Promotion-seeking Leeds United defeated Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday night, thanks to an early goal from Crysencio Summerville, after their six-game unbeaten run in the Championship was snapped at the weekend.
While Joel Piroe, a fellow Dutchman who was signed in the summer, found it much more difficult to establish himself in his number ten position, the 21-year-old wonder had a great evening thanks to his second league goal of the year.
As Leeds Live’s Beren Cross noted following that 1-0 win, “questions linger on how Piroe’s being used” by manager Daniel Farke, with the prolific asset – who scored 41 league goals across the last two seasons combined for Swansea City – having not exactly sparkled of late.
How did Joel Piroe perform against QPR?
As Farke himself admitted with regard to the 24-year-old, he “didn’t have his best day” in attack as he was ultimately hooked just after the hour mark, having been restricted to 28 touches in total on the night – fewer than teammate Illan Meslier (40) in the sticks.
The one-time PSV Eindhoven asset was almost entirely ineffective in his playmaking role behind Georginio Rutter, having failed to provide a single key pass, while also failing to complete either of his two attempted dribbles and losing possession on seven occasions.
Such woes were only compounded by the fact that the 6 foot 2 marksman – who was signed on a £12m deal this summer – was also something of a liability off the ball after winning none of his five total duels.
As the aforementioned Cross noted, it was ‘another game where it didn’t stick for the Dutchman’, while Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth even went as far as to suggest that it was a ‘sluggish performance’ from the former Netherlands U21 international against Gareth Ainsworth’s men.
There will be supporters who are ‘left wondering again about this experiment with him behind a striker’ – in the words of Cross – with that ‘experiment’ having not totally gone to plan of late.
How has Joel Piroe performed this season?
On the face of it, the marque signing has certainly made his mark after already netting four times following his move to Yorkshire, with that a greater tally than any other Leeds player has achieved so far this term.
Such prowess in front of goal could suggest that the versatile asset is more adept at lining up in his usual centre-forward berth, however, rather than as the link man, particularly having also disappointed against Southampton on Saturday.
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