Leeds United have been conceding plenty of goals.
The Whites have brought their swashbuckling style to the Premier League following their promotion and it’s safe to say it’s had mixed success.
They have won three games, beating Fulham, Sheffield United, and Aston Villa, while they also drew with Manchester City, but they have been shipping goals for fun.
They lost their last two games, against Leicester City and Crystal Palace, 4-1, and have shipped a total of 17 strikes in eight games.
That is the joint-highest of any team in the Premier League along with West Bromwich Albion, who are in the bottom three.
And the club have been told to sign a new goalkeeper to help shore up the backline.
Illan Meslier has played in every Premier League game thus far but he is just 20, and one ex-Leeds man believes that a new stopper is needed.
Noel Whelan, who played for the club between 1993 and 1995, has suggested that the club should make a move for Southampton stopper Fraser Forster.
Football Insider reports that he is earning around £100,000-per-week at St Mary’s, despite the fact that he has yet to play in the league this season.
Speaking to the outlet, Whelan said: “I think the club will look to sign a goalkeeper in January if it carries on this way, these sort of scorelines, conceding three, conceding four.
“You expect it against Liverpool but not against Leicester and Crystal Palace.
“A more experienced goalkeeper may be able to help Meslier along the way as well. It would take a bit of pressure off him because beforehand, in the Championship, he was well protected but it is very difficult to do that in the Premier League because every team has star men that can hurt you.
“I would like to see a more experienced goalkeeper signed in January. Fraser Forster’s name has been mentioned, I would like to see him there but he is on massive money at Southampton.
“Kiko Casilla will not be any better than Meslier. It is a very, very important position and while Meslier is a very capable, young goalkeeper we need somebody who talks and is more experienced in that department.”
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Whelan is spot on here.
Meslier has done an admirable job but he is just conceding too many goals, as simple as that.
It remains to be seen whether they would be able to afford Forster, of course, or whether he would want to move to Elland Road, but this is a highly experienced stopper with oodles of know how.
He has won six caps for England and made 107 appearances in total in the top-flight. In that time, he has conceded 119 goals, giving him an average of 1.1 conceded every game.
Meslier’s average this season, by comparison, is 2.1 goals conceded per game.
Forster would be an undoubted improvement.