Leeds United’s uninspiring start to the new season continued in the Midlands on Saturday afternoon, as Daniel Farke’s side had to settle for a 0-0 draw against West Brom at The Hawthorns.
All things considered, it was a fairly respectable result given the events of the past week.
Leeds kicked off the season with a 3-3 draw against Portsmouth, followed by a heavy defeat to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup, conceding six goals across their first two matches—a feat not seen since 1959. Clearly, it hasn’t been the best of starts.
The loss of Georginio Rutter only added to their woes, with his absence painfully evident this weekend. Leeds managed just six touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the lowest ever recorded under Farke’s management.
Their performance in the first half was bleak, with only 50% pass accuracy in the final third. The statistics make for grim reading.
As for Rutter’s future, it was confirmed shortly after the Boro defeat that Brighton had triggered his £40m release clause. It was a bitter pill to swallow for a fan base already reeling from the departures of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville.
So, when will Rutter’s departure be official? Farke revealed in his pre-match press conference that he had already bid farewell to the squad.
Leeds initially signed Rutter for £25m in 2023, so the club stands to make a significant profit. However, without the Frenchman and Summerville, the road to Premier League promotion looks considerably tougher.
Joel Piroe stepped in for Rutter against West Brom but failed to impress in a concerning performance.
Piroe’s numbers don’t inspire confidence. After joining from Swansea City last summer, he tallied 16 goals and three assists during the 2023/24 season but struggled in the number 10 role, despite half of his goals coming from that position.
It was frustrating for fans to see him deployed in that role again against West Brom. Substituted after 64 minutes for Joe Rothwell, Piroe left the field with just 23 touches—far fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier’s 49.
The 25-year-old managed only six passes, none of which created any scoring chances. In a creative role like his, that simply isn’t enough. By contrast, Rutter finished last season with 16 assists, 13 more than Piroe.
To make matters worse, Piroe lost possession 13 times and won just one of his eight duels.
Unsurprisingly, Piroe faced criticism after the match, receiving a 4/10 rating from journalist Beren Cross, who described his performance as a “familiar and poor display” that “left much to be desired.”
In short, it wasn’t a strong audition from Piroe as Farke tries to fill the void left by Rutter’s departure.
While it’s a long season and Leeds will likely improve, the signs aren’t encouraging if the club relies on an internal solution for the number 10 role. For their next match, the manager might need to try a different approach and consider benching Piroe.
