Joel Piroe announcement showcases why Leeds star deserves more credit
Joel Piroe has received a fair amount of criticism for Leeds this season despite his goal-scoring record.
Despite a recent 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth, the Whites remain on course to make a return to the Premier League, and Piroe has more than played his part in those successes.
The Dutchman has scored 15 goals for Leeds this season, a tally only matched by Norwich City’s Borja Sainz in the entirety of the Championship.
Piroe has had his credentials questioned throughout the campaign, though he has continued to deliver regularly for the Whites, with the latest announcement rewarding his efforts.
Leeds would be nowhere without Piroe
Even with the increasing level of pressure on his shoulders, Piroe has consistently provided the goods for Daniel Farke’s side and has since been named as the PFA’s player of the month for February.
The recognition is more than deserved given the fact he has notched on five occasions for the Peacocks in that period, including two in the 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City.
| Leeds United | Appearances (Starts) | Goals | Assists |
| Joel Piroe | 36 (26) | 15 | 6 |
A minority of fans, not just Leeds either, have been quick to jump on the criticism bandwagon for Piroe as soon as something goes wrong, but very few have replicated that level of attention when things have gone well.
Ultimately, Leeds would not be sitting at the top of the Championship without his goals, and there is no one else in the squad who would have been capable of replicating his numbers.
Piroe will still have a huge role to play next season
With Leeds still in the driving seat for promotion, part of the current focus will be on ensuring the decisions made in the summer are the right ones.
One of those will, of course, bring up the debate as to whether Leeds need to sign a striker, to which the answer is yes.
However, the addition of a striker shouldn’t be seen as a negative where Piroe is concerned. Instead, it will provide him with another body to shoulder some of the pressure of scoring goals, potentially bringing the best out of him.
But for now, the main focus will be on securing their status in the Premier League ahead of the final 10 games of the campaign.