Patrick Vieira paid a reluctant tribute to Illan Meslier after the Leeds United goalkeeper secured a much-needed clean sheet during Monday’s Premier League stalemate with Crystal Palace, speaking to Football London.
There are only two places and four points separating the Whites and the Eagles in the league table.
But, if you offered Leeds the chance to swap places with Vieira’s Palace, Jesse Marsch would chomp your hand off right down to the bone. Crystal Palace supporters can rest easy during the final few weeks of the campaign. The same certainly cannot be said of those of a Leeds persuasion, popping sleeping pills like tic tacs while glancing nervously over their shoulders.
Despite winning three and drawing two of their last five games, Burnley’s finest run of home form since 2017 means relegation is still a very realistic possibility.
Monday’s 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park eases the fears somewhat, but not entirely.
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It could have been a lot worse, however, without another virtuoso performance from Leeds’ 22-year-old shot-stopper.
“I think he’s still a young player, a French Under-21 international with a lot of potential,” Vieira says of his highly-talented compatriot.
“He’s playing in a team in the Premier League that will allow him to grow as a player and now it is up to him to do what he will do every day to reach his potential.”
It was a game Leeds probably would have lost a couple of months ago. But Meslier’s performance between the sticks epitomised the change in direction since Marsch succeeded Marcelo Bielsa in the dugout; commanding, spirited and driven by a dogged reluctance to accept defeat.
He made seven stops to Vicente Guaita’s two, including a fine double save to keep the ever-dangerous Wilfried Zaha off the scoresheet.
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“For me, he’s the best young goalkeeper that I’ve worked with,” Marsch tells Leeds Live.
“You know when you look at the fact he plays for France Under 21s and he’s in the mix for the national team moving forward, how good France is on the international stage, you can say that his talent is big. I’m just trying to encourage him to be strong, confident and a good decision maker.
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“I’m not a goalkeeping coach, I’ve said before I know things about goalkeepers, the technique and tactical position for every moment isn’t my strength, but I do know when a keeper has a presence in the game and makes the right kind of decisions, dictates the way the game is played and for the most part I think he did that tonight.
“He’s done well.”
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