Leeds United extended their lead at the top of the Championship table to two points after they picked up a point away from home against Burnley on Monday night.
The Whites secured a hard-fought draw with the Clarets at Turf Moor, with neither side doing much to test either Illan Meslier or James Trafford throughout the match.
Given that Burnley are also competing for automatic promotion and were in the Premier League last season, it was a good test for some of Daniel Farke’s players to see if they have the credentials to make the step up to the top flight.
Sadly, one player failed to prove that he has what it takes to make the grade if Leeds are promoted to the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign.
Leeds' biggest underperformer against Burnley
The Dutch forward had a terrific opportunity to prove to Farke, and the supporters, that he can be the difference-maker against a potentially top-flight level defence.
Unfortunately, he became just the latest striker to fail to score past England goalkeeper James Trafford, who has kept 19 clean sheets in 28 matches.
The shot-stopper had an easy evening at Turf Moor, though, because Piroe failed to offer much up against CJ Egan Riley and Maxime Esteve, who dominated him all night.
Minutes
71
Shots on target
0
Key passes
0
Duels won
0/2
Pass accuracy
50% (6/12)
Possession lost
10x
As you can see in the table above, the former Swansea man’s lack of mobility and physicality allowed the Burnley defenders to enjoy a comfortable evening, as he failed to win a single duel and did not make any impact at the top end of the pitch.
It was a chance for Piroe to prove that he has the physical and technical attributes to make the step up to the Premier League, and he failed on both counts – which is why Farke must drop him from the team.
Why Farke should drop Piroe
It was a lethargic and poor display from the Dutch striker and it was his third match without a goal in the Championship, recording just one chance created in those three outings.
In fact, Piroe has only scored six goals in his 19 starts in the second tier, with a further four as a substitute, and this shows that he has failed to offer consistent quality in the final third.
The left-footed attacker has lost a whopping 75% of his duels in the Championship this season, which illustrates his lack of strength in physical battles with opposition defenders, and this means that Leeds are not getting a physical presence or regular goals from him as a starting option.
Piroe does have quality as a finisher, as shown in the clip above and by his ten goals from 7.05 xG, but his all-round game and lack of athleticism, as shown in the draw with Burnley, suggests that he does not have what it takes to make it in the Premier League.
Therefore, Farke should drop the Dutchman in the short-term, given his recent performances, whilst also considering what to do with the number nine position heading into next season.
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