Tony Dorigo pre-season concerns on 21-year-old Leeds man proving true, yet to have any impact

Add as preferred source on Google

Tony Dorigo’s pre-season concerns about Leeds United’s Joe Gelhardt have so far proven true.

Dorigo expressed his apprehension on the 21-year-old’s role on LUTV during a friendly in which he started just behind Patrick Bamford in the number 10 position.

Gelhardt spoke in the summer about how playing just off the front man is his favoured position, though leading the line is also something he is not unfamiliar with having done it for Sunderland and Leeds’ U23s.

So far this season, Gelhardt has been handed opportunities in both positions, playing as a striker against West Brom and Birmingham City, but just in behind at Salford City.

Unfortunately, though, Gelhardt had little to know impact in either of those matches, with his display against the latter of particular disappointment.

Dorigo pre-season concerns on Gelhardt prove true

In his favoured position, against a League Two side, with Leeds creating chance after chance, Gelhardt was practically anonymous and has barely been seen since.

Speaking on commentary during Leeds’ friendly against Nottingham Forest, Dorigo was concerned ability to take the ball in those midfield areas, an attribute crucial for a number 10.

He said: “Bamford needs support. Gelhardt comes alive around the box, he needs to get further up, but he also has to receive the ball off the midfield. It is an important part of the team, and Farke has to get it right. Those are the positions I am concerned about. You’ve got to receive it there, shield it and get forward – you cannot lose it.”

Unfortunately, Gelhardt looks a shadow of the player that first broke into Leeds’ first team, when he was making an impact in almost every game, with his dribbling and fearlessness.

Despite now playing in a lower division, Gelhardt appears to have completely lost that ability to beat a man, which is just making him completely redundant whenever he plays.

Gelhardt has played just one minute since that Carabao Cup exit at Salford and a loan in January to get his confidence back feels like it needs to happen.