Dom Matteo, a former Leeds United player, has refuted the notion that Joel Piroe is playing too deep in the Leeds attack this season.
Following Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League, most fans agreed that greater firepower was required in the Leeds attack under Daniel Farke, especially after the loss of Rodrigo.
Leeds did so with significant intent, bringing in Joel Piroe from Swansea City for a rumoured £10.5 million upfront cost.
How is Piroe performing?
Piroe has scored four goals in six Leeds outings since arriving from Michael Duff’s side, assisting the club to victories over Ipswich, Millwall, and Watford.
The only issue with Piroe’s play thus far is that he is in attacking midfield but appears to be more of a second striker, which means that when Leeds is in build-up, he can look an ill-fit for the role – rather than someone more suited to playing as an attacking midfielder rather than a deep-lying striker.
Dom Matteo rejects the suggestion
Former Leeds player Dom Matteo has now spoken to LeedsLive about the Dutchman’s skills, dismissing the notion that he needs to play as the club’s number nine in order to reach his finest, most consistent form. He stated:
“We discussed getting a true goal scorer. He’s certainly lived up to expectations. Piroe is one of those people who just knows where to be. People claim he plays too deep, but I disagree.
“He gets into the box at the perfect time, and the ball comes to him.” His timing is impeccable. The best thing about him is that he always knows where to go.”
Predictions for Leeds United vs. QPR?
Piroe’s goals at Swansea and his goals so far at Leeds show that he is most suited to playing off a focal point like Georginio Rutter.
He never scores as the line-breaking forward, but rather through third-man runs and peeling off to the back post, where he has scored for us.
Playing him with his back to goal goes against what he does best: finding space behind the opposing midfield.
It can be disappointing to see him miss significant chunks of games, but that is the guy we have, and we must play to his strengths.
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