Having seen their six-game unbeaten run in the Championship ended at the weekend, promotion hopefuls Leeds United got back to winning ways after seeing off Queen’s Park Rangers on Wednesday night, courtesy of an early strike from Crysencio Summerville.
While the 21-year-old sensation enjoyed a fine evening after bagging his second league goal of the season, it proved to be a far more difficult affair for fellow Dutchman, Joel Piroe, with the summer signing having struggled to make his mark in his number ten berth.
As Leeds Live’s Beren Cross noted following that 1-0 win, “questions linger on how Piroe’s being used” by manager Daniel Farke, with the prolific asset – who scored 41 league goals across the last two seasons combined for Swansea City – having not exactly sparkled of late.
How did Joel Piroe perform against QPR?
As Farke himself admitted with regard to the 24-year-old, he “didn’t have his best day” in attack as he was ultimately hooked just after the hour mark, having been restricted to 28 touches in total on the night – fewer than teammate Illan Meslier (40) in the sticks.
The one-time PSV Eindhoven asset was almost entirely ineffective in his playmaking role behind Georginio Rutter, having failed to provide a single key pass, while also failing to complete either of his two attempted dribbles and losing possession on seven occasions.
Such woes were only compounded by the fact that the 6 foot 2 marksman – who was signed on a £12m deal this summer – was also something of a liability off the ball after winning none of his five total duels.
As the aforementioned Cross noted, it was ‘another game where it didn’t stick for the Dutchman’, while Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth even went as far as to suggest that it was a ‘sluggish performance’ from the former Netherlands U21 international against Gareth Ainsworth’s men.
There will be supporters who are ‘left wondering again about this experiment with him behind a striker’ – in the words of Cross – with that ‘experiment’ having not totally gone to plan of late.
How has Joel Piroe performed this season?
On the face of it, the marque signing has certainly made his mark after already netting four times following his move to Yorkshire, with that a greater tally than any other Leeds player has achieved so far this term.
Such prowess in front of goal could suggest that the versatile asset is more adept at lining up in his usual centre-forward berth, however, rather than as the link man, particularly having also disappointed against Southampton on Saturday.
Joel Piroe’s Championship record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Stats | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24* |
Games | 45 | 43 | 10 |
Goals | 22 | 19 | 4 |
Assists | 6 | 2 | 0 |
Big chances created | 6 | 5 | 0 |
Key passes per game | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
Total duels won | 34% | 30% | 32% |
Average match rating | 6.99 | 6.99 | 6.95 |
As Cross wrote following that dismal 3-1 loss, Piroe ‘did not help in any way, shape or form’ despite the midfield duo behind him having been ‘overrun’, while his efforts in attack were also ‘fluffed, tame or non-existent’, further rubberstamping his lack of impact.
While it looks as if Farke will continue to persist with that combination of Rutter and Piroe – as The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed – there must be a consideration as to whether it would be worth finding a new solution over the coming weeks and months.
Who could replace Piroe as a number ten?
In truth, Farke’s hand may well have been somewhat forced due to the fact that there are few standout options to slot into that creative berth, with Brenden Aaronson, for instance, having been shipped out on loan to Union Berlin over this summer.
With experienced Spaniard, Rodrigo also no longer at the club – and with Sam Greenwood having joined Middlesbrough on a temporary basis – it is difficult to see just where an alternative can be found to help get the forward line truly clicking into gear.
One possible candidate could well be that of Joe Gelhardt, although the 21-year-old has largely been on the periphery under Farke so far this term, failing to even make it off the bench in each of the last four games.
As such, it may be wise to look to the academy ranks instead, with another former Wigan Athletic gem currently catching the eye in the form of Sean McGurk.
How good is Sean McGurk?
While the 20-year-old may be a winger by trade, he has operated in an attacking midfield berth in four of his six Premier League 2 appearances so far this term, proving his credentials as the man to oust Piroe from that role in Farke’s senior set-up.
The emerging talent has thrived in that central role of late after already scoring three times and registering one assist in the competition to date, taking his total tally for the club’s U21 side to nine goals and five assists in 46 games across all fronts.
Such a rampant start to the new season even saw the Liverpool-born dynamo voted Leeds’ Player of the Month at that age group for September, with it coming to a point where the young whiz may prove hard to ignore as far as Farke is concerned.
As the player has himself admitted, he is someone who can be “exciting” in attack and be something of a difference-maker, having stated at the time of his arrival at Elland Road back in 2021:
“People describe me as a player who is quite exciting, I like to create goals and score goals and I think that is the strongest part of my game.”
There is seemingly a “lot to like” about the precocious ace – as the aforementioned Smyth previously suggested – while U21s boss Michael Skubala has claimed that he’s “definitely a talent on the ball“.
While young McGurk does seemingly need to work on his “all-round game“, according to Skubala, it should not be too long before a first chance to impress at first-team level does present itself, particularly with Farke not exactly blessed with too much depth in the attacking unit.
That deserved promotion could then allow Piroe to be re-housed in his favoured striking berth, bringing an end to an experiment that has proved mixed results so far.
