Leeds United player ratings v West Brom – Joel Piroe awful, Pascal Struijk spectacular
Leeds United and West Brom shared the spoils in what was a rather low-key encounter at Hawthorns that ended 0-0 on 17 August.
The Baggies were the better team after the first half, but still failed to break the deadlock in the first 45 minutes.
Carlos Corberan’s side dominated possession but failed to score a goal past Daniel Farke’s men.
Here are our player ratings for the game:
Illan Meslier – 6
Didn’t have much to do in terms of making saves, but whenever he was called into action, he managed to stop the ball from going into the back of the net. A much-improved performance from the Portsmouth game. Looked more assured in possession as well. Per Sofascore, he made one save in the game.
Jayden Bogle – 4
Another poor performance from the right-back who’s doing little to justify his inclusion in the starting eleven. Last season, Farke managed to get wonders out of Archie Gray in that role, even though the teenager was a midfielder. Things need to change or Bogle could quickly be out of the playing eleven.
Joe Rodon – 5
Made a few questionable decisions in and out of possession that nearly cost the Whites dearly at Hawthorns. He’s not looking like the same player he was last season on loan at Leeds. There were times when his positioning was also called into question.
Pascal Struijk was the best player for Leeds United v West Brom
Pascal Struijk – 8
Undoubtedly the more assured of the two centre-backs both in and out of possession. There were times he did get bullied in the air, but made up for it with his tenacity. Proved to be a threat in the opposition penalty area as well. Hopefully, he can inspire other players to be better and put in a fight for the jersey.
Junior Firpo – 6
Did offer some threat going forward, but once again his work off the ball proved to be his Achilles heel. Had the Baggies had more capable wide players, both Firpo and Bogle would’ve struggled even more than they did. The former Barcelona defender clearly needs to step up to the plate.
Ethan Ampadu – 7
A calming influence in midfield and one of the players who gets what it means to wear the Leeds United jersey. Could’ve scored one of the goals of the season early on, but his effort from long range was narrowly wide. Throughout the game, he had a pass accuracy north of 80 per cent and it was a decent outing for him.
Ilia Gruev – 6
Proved to be the ideal foil to Ampadu in midfield and ensured that the Whites never got overrun in the middle of the park. There were a few times that his passes were wayward but he appeared to take more risks than Ampadu did.
Dan James – 5
Looked to run in behind to try and make the difference in the final third but was not on the same wavelength as the rest of his teammates. Managed to complete just six passes during the game, something Farke won’t be too happy about.
Joel Piroe puts in another woeful effort for Leeds United
Joel Piroe – 2
Struggled to play in the number 10 role and his playing behind Mateo Joseph is clearly not working. Was arguably the worst player on the pitch and Farke is struggling to get the better of him. He managed to complete just six passes despite playing for 64 minutes and his pass accuracy was also 60 per cent. If Farke continues to play Piroe behind the striker, this won’t be the last time fans are seeing these kinds of displays.
Wilfried Gnonto – 4
Lost a majority of his ground duels and struggled to have the kind of impact Crysencio Summerville did on the left. Gnonto struggled to weave his way past defenders and carve out goal-scoring chances for himself or his teammates. He even did not offer much out of possession in what was another disappointing display.
Mateo Joseph – 5
Managed a little over 20 touches in the game but none of them came in areas he would’ve liked. Farke appears to be showing trust in him this season but thus far, he’s not able to show just what he’s bringing to the table.
Subs
Brenden Aaronson – 5
Joe Rothwell – 3
Patrick Bamford – 4
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are locked in a transfer battle to sign a defender keen on leaving a Premier League club.
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