While Leeds United were once again indebted to Junior Firpo’s new-found goalscoring talents, it was an afternoon of a few off-days as West Brom secured a hard-earned point at Elland Road.
Manor Solomon was far from his usual effervescent self on the left-hand side.
Joel Piroe scored a ‘fabulous’ long-range strike against Sheffield United five days earlier but there was never any real sign of a repeat here. The Dutchman scuffed his best chance tamely into Joe Wildsmith’s arms in the second half.
Brenden Aaronson was pretty underwhelming in Leeds United colours for the second time in a week, meanwhile. The America international has always had a bit of an odd relationship with the Elland Road faithful – to some, he will forever be tainted by those Jesse Marsch links – and few in the home stands would have complained too vociferously when Daniel Farke subbed him off again when West Brom came to West Yorkshire.
Aaronson lasted only 58 minutes in the Steel City. He would complete a further 72 against The Baggies. But it is no coincidence that Leeds looked a whole lot more threatening once Mateo Joseph took his place.
Daniel Farke backs Brenden Aaronson as Leeds United ace struggles again
While Aaronson managed only one shot and 29 touches – the least of any of Farke’s starters – Joseph came within a whisker of putting Leeds ahead again only moments after stepping onto the stage.
Joseph breezed his way into the box before clipping the crossbar with his eventual effort from a tight angle.
After an excellent end to 2024, meanwhile, Aaronson is now on a run of one goal and no assists from his last 11 Championship outings. Farke is losing no sleep at this stage, however.
Peaks and the occasional trough are to be expected, the experienced head coach feels, in a campaign as hectic as this one.
“It’s quite normal players have spells [where they are not at their best],” says Farke, who won promotion twice from the second-tier with Norwich City. “Each player has two or three games [where he endures] a weaker spell.
“I wouldn’t over-interpret it too much. His goals and assists will come back.”
Farke felt Mateo Joseph was better suited against West Brom
Farke also explained his reasoning behind the introduction of Joseph.
While the Spain Under-21 international has scored only three goals all season, Farke felt that Joseph’s running power and physicality was what Leeds needed against West Brom’s low block.
A fortnight after Farke’s ‘excellent’ changes saw Leeds turn around that Sunderland game at Elland Road – substitutes Joe Rothwell and Pascal Struijk combined twice in devastating fashion – the German was a lick of paint away from repeating the trick when West Brom came to town.
Piroe’s stunning stoppage time strike at Sheffield United, furthermore, owed much to the space created by Joseph’s presence in the penalty area.
“I wanted to have more of a targetman and Piroe to be there behind the striker,” Farke explains. “It worked well in previous games.
“Pressing was perhaps not as important [at that stage of game]. I wanted to use Mateo.”
Farke shared ‘concerns’ over Mateo Joseph’s fitness, however, after the young striker rolled his ankle late on.
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