'Best route...' - Telling insight into Joel Piroe's Leeds United role
The Yorkshire Evening Post chief football writer has had his say on the latest Inside Elland Road podcast.
There has been much discussion over Joel Piroe’s role within the Leeds United squad after the versatile forward has been limited to just two starts in the Premier League so far this season.
After scoring 19 goals and providing seven assists in 46 appearances to help the Whites seal the Championship title and return to the top flight, Piroe was expected to remain an integral figure with Daniel Farke’s squad as they prepare to face the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City this season.
However, after starting the home win against Everton and the heavy defeat at title contenders Arsenal, the former Netherlands youth international has been an unused substitute on three occasions and was not in the matchday squad for the agonising late defeat at Fulham last month.
With summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin starting to make an impact after joining on a free transfer and fellow new addition Lukas Nmecha looking to be Farke’s preference for an attacking alternative from the bench, there have been questions asked of where Piroe could sit within the Whites squad as they look to build on a solid start to the season.
The forward has received praise from Farke ahead of Saturday’s home game with Tottenham Hotspur after the Whites boss called Piroe ‘the best finisher he’d ever worked with’ and insisted he still has a big role to play this season. But where and when could Piroe’s chance arrive? The YEP’s Graham Smyth has had his say on the matter.
What has Graham Smyth said about Joel Piroe’s role at Leeds United?
Speaking on the latest Inside Elland Road podcast, the YEP’s chief football writer said: “I almost think Joel Piroe is being sacrificed on the altar of reality this season because if games are stretched, Leeds still need a focal point and someone to hold the ball up. If they are ahead in games, and they need to go direct, and that’s some Iraola gave them credit for, he said we were causing problems with our press so they just went direct to Calvert-Lewin because they are smart.
“That caused Bournemouth big, big problems, and it did because he must have won four or five aerial battles in the game. I’ve said previously if he doesn’t win it, he’s going to make it very hard for you to put the ball where you want to with your header. Even when Leeds are up in games, I think that’s when you’ll see Nmecha come on because he also battles with centre backs, holds it up and gets it back into them, lay off to someone, maybe get you into the corner.
“I just don’t see Joel Piroe having the physicality to do that against Premier League centre backs so I now find myself thinking in what scenario does he come in. Is it only in a scenario when Leeds are two-nil up, three-nil up, where you put him on and think on the break we are going to go for the jugular here and scored a third or a fourth. I don’t know, it’s really hard to say. His best route to route to match minutes at this stage is injuries because I find it hard to see realistic game scenarios when he comes on.”
Your next Leeds United read: Leeds United warning as star hails 'great' new Tottenham addition with 'very important' aim