Leeds United: Daniel Farke must axe Joel Piroe for Chelsea after spot-on decision v Leicester
Daniel Farke was left with many unanswered questions despite Leeds United completing a memorable comeback to beat Leicester City 3-1 on Friday (23 February).
There is no time to rest on that win either given Leeds have a daunting fixture against rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round next up on Wednesday (28 February).
For much of the game against Enzo Maresca’s Foxes, Leeds struggled for potency and did not register their first shot on target until the 67th minute, as per FotMob.
If Farke’s squad are to perform like that against Premier League opposition, it is much less likely that the Leeds fans will witness such a dramatic comeback as they did at Elland Road.
Daniel Farke must remove Joel Piroe from the Leeds United starting XI
Though much of the starting lineup struggled to make the desired impact against the current league leaders, Joel Piroe stood out the most for his ineffective display.
The Dutchman was hooked after 65 minutes to be replaced by Patrick Bamford, who was a major part in the Whites overturning the 1-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes.
Piroe only managed to maintain a 64 per cent pass completion, registered a 0 per cent shot accuracy, as well as winning 0 per cent of his ground duels. The defensive duo of Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes rendered him relatively useless, making just 18 touches. [FotMob]
The match changed when Farke introduced Dan James and Bamford into the attack, with two being involved in Leeds’ third goal from a free-kick.
Patrick Bamford changes the game against Leicester City
However, the latter’s general play throughout his 25 minutes on the pitch was far more instrumental than his lucky deflection from James’ set piece. Bamford maintained 100 per cent accuracy with his shots, as well as completing 100 per cent of his attempted dribbles. [FotMob]
The 30-year-old was incredibly impactful against the Leicester defence, winning 100 per cent of his ground duels and 67 per cent of his aerial duels, pushing the Foxes back and bringing his teammates into the attack – something Piroe could not quite manage.
Chelsea’s centre-backs will pose a similar challenge, dominating on the ground and in the air, but Bamford should be a key change to Farke’s XI for the FA Cup tie to combat this.
In other Leeds United news, Kalvin Phillips sent a one-word message to a United player following the win over Leicester.
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