Daniel Farke may axe Joel Piroe despite Leeds United goal v Stoke City
Daniel Farke may be tempted to axe Joel Piroe at half-time in Leeds United versus Stoke City despite the forward’s goal at the bet365 Stadium.
The German manager made just one change to his starting lineup as The Whites travelled to take on the Potters in the Championship on 26 December.
Piroe started upfront once again for the Peacocks after shining in the 4-0 win over Oxford United on 21 December.
The Dutchman found the back of the net just before the break but has otherwise cut a lonesome figure up top for Farke’s team, and failed to link up with his teammates for the majority of the first half.
As things stand, the Whites are third in the table but have the opportunity to go back on top by getting three points against Narcis Pelach’s team.
Daniel Farke may replace Joel Piroe in Stoke v Leeds United
The Peacocks have dominated possession at the bet365 Stadium, but Piroe has hardly seen the ball, making 19 touches and completing seven passes in 45 minutes, as per FotMob.
Farke has counted on the 25-year-old ahead of Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford, but he has an xA (expected assists) tally of of 0.05, shooting accuracy of 50 per cent, 40 per cent dribbling success rate and has been caught offside once.
The centre-forward hasn’t done well defensively either, losing five of his duels, and the German manager needs to think about changing the system at the break if Leeds United are to not throw away the points.
Wilfried Gnonto is on the bench for the Whites and could be an option to tweak the style of play for the second half.
While Joseph and Bamford haven’t been convincing this season, Farke needs to trust someone other than Piroe to give the Elland Road faithful something to cheer for.
While the Dutchman have have his goal, the Whites need to push on and Gnonto’s legs could bring some freshness up top.
In other Leeds United news, an exit prediction has been made regarding Illan Meslier in January.
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