Leeds United employee issues divisive Joe Gelhardt claim after latest
Noel Whelan has suggested Jesse Marsch should play Joe Gelhardt as a natural number nine for Leeds United.
The former Leeds striker and club ambassador, speaking exclusive to Football Insider, claimed fans would be divided “50/50” over where the 19-year-old’s best position is.
As quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post on Monday (4 April), Marsch revealed he plans on “expanding” Gelhardt’s role within the side to establish him as a first-team regular.
Gelhardt started as an out-and-out striker for the Whites’ under-23s against Crystal Palace on Monday.
However, he has also been used as a second striker or number 10 when coming off the bench in senior games.
Whelan insisted the teenager has proven his ability in both positions.
Asked what he sees as Gelhardt’s best position, Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Well, I think that’s the problem at the minute. We’re all looking at him and thinking where is his best position?
“We haven’t seen a long run of games with him. So it’s very difficult to say he’s a natural number nine. The one thing we can say is he’s a natural finisher.
“The short amount of time and chances that he’s had, he’s put them away. That fox in and around the box. He’s one of those kinds of players who always finds the right timing of a run.
“He knows where the ball is, anticipation is fantastic. But then again, we have also seen him win penalties from outside the box. He has turned defenders, driven past the backline and forced fouls.
“I think he’s one of these players that like to play against the back of defenders, right on their shoulders. Then again, when you look at some of his runs, they come from a lot deeper into good areas inside that six-yard box and penalty spot.
“This is one where I think a lot of people are going to be 50/50 on. Is he better as a number 10, is he a natural number nine?
“I’m not too sure myself, to be quite honest. It is very difficult because he has not really been playing a really structured number nine role.
“Sometimes we’ve seen Jack Harrison come into that number nine position, we’ve seen Daniel James come in. They’re all moving across that front three line.
“People dropping in, Rodrigo taking Gelhardt’s place, Gelhardt dropping back, the interchanging that we’ve got is fantastic.
“I do think, the way I’ve seen him in and around the box, the strength for such a small lad, I like him in that number nine position. I really do.”
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