Leeds United are back in action in the Championship for the first time since Christmas as they travel to Stoke City for an away game on Boxing Day.
The Whites are currently second in the division and will hope to maintain their place in the automatic promotion spots with a win over Narcis Pelach’s side this afternoon.
Daniel FarkeEngland’s men won convincingly 4-0 against Oxford United at Elland Road last weekend, thanks to goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon.
However, the German coach could still make some changes to his starting eleven from that match onwards, and one player who could be left out is Joel Piroe.
Why Joel Piroe could be eliminated
The Dutch striker was selected to start as Leeds’ number nine against Oxford and was directly involved in one of the four goals, helping Solomon score in the second half with a pass into the box for the winger.
Piroe, however, has only scored a goal in his last seven games in the Championship and his all-round game still leaves a lot to be desired.
|
Against Oxford United |
joel piro |
|---|---|
|
Shooting |
3 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Completed Passes |
10 |
|
Duels won |
0/2 |
|
Completed dribbles |
0/0 |
As you can see from the table above, the former Swansea marksman was a lightweight upfield, completing just ten passes and losing 100% of his duels, while also wasting his shot attempts.
The left-footed striker’s work without possession has been terrible throughout the season, as he has lost a staggering amount 73% of his duels on land and in the air.
With this and the hectic festive schedule in mind, Farke must leave the Leeds lightweight on the bench and offer Mateo Joseph another chance to impress early on.
Why Mateo Joseph should start
The Spanish under-21 international, who was once described as “dynamite” Within under-23 scout Antonio Mango’s area, he has started ten of his 22 appearances in the Championship so far this season.
Despite his inexperience and age, having turned 21 in October, he has fared better in duels than Piroe, winning 36% of his ground duels and 30% of his battles in total, which suggests that he offers a little more than the Dutchman in physical competitions.
José has scored two goalsHe created four “big chances” and recorded three assists in the division, despite only starting ten games, and this shows that the youngster has the ability to make an impact in the final third.
However, the youth player has only scored two goals from 3.61xGand his wasteful finishing could be the reason why Farke has not opted to select him as a week-in, week-out starter instead of Piroe.
The Dutchman’s poor performance, despite assisting the fourth goal, against Oxford could provide Joseph with the opportunity to come in and show the manager that he has what it takes to be Leeds’ leading number nine going forward this season.
