Leeds United’s summer transfer window filled many of the voids left by the club’s mass departure, but despite the fact that the playing group has been suitably boosted, it appears Daniel Farke is still unsure about his strongest side and their preferred roles…

One stunning example was his usage of Joel Piroe in a deeper role versus Sheffield Wednesday, despite the fact that he had been signed as the answer to their striker issues.

How is Joel Piroe playing?

The Dutchman arrived for £10.5 million in late August and scored one of four goals in the club’s 4-0 thrashing of Ipswich Town on the road. His late entrance arrived at the right location, at the right moment, and it appeared to be the start of a fine relationship between player and organization.

That was before his German boss decided to move him into midfield and play Georginio Rutter ahead of him. This despite the Frenchman having had a largely wasteful period since his club-record signing in January, with only one senior goal to his name.

Unsurprisingly, this was an unsuccessful experiment, as former Whites manager Neil Redfearn noted after their 0-0 draw: “I thought they were going to play four-four-two at first, like they did at Ipswich,” he told BBC Radio Leeds. “However, they clearly played more of a midfield role for Piroe.” I assumed he got lost in the game.

“I thought he showed some nice touches when he got the ball.” And then, as the game devolved, thanks to Sheffield Wednesday’s efforts to get men behind the ball, make it rough, and break things up, his influence waned.”

As a result, his average Sofascore rating in the Championship has dropped to 6.78, with the expectation that he can soon regain the form that saw him score 19 and 22 league goals in the previous two seasons.

However, if Farke continues to play Piroe in this role, he may benefit from putting another striker alongside him to allow him to both drive forward and create when needed. Anyone remember Patrick Bamford?

How good is Patrick Bamford?

Fortunately, the end of this international break will see Bamford return to fitness after yet another lengthy layoff. Prior to their first-day match, the former Norwich City manager stated, “Patrick Bamford has a hamstring injury and will not return before the first international break, so he will definitely miss the next games.”

Although he had a difficult season most recently, he does have a rich history of finding the net on a regular basis at this level, as his 20 goal contributions helped them achieve promotion back in 2020, only one year after he had scored nine goals and assisted on two others as they came so close in the playoffs.

When he returned to the Premier League, he set new records by scoring 17 goals and assisting on eight others, proving many people incorrect. Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard recalled Bamford’s early years at the club, saying, “[He] clearly had great finishing ability and an eye for goal from that early stages at Chelsea.”

However, his ingenuity suggests that he would excel in the planned two-up-front system, since he is equally ready to drop deep as he is to remain in the penalty box.

Given that he was signed for just £7 million in 2018, the 30-year-old has proven to be a loyal and useful servant to the club over his five years in Yorkshire.