Joel Piroe slammed for ‘dreadful’ moment in Leeds United win v Sheffield United
Joel Piroe has been slammed by Andy Hinchliffe for a “dreadful” moment in the clash between Leeds United and Sheffield United.
The Whites returned from the international break with three points as they ran out 2-0 winners at Elland Road on Friday (18 October) thanks to second-half goals from Pascal Struijk and Mateo Joseph.
Although Daniel Farke’s side ultimately won comfortably, Sky Sports pundit Hinchliffe was quick to tear into Piroe just moments before Struijk’s strike as he blazed over the bar from just outside the penalty area.
Speaking on Sky Sports Main Event (18 October, 21:13) he said: “It’s a dreadful finish but intelligent positioning.
“He actually drops off into a number 10 pocket of space because Aaronson has actually run beyond him and become the centre-forward.
“Then Piroe can actually get into a position that he’d rather be in stepping in front of centre-halves rather than against them. But he should be doing better with his strike than this.”
What has happened to Leeds United ace Joel Piroe at Elland Road?
Piroe is such a difficult footballer to describe. In one game, the Dutchman can look like an incredibly calm presence in the penalty box and in another he can look like a defender who has accidentally ventured into the final third.
His finish on Friday night was so wild that it would have made a defender blush. The striker took aim from the edge of the box, but the ball just continued to rise and rise until it sailed well above Michael Cooper’s crossbar.
The best strikers in the Championship would at least test the keeper from that sort of range. Nobody is expecting Piroe to fire that effort into the top corner, but he at least has to challenge the man between the posts.
Hopefully, with another start under his belt, Piroe’s confidence will only continue to increase as the season wears on.
Strikers tend to be much calmer in front of goal when they feel confident they will score and at the moment, it doesn’t seem as though the Dutchman has that belief. Luckily, he still produced an excellent pass for Joseph’s goal.
In other Leeds United news, Junior Firpo’s stance on an Elland Road exit has been shared amid links with a transfer to Real Betis
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