Joel Piroe must improve after futile performance against Sheffield Wednesday
Joel Piroe must harness his early Leeds United success to improve after his lacklustre performance in the Whites’ 0-0 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
The Dutchman got life at Elland Road off to a great start, clinching himself a debut goal in Leeds’ 4-3 thriller against Ipswich Town.
His 19th-minute strike showed exactly why Daniel Farke was keen to bring him in. He gobbled up the goalkeeper’s parried save and slotted the ball into the back of the net like a true poacher.
Expectations weigh heavy on Piroe’s shoulders, but he passed the first test with his debut goal. However, his lacklustre performance in Leeds’ most recent game left a lot to be desired. He must bounce back quickly to help turn the tide on Leeds’ declining form.
With just one victory in their last five matches, including a surprise exit from the EFL Cup at the hands of League Two strugglers Salford City, Farke will be relying on his new main man to get the goals, and they will need to come quickly.
Against Sheffield Wednesday, Piroe floundered. He was not the looming goal threat that haunted Ipswich and managed just 0.09 expected goals. He is known for his creativity too, but on this front, he struggled as he mustered just 0.02 expected assists. [SofaScore]
While he did get significantly more touches than his strike partner Geroginio Rutter, with 40 and 28 respectively, this still paled in comparison to Willy Gnonto (76 touches) and Crysencio Summerville (72 touches). He will hope to be much more involved in games if he is not scoring.
Of course, the stats never tell the full story. However, Piroe’s performance does not look any better on the pitch as it does in the stats.
He didn’t find himself with many chances, but the few he did have were wasteful and uninspiring. In the first half at Elland Road, he found himself in a good position just outside the area as he was running with the ball on goal.
While he was under pressure from the oncoming Wednesday defence, his subsequent shot was poor. He dragged his shot well wide of the post to the unchallenged ‘keeper’s left. As he jogged away after the shot, he shared a wry look with Willy Gnonto – he knew he should have done much better.
Leeds has the lion’s share of possession, with 67% and managed to create more chances than Wednesday. But Piroe was uninvolved with anything decent Farke’s side conjured and seemed to lag a few seconds behind his more active teammates.
Obviously, it is far too early to write Piroe off yet. He has justified his £10million-plus price tag after his sensational form with Swansea City and will most likely play a big role for Leeds this season.
However, 0.09xG is poor for any forward, especially considering his 0.76xG from his debut.
He must improve significantly on his performance on Saturday as the Whites will need his goal-scoring prowess if they want to return to the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has shared what Daniel Farke said about Luis Sinisterra’s move to Bournemouth.