Daniel Farke regretting Leeds rift as on-loan striker outperforms star duo
Leeds have done well on their return to the Premier League but have struggled to make things tick in attack so far.
Leeds cruised back to the Premier League as winners of the Championship last season, with Joel Piroe picking up the league’s Golden Boot for his 19 strikes.
Daniel Farke made it clear that he wanted to add to his front-line despite Piroe’s strong second-tier form, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made the move to Leeds in the summer after leaving Everton, while Lukas Nmecha also arrived on a free.
Neither of their new arrivals have started off on a great note in front of goal this season, with one goal each in all competitions so far, while Piroe is yet to score in five appearances.
Farke’s side have done well despite those woes, with 11 points to see them into 15th place in the top-flight, but the German boss may well be rueing a past dispute with a player who could have been an asset to them in attack this season.
Mateo Joseph left Leeds and is now doing better than their strikers
Mateo Joseph made 41 appearances in all competitions for Leeds last season, but only started 13 of those as Farke stuck by Piroe and also gave minutes to Patrick Bamford.
He scored and assisted three goals each in those appearances, but an exit seemed likely in the summer after a campaign of being used as a back-up at 21-years-old.
Joseph failed to show up to Leeds’ pre-season training camp in Germany in August as Farke admitted that the plan was for him to be in the squad but the Spaniard had “asked for a new challenge and would like to move.”
La Liga outfit Mallorca swooped to sign Joseph on loan later that month, with no option-to-buy as the Whites see him having a future at Elland Road, and he has done well so far this season back in his home country.
Joseph has netted twice and notched an assist in 10 games for Mallorca, or 530 minutes, meaning he is averaging one goal contribution every 176 minutes.
Calvert-Lewin has one contribution in 566 minutes so far this term, while Piroe is yet to score or assist and Nmecha has one contribution in his 233 minutes on the pitch.
It is clear that the Spaniard is performing better in a pretty similar team, considering Mallorca sit 16th in La Liga, and so could really have been an asset to the Whites this season.
Farke and Joseph fell out and are not seeing eye-to-eye
There were numerous rumours around Joseph’s refusal to train and subsequent exit, and he moved to address them in an interview with The Athletic a week after his loan move had been confirmed.
After being asked about how he felt after starting last season as a regular then finishing it playing a bit-part role, he said: “That’s a question I ask myself too. And so do those around me. I think the coach (Farke) didn’t have much confidence in me.
“He’s shown me (that) with situations like the Chelsea game, which was more or less my debut. I scored two goals, played the whole game and felt really good, and then in the next away game (against Huddersfield Town), I didn’t play a single minute.
“I don’t dwell on it too much but I want to enjoy football again, and I would have liked more honesty.“
He went on to explain that he felt Farke had not told the full truth prior to his exit, saying: “This season, he told me that he wasn’t counting on me. Then I saw that there were quotes (saying) he told me that I didn’t want to go to Germany, that he couldn’t force me.
“That wasn’t the case. He told me that it was fine if I didn’t go. Ultimately, I consider myself an honest person, and I want that to be reflected when people talk about me. That’s why I try to be a good person and work hard every day.“
Joseph is now doing well at Mallorca, and more importantly is doing better than Leeds’ current strikers in terms of contributing to goals, and so Farke may well regret not being more honest and trying to work things out with him in the summer.