To the surprise of his BBC colleague Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope has indicated that Georginio Rutter could need to be pulled from Leeds United’s starting lineup in order to strengthen the team’s cutting edge in front of goal.
The two were talking about the Whites starting lineup with Simon Rix on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on December 18, which came after Daniel Farke’s team had suffered a setback at Sunderland and then drawn at home against Coventry City, severely hurting their chances of earning automatic promotion.
While Opta’s Johnny Cooper highlighted Rutter’s creative excellence this season, especially for Saturday’s top scorer Crysencio Summerville (five), Pope thinks Joel Piroe would be more effective at finishing opportunities and that club record signing Rutter might need to withdraw following a slight decline in form. Buchan, on the other hand, strongly disagrees.
Pope said after the Frenchman’s partnership with Summerville stats were quoted (24m 50s): “Right so on the back of that, bearing in mind he’s picked [Patrick] Bamford on the bench a dozen times now, he’s fit obviously, so that stat alone, that combination, is that enough, even when Rutter is misfiring, which he is now for a few games you have to say, does that still keep him in the team and keep him out?”
Buchan replied: “It absolutely does for me. Doesn’t keep Piroe in the team though.”
Pope later added: “What about Summerville [at] 10ish, Piroe up top, drop Rutter, [Willy] Gnonto wing?”
“Drop Rutter?! No, no,” a shocked Buchan responded, “We’ve called him ‘Cheat Code’ before for the Championship. I know what you’re saying about missing chances.”
Pope then added: “Because Piroe will score those chances, I think.”
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Farke needs to do something to get his side back to winning ways even if two games without a victory is hardly grounds for a full inquiry.
The problem is that with Leicester City and Ipswich setting such a blistering pace at the top of the table Leeds United can’t afford to cede more ground to them, when just a couple of weeks ago they looked to be reeling the pair in.
It certainly feels like the German has to rotate his starting line-up more after a lot of football already and the Christmas schedule gruelling at the best of times, when his decision to stick with the same XI for both games this week backfired.
The question of whether Piroe and Rutter might actually be playing in each other’s positions has lingered all season, with the Dutchman signed as the long-awaited answer at striker only to be played as a number 10, and the Frenchman infamously seen as not an out-and-out centre-forward upon arrival last season when the Whites needed just that.
While the wins were piling up few could question Farke, and it should be highlighted that the manager has still largely got things right this term, but with points being dropped at a key stage it is a different matter.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing to give Rutter, or other stand-outs like Ethan Ampadu, one or two games on the bench now their form has dropped, just to recharge slightly, so giving Piroe a go up front in his absence makes a lot of sense.
Farke has caused himself a problem now that he has a huge clash with Ipswich next up (23 December) when he no-doubt wants his best available XI out there but has started all of them twice in a week and seen them underperform.
And with Preston North End (eighth) and West Brom (fifth) also still to come before the end of the month there is no let up, but it feels impossible not force through that run with the regulars every time.
The regular plan has been great this season but isn’t working right now, so an alternative is necessary even if just for the short term.
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