Leeds United are one of England’s finest footballing institutions, and as such boasts a rich history laden with European adventures, trophy-winning exploits and supremely memorable moments.
However, the former two have certainly been in short supply in recent memory, with their 2004 relegation proving to be catastrophic for the long-term future of the club. It would take 16 years for them to return to the top flight, enduring numerous trials and tribulations across that period which caused such misery.
The ever-changing and often dysfunctional hierarchies that oversaw such failure were largely to blame, as it was their financial mismanagement which led to dropping out of the Premier League, but even during their Championship stint and a brief flirtation with League One, the decision-making was torrid.
Even in the modern era, the same foolish errors continue to be made, with Andrea Radrizzani the latest villain to add to the long and ever-growing list. It was his choices which led them back into the second division, with Daniel Farke having been handed a broken outfit with the task of leading them to promotion.
That being said, already the German has taken great strides towards such a goal, having invested with intelligence over the summer to bolster a squad that was ravaged by various questionable clauses left in contracts by the old ownership.
With 15 senior players departing, it remained clear one position that needed particular strengthening: a striker. Fortunately for the former Norwich City boss, he got his man in Joel Piroe.
How is Joel Piroe playing?
Unloading around £10m to tempt Piroe to Elland Road marked an almighty bargain for the Yorkshire outfit, as it saw them instantly attain a proven goalscorer for this level.
Having joined Swansea City from his homeland, the former Feyenoord finisher would score 22 and assist six in his debut term, before recording a further 19 goals the following season.
Such consistency in front of goal is a rare commodity nowadays, with former boss Russell Martin having praised his performances: “If you wanted it to fall to anyone, it is him, he is so clinical with both feet, and he is a great technician.
“But the most important thing he has is the right mentality when he gets around the goal. He shows composure, he is calm, and he just focuses on his technique, something that all top strikers possess.”
Despite all of these starring attributes, which were in line to make him an instant hit at his new club, Farke clearly has other ideas. Although the Dutchman fired home a debut goal in their first and only win of the campaign thus far, their most recent fixture saw him deployed in a far deeper role, dropping into midfield at times.
Unsurprisingly, this nullified their attack, and they were held 0-0 by a poor Sheffield Wednesday side.
If the German is so intent on maintaining such a tactical notion, he will continue to draw frustration from fans. Many will likely even be harking back to their elite strikers of the past who could fulfil such a role, with there being one true standout in Jermaine Beckford who would surely fire them to promotion if he were to have his time again in Yorkshire.
How good was Jermaine Beckford?
Beckford is a hero around Elland Road, having come up from seemingly nowhere to fire them out of their darkest period as a club.
Playing non-league football whilst working as a repairman, it was a simple start to life for the now 39-year-old, who would go on to become one of League One’s most prolific forwards.
However, that all changed when he heard of Leeds’ interest: “Leeds United? Seriously?’ I was on my way. It was a two-second decision. I felt really awkward because I’d told Boothroyd I would sign and he thought I was making a mistake. He told me I’d play more at Watford,” he told The Athletic.
Even if they would find their way to the Premier League before he did, he explained his decision with immense passion and a love for the club that few players nowadays would understand:
“The thing is — and it’s hard to explain this unless you saw it through my eyes — but once I played for Leeds there was literally no other club in the world I’d have swapped them for. I embraced everything about it, the club, the city, the culture. I’d got a taste and you couldn’t tell me it was better elsewhere. I wasn’t listening.”
Having made his debut in the Championship, after a couple of loan spells, he returned ready for first-team action despite their relegation. The 2007/08 season would mark his breakthrough, as he started it in blistering fashion before finishing on 20 league goals for the year. However, it would not be enough for promotion.
# | League One’s All-Time Top Goalscorers | Goals Scored, via Transfermarkt |
|---|---|---|
1 | Jamie Cureton | 135 |
2 | Ian Henderson | 122 |
3 | Will Grigg | 116 |
4 | Rickie Lambert | 113 |
5 | Paddy Madden | 113 |
6 | James Haytor | 112 |
7 | Jermaine Beckford | 107 |
The term following he would improve upon those numbers, but again his 27 goals in League One could not push them over the line and they remained in the division. He would even claim the league’s Player of the Year award as if to exacerbate his failure to earn promotion.
It would certainly be third time lucky for Beckford though, who added some creativity to his game to forge seven assists alongside his 25 goals. They would go up in second under Simon Grayson’s leadership, cementing the forward’s status as a “legend” in the eyes of reporter Anthony Lewis and much of the fanbase. 2010 was at last a good year to be a Leeds fan.
However, despite finally triumphing after years of relentlessly pushing, this would mark the end of his journey with the club he had clearly fallen in love with.
The finances looked no better despite moving up a level, and it almost seemed like the club owed something to the six-cap ex-Jamaica international when they cancelled his contract to allow him to move to Everton.
He would never score with the same consistency that he did at Leeds, but it would have marked an impossible task to maintain such ludicrous numbers.
Beckford is still remembered with fondness today, even despite the stain that his transfer requests left at the time, as he was the man who stuck with them despite all their struggles. The free-scoring forward was not to bail out on his club despite their failure to achieve promotion, only leaving once he’d finished what he started.
Grayson owes plenty of his success to the heroic forward, and were he in Farke’s team today, Piroe would certainly have to step aside to let the promotion king do what he does best.
