"Damned if he does" - Leeds United dilemma addressed involving Joel Piroe & Mateo Joseph | OneFootball

The duo will both be hoping to be given the chance to lead the line when the Whites face Sheffield United next week

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Joel Piroe grabbed himself another goal in Leeds United’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland last time out, as he continues to battle Mateo Joseph for a starting spot in Daniel Farke’s side.

Despite Joseph being the regular starter under Farke so far in 2024-25, it was the Dutchman making the most of a rare outing from the outset to grab his side’s equaliser with a well-taken header midway through the first half at the Stadium of Light.

While Joseph continues to be the preferred choice as it stands, the Spaniard has netted just once all season, while Piroe has four, leading to debate as to who should be in the starting eleven when the Championship season resumes in ten day’s time.

With that in mind, we posed the question to Football League World’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith to get his view on the striking situation at Elland Road.

Daniel Farke urged to stick rather than twist for Sheffield United clash

The Whites will continue their campaign with the visit of Sheffield United next Friday night, with the two Yorkshire rivals going toe-to-toe in the top of the table clash in LS11.

Having been given the opportunity to impress from the start in the showdown against Sunderland, Piroe took his chance with both hands, with his goal and linkup play helping his side take the advantage after falling behind early doors.

If it wasn’t for Illan Meslier’s late error, the forward would have done his job for the night in earning his side the in, with Joseph coming on to replace him with just 13 minutes left on the clock.

That goal marked his fourth in his last six Championship matches, with Coventry, Cardiff and Hull all feeling his wrath over the past few weeks, as he looks back to his old goalscoring ways.

But despite that return to form, Smith is adamant that Joseph should be recalled to the starting lineup for the clash with the Blades, given his all-round ability which benefits the team.

Smith told Football League World: “Picking who starts up front at the moment is quite a tough situation that Daniel Farke finds himself in, because I feel like he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t when it comes to playing Piroe.

“I think there is merits to both arguments, and looking at his performance against Sunderland, it was exactly what we needed in that game, and it is exactly what we needed to see from Piroe when he is leading the line.

“The frustration for me is that we know he can play like that - he did it in the playoff semi-final against Norwich last season - but he so often produces really lethargic performances with no energy on the ball, or out of possession in pressing, just like the play-off final and other performances where he has been anonymous.

“For that reason, I still do think that Mateo Joseph is the best and most consistent number nine option that we have; given that he can do everything as a number nine much better than Piroe, other than finishing chances.”

Joel Piroe can still be a difference maker for Leeds United even if not starting

While Piroe has always been a player that drops deeper to collet balls from midfield rather than play off the shoulder of the last defender, he has been proving his goalscoring instincts are as potent as ever in recent weeks, with a number of top strikes to his name.

Having joined Leeds last summer, the Dutchman netted 13 times in the Championship, following on from his returns of 22 and 19 for Swansea City in the two seasons before, where he garnered a reputation as one of the EFL’s top marksman.

With that sort of form continuing to shine of late, Farke has a decision on his hands over the next week over where to put his confidence in the striker department, with Smith not envious of the position the German is in.

Smith added: “He (Piroe) has never been a number nine for Leeds in the mould that we need, or the type that Farke desires to lead the line, but then when he doesn’t start, people are wondering why such a good goalscorer is not playing.

“That sort of aspect is what makes the side work better as a whole. Obviously, your match-winning goals that Piroe can get is a difference-maker, and that is fair enough.

“Having said that, overall it is a healthy dilemma that Farke has got on his hands, given he has one striker that can do everything other than score, that makes the team work better, then he has another forward who is just burying every chance that drops to him at the moment.

“It is kind of the best of both worlds.”