Noel Whelan: Leeds must axe in-form ace to make room for summer signing
By Harry Sykes
Noel Whelan has urged Leeds United to thrust new signing Pierre-Michel Lasogga straight into the centre-forward role following his deadline day arrival.
Kemar Roofe has been used as an emergency striker in the last two matches and has responded with four goals, including the first in last weekend’s notable 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Ex-Elland Road striker Whelan has been impressed with how attacking midfielder Roofe has adapted as the point of the attack but insists that Leeds need an orthodox spearhead given how the team is set up.
Speaking to talkSPORT 2 on Friday night, Whelan was asked for his verdict following the signing of stiker Lasogga on a season-long loan from Hamburg and Leeds’ decision to hand him Chris Wood number nine shirt.
“Yeah that’s the number we needed to replace after losing Chris Wood,” Whelan said. “Roofe has done fantastically well, scoring four goals in his two games [up front].
“But we need a targetman with the way we’re playing at the moment and we need that strength in depth.”
Wood joined Burnley in a £15million deal last month and his exit has left a huge void given that he topped the Championship charts with 27 goals last season and struck 30 in all competitions.
With Souleymane Doukara also leaving, and Marcus Antonsson on loan at Blackburn, there has been a complete overhaul of the strike force from 2016-17.
Leeds have also signed Jay-Roy Grot, another striker physically similar to Wood, and the injured Caleb Ekuban, while also completed the deadline-day capture of Pawel Cibicki.
In other Leeds United news, fans have reacted to confirmation that the club have secured a last-gasp agreement with a colossus by insisting there will be “limbs all over the shop”.
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