It certainly wasn’t a thriller, but on the bright side, Leeds United made it seven games on the trot without defeat in the Championship, after being held to a goalless draw away to Bristol City.
There will undoubtedly be a sense that it’s two points dropped for the Yorkshire side, yet having been hampered by a litany of injuries – with the likes of Largie Ramazani and Junior Firpo both absent down the left flank – Daniel Farke may well be happy to settle for a stalemate as the push for promotion continues.
That said, the German tactician may also feel slightly disappointed that his side weren’t able to truly test Max O’Leary in the opposition goal, with the best chance of the game falling the way of the lively Wilfried Gnonto, who saw his goalbound effort denied.
While selection options are limited at present due to the number of absentees, the trip to Aston Gate will have provided Farke with a few things to ponder, following what was a mixed bag of performances from his side.
Leeds United's best performers vs Bristol City
Everything good about the Elland Road side seemingly came through that man Gnonto, with the diminutive Italian having been the one looking to create that bit of magic for the visitors.
Indeed, not only did the 20-year-old come close to getting on the scoresheet himself, but he also beautifully slid in the returning Daniel James just before the break, albeit with the Welshman failing to beat the onrushing O’Leary.
In total, the former FC Zurich starlet provided three key passes on the day, with that tally only bettered by teammate Joe Rothwell who chipped in with four, with the on-loan playmaker again looking sharp in midfield.
Stat
Player
Most touches
Sam Byram & Joe Rodon (112)
Most key passes
Joe Rothwell (4)
Highest pass accuracy
Joe Rodon (92%)
Most duels won
Brenden Aaronson (9)
Most tackles
Brenden Aaronson (8)
Possession lost (highest)
Jayden Bogle (27)
It was also an encouraging display from Jayden Bogle down the right flank, as he regularly sought to get forward, albeit with the rampaging full-back somewhat lacking with regard to his end product, having given away the ball on 27 occasions.
As can be seen, there will be positives to take from the outing for Farke and co, although one man, in particular, may have played himself out of the side moving forward.
Leeds' worst performer vs Bristol City
On a rather serene and steady day for many in yellow, the man who stood out – for all the wrong reasons – was Joel Piroe, with the former Swansea City simply going missing in attack.
That’s also the verdict of Leeds Live’s Beren Cross, who awarded the Dutchman a 5/10 match rating, while writing that it was an ‘anonymous performance’ from the towering centre-forward.
Farke does boast options on the bench in the form of Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford, and on the evidence of this afternoon’s outing, one of those men will surely be leading the line next time out.
Piroe, it must be said, was something of a passenger to proceedings as the likes of Gnonto and Brendan Aaronson fluttered about around him, with the 25-year-old notably making just 28 touches in all – fewer than even teammate Illan Meslier (48).
The one-time PSV Eindhoven ace – who also only made 13 passes – lost the ball eight times and won just two of his six ground duels, having been unable to offer the physical presence that was needed at the top end of the pitch.
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It begs the question really as to why Farke took until the 70th minute to replace Piroe with the exciting Joseph, having hardly shown a real desire to go and grab the three points.
With Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle next on the agenda at Elland Road, the Whites will hope their attacking unit – with or without Piroe – can click into gear once again.
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