that isn’t worth a comment ?

What is it with some people who only pipe up to criticise. Is Meslier without weaknesses of course he isn’t.

At least provide a balanced critique.

Yip well said DDB, of course there are weakness's, but for now with the football/formation we're playing, i can just about live with them.

Keeper and defenders :

If you can find me one that can...Defend well, attack well, play decent with their feet, read the game well, have speed, can head expertly, pass their way out of trouble, tank forward, tank back, let's put it this way...

He won't be playing for Leeds United.

Get a grip.

[Kennyb41]

You just watch how many fck ups there are in this Onana bloke, and any other Prem keepers atm coz of how teams are playing and asking their keeper to play,

There are endless fck ups being spewed out ont telebox week in and week out.

[Aussieleeds]

Stats ??

Look at my Onana post - stats are a useful tool but they only paint part of the picture.

Some people are obsessed with them. The money ball film exposes how stats are useful, but baseball is a non contact sport. Throwing catching and running are very measurable stats.

XG has an element of subjectivity. What defines a great chance ? - especially if that chance falls to a player on his right side when he is left footed. Football has a lot of moving parts. Quantifying fitness is fine but there is now this obsession to try and measure every part of the game. Many actions are just not quantifiable to a trustworthy degree.

That is my take on it - the decimal point disciples have a different perspective.

So, using your theory, Bamford is possibly as good as Haaland … after all, it’s only the stats that separate them and they are meaningless, right?

[Ben Scooby lufc]

: Illan Meslier the French lad is having a much better season. It was mainly down to our shocking defending in the premier last season. He's still a young lad and capable of imroving! He also guaranteed us the points against promotion favourites leicester and that save will be remembered by me all season.