Leeds United seem to have finally stabilised after a rocky start to the new Championship season, with Daniel Farke now settled on what his best XI roughly looks like.
With much of the debate having surrounded the positioning of Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter, it is the latter who is certainly beginning to prove his astronomical worth.
How is Georginio Rutter playing?
As a truly foolish Jesse Marsch purchase, brought in for a club-record fee, the Frenchman was instantly handed the burden of securing Premier League safety, despite being far from the requisite level.
Having now had ample time to acclimatise to English football, Elland Road is playing host to a true masterclass, with the Frenchman seemingly putting on a show every week.
His five goal contributions in ten league games mark a fine return, and are further upheld through his 2.6 key passes per game and 2.2 successful dribbles per game, via Sofascore. He is gliding past the opposition with ease, but seems to have unlocked the true creativity within to allow him to forge opportunities for his teammates.
As such, his boss is always keen to praise him: “I think we can be absolutely happy with him, his work ethic. He is great in linking the play. He is still a relatively young lad, it’s important that we were concentrated on scoring the first goal. He had great assists, it was a top-class performance. He deserves all the praise.”
With that in mind, it still draws question marks over his credentials as a lone striker, with his skillset clearly much more preferable for an attacking midfielder.
Although Farke spoke in length on his reasons behind the strange combinations he and Piroe undergo, perhaps following the international break he could seek to return Rutter to his natural role, and instead hand Patrick Bamford one final chance to impress before shutting the door on a fine Leeds career that reached lofty heights, but recently has fell to impossible lows.
How good is Patrick Bamford?
Whilst the Englishman’s failures in front of goal from last season are likely still fresh in the memory, having first missed a late sitter against Leicester City before seeing his penalty saved by Nick Pope, there remains a top forward just waiting to be unleashed once again.
After all, the 30-year-old was once instrumental in their 2020 promotion push, before taking his game to new levels upon their Premier League return before injury struck.
It should come as no surprise that the two relegation battles came as the 6 foot 1 dud would only make seven and 18 starts in those respective campaigns.
During that remarkable Championship term, Bamford would score 16 and assist four before somehow improving that in the top flight, firing in a further 17 and assisting eight more.
He has showcased his class in the past, and with Piroe now there to ease the goalscoring burden, perhaps his return to fitness could prove incredibly profitable as they seek to earn another promotion.
After all, only three years ago saw journalist Phil Hay laud the marksman “clean and clinical“, which is a claim many would refute nowadays.
Whilst either of the striker or number ten currently featuring could move aside for Bamford, allowing him to take one last opportunity, perhaps the versatile Rutter could be preferred, and pushed either out wide or deeper into midfield to facilitate one last dance for the former Chelsea man.
