After a torrid week of results, Leeds United’s focus must now be on Monday night’s tricky looking trip to Middlesbrough.
Leeds picked up just one point from three matches against Coventry City, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers to see the momentum in their automatic promotion push come to a grinding halt.
Daniel Farke’s side do remain in the race thanks to results elsewhere, but it is going to take a serious improvement in form to finish inside the top two.
Leicester City defender Conor Coady believes the pressure has actually got to all of the top three lately, and so whoever can come out of that rut quickest will be who returns to the Premier League.
Farke actually opted to make a few changes to his starting XI last weekend, and while Willy Gnonto was ‘excellent’, others were not so much.
Gnonto ‘excellent’ despite Leeds defeat
Gnonto had been fire on after coming into the team in early February, having netted six goals in nine starts in the absence of Dan James.
The 20-year-old had firmly made that spot his own until picking up an injury at the worst possible time on international duty. It saw him miss games with Watford and Hull City, and restricted him to just substitute appearances against Coventry City and Sunderland.
However, Gnonto was the one bright spark at the weekend, getting off a couple of decent shots, a pinpoint cross for Patrick Bamford, and a number of key passes.
Farke must now drop Piroe from Leeds’ starting XI
One of Farke’s changes that was not particularly effective was Joel Piroe, who came in up front in place of Bamford.
Bamford certainly was in need of dropping after looking ‘lethargic’ in recent weeks, but Piroe was not much better either. He was urged by teammate Connor Roberts to show more ‘urgency’.
Piroe is seen as one of the most ‘clinical’ members in the squad but unfortunately, leading the line he does not do enough to effect the game.
With that in mind, Farke should move him back to the bench as an impact sub for when Leeds are chasing a goal, just like at Coventry recently.
Instead, Mateo Joseph should be the man rewarded with a start, or move Georginio Rutter back up front, with Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and James in behind.