Joe Gelhardt future at Leeds United hangs in the balance after poor loan form at Sunderland
Leeds United academy graduate Joe Gelhardt may be fearing for his future at Leeds United as his struggles on loan at Sunderland continued on Wednesday night (15 March).
The 20-year-old forward was given the green light by the Leeds hierarchy in the January transfer window to get some game time under his belt in the Championship, but more importantly, to get back to scoring goals consistently.
However, ever since his move to the Stadium of Light, the England youth international has struggled to find any kind of fluency in his game, despite being consistently backed by manager Tony Mowbray.
The Black Cats boss admitted that Gelhardt was having a crisis of confidence in a recent interview [Northern Echo, 12 March], having scored just one goal from his nine appearances at the club so far.
His barren run in front of goal continued in Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat against Championship playoff contenders Sheffield United, with Gelhardt given 70 minutes before being subbed off for Alex Pritchard.
The young attackers’ future at Elland Road will likely hinge on whether the club remain in the Premier League next season.
If Javi Gracia masterminds an escape from the clutches of relegation, Gelhardt could well be playing for his future right now.
With other young talents such as Geroginio Rutter, Willy Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville already occupying spots in the first-team attacking ranks and the likes of Matteo Joesph and Sonny Perkins hot on their heels following strong campaigns for the academy, Gelhardt faces a heap of competition for a spot in West Yorkshire.
The other nagging question that remains is what the Englishman’s best position is.
During his time with the first team at Leeds, Gelhardt was swapped back and forth between a central and a wide attacking role, a theme that has continued at Sunderland.
Although having this flexibility is useful, in Gelhardt’s case, it looks to have hindered his chances. With so many attacking options at Elland Road right now, the former Wigan youth product needs to nail down a spot and come back to the club a more rounded player.
The coming months could be the most critical of Gelhardt’s career to date. If he fails to deliver the goods in the Championship, the forward’s future at Leeds United could be brought into question.
In other Leeds news, the club are set to finalise a first-team transfer this month with negotiations over a contract ongoing.
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