We acquire a striker who has netted 40 goals in 2 seasons and everything seems rosy. He plays the first few games and gets into the flow, links up well with Rutter. Then Bambi is declared fit and Piroe reduced to a bit part role, operating in a role (which he seems clearly uncomfortable with) and has him running around like a headless chicken, which is exactly what happened on Saturday against Blackburn.
With the success of the team, it's hard to question DF on how he sets the team up and the way he wants them to play, but surely with all the speed we have on the wings, we should have a recognised goal scoring striker in the box at all times, otherwise the wingers have to continually dribble into the box as there are no real options.
Going back and watching Piroe's highlights from his English football goal scoring I notice that he plays as a striker that prefers starting on the CB's toes and moving 10 to 15 yards off their shoulders in different directions based on the advance of his strike partner or attacking midfielder. Basically he finds little pockets between or just around the 2 CB's and relies on his team mates to attack the previous area he was.
Now for us he has been ask to actually play as a number 10 but not a striker number 10 (traditional little man in the big -9 and small-10) but as an attacking midfielder number 10.
If you watch him now he is trying to be the player we bought but also trying to be the player Farke wants him to be which is why he get lost in games.
On the topics of Leeds united strikers finishing. We have been terrible for 15 years other then that short period where James Beattie was on our coaching staff and worked with our strikers (Woods owes him his EPL career).
Would love to see Leeds line up with 2 strikers and they both must engage the CB's and not drop deep into midfield. Stay high and draw the CB's deeper and wider. Open the space for the midfield to operate.
Piroe's favoured position is a number 10/playing behind the striker,that's where he did well for us early in the season with Rutter as a number 9 but Rutter is better suited to the number 10.
When we first signed Piroe, I got to see footage of the goals he scored.
I was impressed with how he was able to put chances away with some ease, it also didn't seem to matter if he hit them with either his left or right foot.
At Leeds, after a bright start he struggled in many games to have any impact.
Was this because he has been to play a totaly different role compared to Swans?
He now seems to take forever before controlling the ball, his movements are slow, he doesn't seem to be able to beat his opponent and hardly ever gets into a position to have a pot at goal.
Confidence looks drained.
I've said since the start of the season that Piroe didn't get 40+ goals in 2 seasons in a mid table Swansea team by playing midfuckingfield.... he'd have been bought by Citeh if he did!
If we played ONE fkn holding midfielder (Gruev) in front of our back 4 against crap teams who put 10 behind the ball and happy with a point who don't attack us we'd already be promoted....
James, Rutter, Gnonto and Summerville behind Piroe would have unlocked defences. Leave Piroe in the box and tell him to stay on the last defenders shoulder would have got us loads of goals.... it's fkn embarrassing with Bamford/Piroe as our ONLY striker dropping back into midfield suddenly thinking they're Messi 🤬🤬🤬🤬
Thoughts only and just for debate:
Farke is an ex striker - he knows this league so it's hard without having him here to explain his thinking in detail: I'm sure he has an idea/vision and maybe the players aren't doing it the way he wants?
When we face 2 banks of 4/5 we struggle to break through, so crosses lumped in will rarely succeed unless we get Haaland. The need is for a link up striker, which Rutter/Bamford do better than Piroe?
Early in the season we weren't facing this kind of Alamo defence. Our style doesn't suit playing against these teams clearly, but maybe the same goes for the players themselves.