Neil Warnock picks out Leeds United ‘dream’ despite defeat v Portsmouth
Leeds United had an afternoon to forget at Fratton Park as they crashed to defeat against Portsmouth on Sunday.
The Whites remain top of the Championship on goal difference after the 1-0 loss on 9 March, with Colby Bishop’s goal the difference.
Daniel Farke will have been pulling his hair out with several golden chances missed by Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo, with Neil Warnock quick to speak out.
Warnock picks out Leeds United highlight
Farke has created an excellent team this season, which has dominated, with this defeat their first since the end of November.
Leeds may be the top scorers in the league, with Piroe scoring 15 of those.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Joel Piroe | 36 | 15 | 6 |
| Mateo Joseph | 34 | 3 | 3 |
Warnock was quick to praise the Dutch attacker though, despite the two glaring chances that he missed in either half, the second an open goal under pressure.
Speaking live on Sky Sports Football, he said: “He is a manager’s dream.
“I think sometimes these players go off the radar really and I love it because when he’s up there he’s marked tight and he stills grafts his socks off and then they drop him back later on and that’s where he has all the space because the centre-halves don’t know what to do with him, the anchor midfielder doesn’t know what to do with him.”
“He is a manager’s dream…” ⭐️
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 9, 2025
Neil Warnock on Joel Piroe’s performance this season at Leeds United 💪 pic.twitter.com/YpDWsqhO7J
Piroe disappoints against Portsmouth
It may have been a slower start to the season for Piroe as he tried to tie down his place in the starting line-up, but the 25-year-old has shown Farke what he can do and secured his spot.
As Warnock points out, what the striker offers to his side is more than just goals. The ability to keep other players off him with his talent is making him a real threat in the Championship.
However, in the loss against Portsmouth, it was a disappointing afternoon for the striker who missed two key chances including putting an easy chance over the crossbar from close range.
If Leeds do gain promotion to the Premier League this term, the boss will no doubt be adding players to his squad to create a team that can survive in the top flight and after the performance against Pompey, it may highlight why.
However, despite not being at the races on the afternoon, after the season Piroe’s has had so far, you certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see Farke give him the opportunity to perform in the Premier League too.