Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has urged Sam Allardyce to drop Illan Meslier for this weekend's game against Man City after he admitted that the Frenchman is "making too many mistakes".
Meslier has faced growing scrutiny over his position in Leeds' starting XI following a string of errors in recent weeks. Allardyce's arrival has seen many question whether the shot-stopper will be dropped during the 68-year-old's time in charge.
And ahead of kick-off against Pep Guardiola's squad, Grayson has admitted that Allardyce needs to make changes and that if it were up to him, he would start with Meslier.
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“Someone asked me what I’d do if I went back, and I said I’d drop the goalkeeper straight away," Grayson told William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ podcast, No Tippy Tappy Football. "Because he’s young, he’s vulnerable at this moment in time and he’s making too many mistakes. Sometimes you need to take him out of the firing line and it might not be everyone’s cup of tea but that’s what I would do because I just think he is vulnerable to making too many errors that are costing the team too many points.
“The players in front of him are also making mistakes. Sam [Allardyce] can’t go in and play the same team because he would be changing nothing. One thing you have to do as a caretaker manager is implement your own ideas straight away, and that will probably mean making three or four changes.”
Tim Sherwood, who is deputising for Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football show, added: “[Patrick] Bamford, the chance he missed the other night against Leicester, he probably hasn’t slept since. He’s [Allardyce] going to need him, he will rely on him and I think Karl Robinson going in as his assistant will help.
“He had him at MK Dons and he got a tune out of him there. So him coming back to the club will give him a lift and hopefully Patrick can score the goals they need to stay up. They’re going to have to keep the door shut at the other end and at the moment the goalkeeper is having an absolute nightmare of a time.”
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