In the second half at Brighton, Leeds United needed to find their way back into the game with a goal, but Joel Piroe was not considered from the bench by Daniel Farke.
United’s chief concern this season in their quest for survival has been their inability to consistently carve out chances.
Brighton haven’t exactly been a solid defensive side this season, yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League. Leeds, though, gave the Seagulls their first shutout of the campaign.
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Joel Piroe overlooked as Leeds United struggle for goals at Brighton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains Leeds’ undisputed starting striker this season, and there’s plenty to like about what he offers. A direct route out from the back, a superb aerial presence, and a solid link-up player as well.
However, his toils up front against Brighton yielded precious little. Leeds didn’t play to the forward’s undeniable strengths, and he was hooked after 65 minutes for Lukas Nmecha.
|Dominic Calvert-Lewin v Brighton|
|:---|---|
|Minutes played|65|
|Touches|19|
|Shots (on target)|1 (0)|
|Pass success|5/8 (63%)|
|Duels won|4/9|
Nmecha had the biggest chance of the game at 3-0, forcing a low save out of Bart Verbruggen before Anton Stach’s follow-up was beaten away. Meanwhile, Joel Piroe watched on from the bench.
The Dutchman started the first two games this season in the Premier League, only to have been firmly dumped down the third choice, now an unused sub in the last two.
Joel Piroe surely considering Leeds United future after latest snub
It’s no shock that Farke has ultimately decided that Piroe is his third-best striker for this survival battle. What we know about Piroe is in stark contrast to what we need right now.
Joel Piroe hasn’t started a Leeds United game since mid-August. (REUTERS/David Klein)
Yes, there’s no denying he’s United’s best finisher. However, there’s more to it and a lot of it hinges on athleticism and doing the ugly side of the game well.
10 games in, Piroe’s drop down the pecking order is well established and it begs the question of what should follow in January.
The Dutchman had offers in the summer, but opted to stay. Now, knowing that he’s barely going to get starts while Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha are fit, his stance might change.
In the right side, Piroe can thrive much more than he can in a Premier League relegation scrap. Knowing Leeds are going to look for more firepower and creativity in the January window, they might also be more receptive to offers that come Piroe’s way.
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