Joe Gelhardt is finished at Leeds United after 4-0 win v Ipswich Town
Mark Smith is a lifelong Leeds United fan thanks to his dad and was forced to grow up watching the -15 season and fallout from Premier League relegation in the early 2000s. He’s now putting his passion for the Whites into words with a regular fan view for MOT Leeds News…
It was the perfect appetiser ahead of Christmas Day for Leeds United as they smashed Ipswich 4-0 at Elland Road on Saturday 23 December.
Goals from Pascal Struijk, Crysencio Summerville, Joel Piroe and one in his own net from Leif Davis cut the gap to second place down to seven points.
Daniel Farke will have been delighted by the response from his unchanged side after two disappointing results against Coventry and Sunderland.
Everyone got in on the action too, with Farke going to his bench much earlier than he has been with Patrick Bamford, Willy Gnonto, Junior Firpo, Ilia Gruev and Mateo Joseph getting chances.
Despite the positives, one big question mark still surrounds Joe Gelhardt.
The young forward has never really been given the chance by Farke since the German arrived in West Yorkshire, with Joseph now looking ahead of him in the pecking order.
It looks deserved too with the young England international flying since his return from injury and not looking out of place, even getting a long conversation with the boss at full time.
So, where does that leave Gelhardt?
It is hard to argue against a January exit for the former Wigan sensation, whether on loan or even permanently, as he was temporarily shown the loan exit door last season.
With Joseph now seemingly ahead of him, it looks as though he is done at Elland Road, and it is weird to even think that he wouldn’t really be missed too much.
I for one would definitely like it to work out for Gelhardt, but when you’re pushing for promotion to the Premier League, sentiment gets thrown out of the window.
Would he get ahead of Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter, Bamford and now Joseph? It looks highly unlikely.
In other Leeds United news, a pundit cannot believe one nasty incident in the win against Ipswich