‘Banging on the gaffer’s door’: BBC pundit says Leeds player could start questioning Daniel Farke very soon

The BBC’s Jon Newsome believes Daniel Farke has yet to find his ideal number nine at Leeds United this season.

   Newsome was speaking after Leeds’ 0-0 draw with Bristol City saw Farke’s side fail to score for the third time this season.

   For the fourth game in a row, it was Joel Piroe who was tasked with leading the Leeds line, but just like in the last two, he struggled to have any impact on the game.

   Piroe offers absolutely nothing in the backfield and his link-up game is also very accurate.    In games like this where Leeds struggle to create chances, he often becomes a passenger.

   Mateo Joseph replaced Piroe with about 20 minutes left in the game, but was again guilty of missing a good chance when he headed home Sam Byram’s cross.

   Jon Newsome claims Patrick Bamford at Leeds

   You can make a case for and against Piroe and Joseph based on the two options Farke has used the most this season.

   Piroe is the more clinical of the two, but he really needs match conditions to favor his chances of getting away from him, which is why he’s been so successful off the bench in games Leeds have won.

   Joseph, meanwhile, is far more reliable with his link-up game, offering runs in the gap and taking advantage of opportunities due to his movement, but has been guilty of missing some big chances.

   In Patrick Bamford, Farke has a third strike option at his disposal, but to say he has been used sporadically this season would be an understatement.

   Given his small goalscoring spell between January and March last season, Bamford clearly has something to offer at this level.

   Farke has insisted that Bamford will play separately at some point, but after another disappointing display in minutes, pundit Newsome told BBC Radio Leeds after the game that he may start “knocking” on Farke’s door very soon.

   He said: “I don’t know, I think at some point he’s definitely going to knock on the door and ask, ‘when is he going to get his chance?'”

   Bamford stats for Leeds 2024/25

   Bamford has had some injury problems this season but has been fully fit for nearly a month without really being used.

   His stats so far are pretty dismal and if Farke is reluctant to use him even when his other two forwards aren’t firing, then the question is when will he?