Daniel Farke addresses frustrated Leeds United away end and Joel Piroe selection after West Brom stalemate — YEP 17/8/24

By Joe Donnohue

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was pleased to take a point from his side's visit to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites' boss admitted it had been a difficult week after watching Leeds bow out of the Carabao Cup by a three-goal scoreline and to lose, in Farke's opinion, the Championship's Player of the Season-elect in Georginio Rutter.

However, the German was pleased that his team showed resilience against the Baggies, predicting that no more than five teams will leave The Hawthorns this season with all three points.

Farke acknowledged his team were hardly firing on all cylinders in attack but in the context of the past week, says he could draw many positives from the outcome as a whole.

"This outcome after really difficult week for us, I'm pretty pleased with this. We were flying after pre-season with top performances, top results in the friendlies, hardly conceded goals and in football sometimes within four or five days the world can change.

"The draw against Portsmouth was a joke, but it does something and all of a sudden you've conceded goals and then obviously a tough week for us with losing another important player.

"You have to react in the right way. You have to make sure that you're rock solid and you're set up well-structured, that you don't allow anything and you return back to your best behaviour in terms of defending and this is what we did today."

Leeds registered just a single shot on target at The Hawthorns - Ethan Ampadu's looping header midway through the second half, which was claimed in rather straightforward fashion by Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer - which led the away support to air their frustrations, perhaps exacerbated by off-field developments this week.

Farke says he understands the supporters' feelings having lost key players that are yet to be replaced.

"We lost the best player in the league Cree Summerville, the best young player in the league Archie Gray, we lost our superstar and the next destined best player in this league Georgi Rutter, we lost a pretty important player for us Glen Kamara who always played in the middle of the park, we lost our club captain and a few more. Yes, of course, you're always a bit frustrated and disappointed, you think 'come on, right now at least, I want to see a firework away at West Brom', but I also know how it works. Here, each and every side will also struggle to create an unbelievable amount of chances.

"Of course I understand this, because I always want to see us attacking and flying and be fluent and to play my idea of football but today it was more important to be there with a first step forward after a really difficult week," he added.

Farke's decision to select Joel Piroe in the No. 10 role in place of the departing Georginio came in for criticism by some supporters on social media. The manager defended his call to select the Dutchman whilst also suggesting he does not have a wealth of options to pick from in that area of the pitch.

"Joel Piroe, more or less, in this loose striker role, how he interprets it he's not the classical No. 10 but a bit more like a deeper-lying striker. Of course, he's perhaps not shining like a mobile No. 10 who runs around full of creativity and pass after pass but what he gives from this position is always to be clinical with finishing and this is what we were missing a little bit in the last days and weeks.

"I wanted also to reward him for his patience, he's always working hard and patient when a player like Georginio Rutter was playing ahead of him although he's one of the best scorers of the last three years, I wanted to reward him a little bit with my trust and my backing today. It was not an easy game for him but he also played his part in being rock solid. Yes, he can deliver a bit more being a threat in front of the opponent's goal, we all know this but I'm happy that we have Joel."