Managers live and die by the decisions they make, and Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is witnessing the consequences of one of his big calls unfold in front of his eyes.
Joe Gelhardt is one of the in-form strikers in English football, having enjoyed a thrilling run in the Championship with Hull City.
Gelhardt scored again in Hull’s 3-2 defeat against QPR, to take his overall tally to eight league goals this season, with six goals and two assists in his last seven games.
Daniel Farke may be living to regret his decision to allow Gelhardt to leave the club, having deemed him surplus to requirements at Elland Road.
However, it is not too late to rectify this mistake if he listens to the advice that former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray gave him in 2023.
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Daniel Farke needs to listen to Tony Mowbray’s Joe Gelhardt advice
Despite impressing under Jesse Marsch at the end of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Gelhardt was allowed to leave Leeds on loan in January 2023, as Leeds battled against relegation.
Tony Mowbray took him on loan to Sunderland for the second half of the season, and his words in an interview with The Athletic earlier this year now sound prescient.
“The burden was too big on him to be the centre forward at whatever age he was, and he’s not 6ft 2in,” Mowbray said. “It’s easy for big centre-halves to bully him. He’s got potential, and he’s got time.
“He’s got talent. Sometimes clubs like Leeds can’t wait, they’ve got to get promotion and he’s not ready to win games week-in, week-out for them, but for a team that’s trying to grow, develop, he’ll do a good job.”
Mowbray added: “Gelhardt’s a good player. He’s not getting a game at Leeds, yet at his best, he’s dynamic, powerful, and he wants to score. When we beat Preston (North End) at Preston to get into the play-offs, he was good that day. Dropping deep, linking the play, running in.”
Two years on, Gelhardt has finally found his groove in the second tier. With one year left on his contract and Leeds in danger of relegation, he could be a smart option to bring back into Farke’s squad.
Leeds United could use Joe Gelhardt in a new role
When Gelhardt first broke into the Leeds team, he played predominantly as a central striker, helping to cover the absence of the injured Patrick Bamford.
However, Hull have been using Gelhardt on the right of a front three, allowing him more space from the powerful centre-halves that Mowbray astutely identified as a problem.
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Brenden Aaronson has predominantly operated from the right of Leeds’ front three this season, with both Dan James and Willy Gnonto struggling with injuries and a lack of form.
With Leeds struggling for a goal-scoring threat, Gelhardt could be a strong alternative in what would be a new role for him at Elland Road.
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