Fewer touches than Darlow: Leeds need to upgrade on £15k-p/w star & Gnonto

Five points clear of third and with just three games to go, Leeds United can begin to tentatively start plotting for life in the Premier League next season, having surged back to the summit following Friday’s narrow victory away at Oxford United.

The Yorkshire side have shaken off a March wobble amid what has been an unbeaten month so far in the Championship, with Daniel Farke’s men having now claimed three successive victories to bolster their desperate bid for promotion.

While history would suggest it would be foolish to start popping the champagne just yet, it would appear that the Whites will be able to avoid the lottery of the playoffs this time around, with Manor Solomon’s strike proving the difference at the Kassam Stadium.

The on-loan Tottenham Hotspur man expertly converted at the backpost following Jayden Bogle’s threaded pass across the box, with the visitors also going close to doubling that tally after the break, as Ao Tanaka notably struck the post from range.

Aided by the defensive solidity of the likes of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu, the Whites were thankfully not made to pay for their inability to kill the game off, albeit with questions still needing to be asked of the attacking unit – including young Wilfried Gnonto.

Wilfried Gnonto’s game in numbers vs Oxford

If and when Leeds do book their place back in the top-flight, the Elland Road side will largely have their backline to thank for that much-needed success, having shipped just 29 goals in 43 league games thus far.

While Farke’s men are also way out in front with regard to goals scored – having netted 24 more times than Burnley behind them – things have begun to dry up of late, with the league leaders scoring just five times in four outings in April.

Winning games is, undoubtedly, all that matters, although there may be a concern that Leeds aren’t truly putting teams to the sword, with Gnonto among those in the forward line who are currently failing to fire.

Indeed, the diminutive Italian – who notably looked set for an exit following the club’s relegation in 2023 – has scored just six goals and registered only five assists in the second tier this season, a record that includes just a solitary goal involvement since the start of February.

With summer signing Largie Ramazani waiting in the wings, Gnonto has still remained a first-choice figure regardless of his wayward form, with Friday evening seeing the 21-year-old fail to register a single key pass or complete a single dribble before his late withdrawal.

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The 40-touch speedster also lost five of his seven total duels and registered just a solitary shot amid his waning influence, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth awarding him a 5/10 match rating, while writing that he simply ‘couldn’t get going’.

In truth, Gnonto is hardly showcasing signs of a player who can light up the Premier League next season – the same is also true of Joel Piroe.

Why Leeds need to upgrade on £15k-p/w star

It’s worth noting that Friday wasn’t exactly a poor outing for the former Swansea City man, with Piroe notably teeing up Brenden Aaronson in the first half with a clever reverse pass – having registered two key passes in total on the night.

That said, it was another example of the Dutchman proving something of a bystander to proceedings even as his side pushed for a second, with the 25-year-old registering just 31 touches in all, fewer than teammate Karl Darlow recorded in the sticks (38).

While he can represent an effective link man, the £15k-per-week enigma hasn’t shown that much-needed cutting edge amid what is a crucial stage of the campaign, with the 15-goal marksman having now gone nine games without a goal.

What makes that record even more frustrating is that Piroe isn’t exactly thriving as the focal point in the team either, with the trip to Oxford seeing him lose the ball on ten occasions, while having lost ten of his 16 total duels.

As Smyth – who did award the former PSV man a 7/10 match rating – noted, Piroe also notably ‘faded’ after the interval, with it having been no surprise when he was ultimately replaced by Patrick Bamford on the 75-minute mark.

It would seem that Leeds will edge their way to promotion regardless of Piroe’s struggles of late, although it hardly bodes well for the impact that he can make when Farke’s side are competing in top-flight action next term.

While the signing of a new goalkeeper may be among the list of priorities this summer, the Yorkshire outfit are also in need of a genuine upgrade in the centre-forward ranks if they are to avoid a swift return to the Championship.

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