Graham Smyth believes “people are sleeping on” Leeds United star Joel Piroe this season after the club failed to sign the number ten in the summer transfer window.
The Whites were in the market to bolster their attacking midfield position after losing Crysencia Summerville and Georginio Rutter to Premier League clubs, but failed to make moves for Rolando Sallai and Gustav Hamer, leaving Daniel Farke without.
So far this season, Dutch striker Piroe and US international Brendan Aaronson have performed in that role with mixed results, leaving fans bemoaning the lack of decisiveness in the transfer window to fill such a key position.
Smyth backs Piroe to shine in 10th place
“He will hit”
Piroe was a key member of the Leeds side that reached the play-off final last season after completing a £10million move from Swansea and scored 14 points in the Championship, a tally surpassed only by the player of the year at Elland Road Summerville.
But towards the end of the season he found himself on the bench despite a reported £15,000-a-week salary and failed to adapt to the number ten role that Farke used him most often, which the Whites managed. a £13m bid for Sheffield United star Gustav Hamer and leading talks over a deal for Freiburg star Sallai.
While neither of those deals materialized, Piroe remained at Elland Road despite talking of a deal to sign Hamer – something Leeds vehemently denied – and Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth backed him to shine when he spoke on the Inside Elland Road podcast.
“Joel Piroe, who I think a lot of people sleep on because it’s not exactly 10 and it’s not exactly 9.
“He described himself on Saturday afternoon, we interviewed him in the tunnel and he described himself as a nine-and-a-half and he described Brendan [Aaronson] as a 10-and-a-half. So he said they’re both very, very different for that position, this position 10 if they play it.
“But his finishing ability is such that if you put him in those positions, he’ll get you a lot of goals. He scored in double figures last season. We should have, we should have enough [to automatically advance].”
Piroe has only started one Championship game so far this season but has come on as a substitute in every other game, scoring a goal and an assist in 104 minutes of action.
Leeds are currently unbeaten in four league games this season with two wins and two draws and sit in fourth place, but crashed out of the League Cup after a heavy defeat at rivals Middlesbrough.
Leeds United Eye Patrick Bamford Renewal
The 49ers are mulling a new contract for the star offensive lineman
Another striker who did not leave Elland Road this summer was Patrick Bamford, with journalist Ben Jacobs exclusively revealing to GIVEMESPORT that the 49ers are considering offering him a new contract.
The 31-year-old is happy to remain at the club and has never considered leaving, despite speculation surrounding his future. He has lost his place in the starting line-up to youngster Mateo Joseph so far this season, but Bamford’s experience is seen as key to promotion and the board could offer him a new deal as a priority if he proves his ability after a couple of injury-plagued years.