Leeds United: Daniel Farke must bring in Joel Piroe for Patrick Bamford v Sunderland
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford’s form coincided with their record-equalling run, but after a first league defeat of 2024, it’s time for Daniel Farke to play Joel Piroe in his place.
Leeds were beaten 2-1 at Coventry City on 6 April, with Piroe coming off the bench to give the Whites a late lifeline after the hosts scored goals early in both halves to lead 2-0.
Bamford was somewhat pedestrian up front for much of the game, and previous calls for young striker Mateo Joseph to start intensified after the Spaniard made another positive impact off the bench, replacing Bamford in the 66th minute.
However, while Bamford should be dropped for Leeds’ upcoming match against Sunderland, it’s Piroe who should replace him in the side, and deliver on his £10million transfer fee as the Championship run-in heats up.
Farke said in his pre-match press conference that “this is not the time for experiments,” but with promotion potentially just weeks away, Piroe’s eye for goal and reliability could help to lift Leeds over the line.
Piroe performance in defeat must give Farke food for thought
Leeds hardly looked like scoring against Coventry until Piroe and Joseph entered the fray midway through the second half, combining for the former’s strike 14 minutes from time and again in the dying seconds when the Dutchman missed a glorious chance and failed to draw the game level.
Regardless, he has 12 league goals to Bamford’s seven this season, with a better shot conversion rate and more assists, and while profligacy in front of goal is nothing new to Leeds fans, there is a clear sense that the more chances Piroe gets, the more he will take.
That’s why Leeds brought him to Elland Road in the first place, following 41 goals in 91 Championship games for Swansea.
That record is the reason why, at the most crucial stage of the season, he should be the one to displace Bamford in Farke’s starting XI over super-sub Joseph.
A dismal start to the season left Leeds crying out for a ready-made centre-forward against high-flying Ipswich just four games into the campaign: Piroe arrived, started, and scored after 19 minutes.
After their first real setback in several months, Leeds need that kind of response against Sunderland, and Piroe is the man to deliver it.
In other Leeds news, the future of one Elland Road star is “up in the air” ahead of the summer window.
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