Farke ‘to axe Mateo Joseph’ at HT in Leeds United v Millwall, he’s invisible
Daniel Farke must consider making a change at half-time if Leeds United are to beat Millwall in the FA Cup on Saturday.
There was a sense of frustration in the air at Elland Road on 8 February as a weakened Leeds side struggled against their Championship counterparts in the first half.
With just three shots on target, the first 45 minutes clearly brought around flashbacks of facing Burnley at the end of January, which is unusual for this team full of attacking superstars.
Although Joel Piroe, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon were all given a rest for the FA Cup clash, the trio of Largie Ramazani, Wilfried Gnonto and Mateo Joseph should be more than enough to claim victory.
However, a scrappy performance from the Whites sees them go into the half-time break one goal behind thanks to a Femi Azeez strike, just 45 minutes away from being knocked out of the competition.
Mateo Joseph must be axed at half-time v Millwall
Mateo Joseph has slipped down the pecking order in recent weeks, with Piroe starring in the centre-forward role instead, but he was given an opportunity to prove his worth.
Only one of his three goals this season has come in his last 23 performances, with concerns emerging over his goalscoring ability, and those same worries have reemerged at Elland Road.
With just 14 touches [FotMob], the 21-year-old was almost invisible for Farke’s side, with the majority of supporters calling for Piroe to replace him.
When the ball did come into the striker, however, his 50 per cent passing accuracy meant Leeds continued to lose the ball in the final third and were duly punished.
Leeds United can afford FA Cup knockout
All focus at Elland Road remains on winning promotion to the Premier League this season, and while Farke will not want to lose any game, the FA Cup is not as important right now.
It is exactly why the manager has fielded a weakened side, including Josuha Guilavogui and Sam Chambers, but that decision could backfire if Leeds lose momentum in their quest for promotion.
Leeds United could be less than an hour from bowing out of the competition. If Farke wants to advance to the next round, he needs to make some changes.