Graham Smyth shares what Leeds United man Joel Piroe told him at Elland Road
Graham Smyth has revealed that Leeds United attacker Joel Piroe told him that his best position was as a “nine and a half” after the clash with Hull City.
The 25-year-old picked up his first goal of the Championship season in the Whites’ 2-0 win over Hull City last time out, coming off of the bench to secure all three points for Daniel Farke’s side at Elland Road.
Although the Dutchman has had to settle for a place on the bench for the majority of the season so far, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Smyth believes he could still have a major role to play in the promotion race.
Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast (5 September, 34:55) he said: “Joel Piroe who I feel a lot of people are kind of sleeping on because he’s not really the 10 and not quite the nine.
“He described himself on Saturday afternoon, we interviewed him in the tunnel and he described himself as a nine and a half and Brenden Aaronson as a 10 and a half.”
Will Joel Piroe exit Elland Road after Leeds United transfer speculation?
Piroe was surrounded by transfer speculation in the final days of the transfer window as reports suggested he had been offered as part of a player-plus-cash swap deal to sign Gustavo Hamer [Sheffield Star, 29 August].
While Leeds United have denied these reports and suggested that the Dutchman is a crucial part of Farke’s squad [Graham Smyth, 29 August], supporters have remained divided over what the 25-year-old really offers to the side.
When deployed as a striker, the former Swansea man doesn’t appear to have that ruthlessness to find the net and when introduced as a number 10, he doesn’t appear to have that cutting edge to play a defence-splitting pass.
As the forward admits himself, he doesn’t really have a natural position in Farke’s plans currently and that makes it very hard to find a way to get him into the starting XI regularly.
Hopefully, as the season goes on, Piroe will settle into his new role as he did last season. It is clear that there is a player in there, now the manager just has to find a way to get him firing week in and week out.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have reacted to new PSR developments at Leicester City after last year’s promotion race
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