We’re well and truly in the business end of the Championship season.
There are 10 games to go in England’s second-tier, and there’s still a whole lot to be decided.
One club that will certainly be feeling the heat as we head towards the final weeks of the campaign is Leeds United.
The Whites are in a familiar spot as they face the same task as they did 12 months ago, sitting in the automatic promotion spots and hanging on for dear life.
The Yorkshire club are under a lot of pressure, and to make matters worse they’re having to make a key change to one very important position after Kiko Casilla was handed an eight-game ban for racially abusing Jonathan Leko.
Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
Illan Meslier has already stepped in to make his league debut against Hull City last Saturday, but the Frenchman still has to face seven incredibly high-pressure games between now and Casilla’s return.
While making your first league appearances under such strenuous circumstances could be seen as a negative by some, the fact of the matter is that this is a real chance for Meslier to prove himself.
As United edge closer and closer to promotion, Marcelo Bielsa needs to start making his mind up on his preferred starting XI for the Premier League, and this is Meslier’s chance to work his way into those plans.
Not only is this a chance for him to work his way into next season’s first-team plans, but it’s also a chance to prove that United should make his move permanent – they hold a £5m option to buy him at the end of the season.
The Frenchman certainly has the talent for it, he’s already shown that he can perform versus top-flight opposition earlier this term against Arsenal, drawing praise from both sets of supporters.
If the 6 ft 6 stopper can hold his nerve and perform well in this high-pressure situation then his future will look much brighter at Elland Road.
For someone so inexperienced and still relatively new to the English game, this is one of the biggest tests he’s had in his career to date – he needs to make sure he takes it.
In other news, Phil Hay has predicted one summer departure.