Leeds United have been knocked out of the League Cup at the earliest possible opportunity after a 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at Elland Road on Tuesday night.
The Whites have now conceded six goals in their first two games of the season in all competitions, having drawn 3-3 with Portsmouth in their first Championship match on Saturday.
All three of Middlesbrough's goals came in the space of 17 minutes in the second half, from the 50th through to the 67th, after it had been a fairly even first 45.
Whilst there are obvious concerns defensively, given the six goals conceded in two matches, Daniel Farke's forwards let him down badly against Boro – including Joel Piroe, who was even worse than Brenden Aaronson.
Why Joel Piroe was worse than Brenden Aaronson
Both players were selected as part of the three attacking midfield players behind Patrick Bamford in the League Cup clash but failed to provide a goal or an assist, as Leeds failed to score on the night.
However, Aaronson did create one 'big chance' for his teammates and this suggests that he was slightly unfortunate to end the match without an assist to his name.
The USA international, who scored in the 3-3 draw with Portsmouth on Saturday, did not have an outstanding display but still outperformed Piroe.
G/A
0
0
Big chances missed
0
1
Big chances created
1
0
Pass accuracy
89%
76%
Possession lost
8x
10x
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman was far less secure in possession and missed a 'big chance' to find the back of the net, without creating any for his fellow attackers.
The former Swansea star, who had fewer touches (33) than goalkeeper Karl Darlow (45), was awarded a match rating of 3/10 by LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, who described the attacking midfielder as a 'non-existent threat'.
Overall, Piroe let Farke down badly because he stepped into the side and did not perform to a high-level to help Leeds qualify for the next round. On another day, the left-footed ace could have scored his 'big chance' and it may have been a different match.
What Farke should do next
The German head coach must now ruthlessly ditch Piroe from the starting XI for the clash with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
It was a huge opportunity for the 25-year-old to show the manager that he deserves more minutes on the pitch. Instead, he has given the former Norwich tactician a reason not to select him from the start in the coming matches.
Georginio Rutter should now return to the team in the number ten position due to his immense creativity in the middle of the park for the West Yorkshire outfit.
The French wizard created 22 'big chances' and assisted 15 goals in 45 appearances in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he can consistently split open opposition defences to create high-quality opportunities for the side.
Piroe, meanwhile, created just three 'big chances' and assisted three goals in 41 outings in the second tier for Leeds and Swansea, who he started the season with, last term.
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These statistics, and the Dutchman's dreadful display against Boro, suggests that Rutter is the clear favourite to start in a number ten position, which is where the creativity should be coming from in the XI.
