Phil Hay is unsure on the potential changes Daniel Farke could make to his Leeds United starting XI for tonight’s play-off tie with Norwich City.
It is still very much in the balance heading into the second leg at Elland Road after the two sides played out a cagey 0-0 draw on Sunday in Norfolk.
However, with a winner needing to be decided this evening in whichever way possible, it is now make or break in the season’s of both clubs, as all the hard work of a 46 game season can be undone.
Farke sprung a couple of tactical surprises for the first leg at Carrow Road as he brought Archie Gray into a three-man midfield, with Georginio Rutter – very ineffectively – leading the line for the first time since December.
With home advantage behind Leeds, the onus will be on the Whites to be more adventurous tonight and that could therefore prompt Farke to move back to the selection he has gone with all season.
Hay says ‘no suggestion’ Mateo Joseph will start for Leeds
Though Connor Roberts could come in at right-back, all eyes will be on what Farke does with Leeds’ attack when the clock strikes 7pm tonight.
Patrick Bamford is out, Rutter is horribly out of form, and Joel Piroe has also struggled lately, particularly when he has been tasked with leading the line.
However, if Farke is to go more attacking, it is likely at least one, probably both of Rutter and Piroe will start, like in three of Leeds’ four final regular season matches.
Given Leeds lost on all those occasions they started together, it would be a risk to do so. However, speaking on the latest episode of the Square Ball Podcast, Athletic journalist Hay says there has been ‘no suggestion’ Farke will start Mateo Joseph instead.
Despite a number of decent impacts from the bench and calls from supporters, Farke has failed to hand Joseph a single league start all season.
If that trend is to continue, it is highly likely Rutter and Piroe will be starting. Hay doesn’t necessarily believe that should be the case, but can’t see it not being.
He said: “There is definitely a decision to make. I fall on the side of thinking it hasn’t worked with Piroe really for quite a while, but then I can’t pretend Rutter is in any sort of form at the moment. It just isn’t quite happening for him.
“There has been no suggestion at all it is going to be Mateo Joseph. Perhaps he is going to surprise us with that but there hasn’t been any, in the same way there was that period of everyone looking for Gelhardt to play ahead of Tyler Roberts.
“But in a similar way to Bielsa, it’s never gone in that direction and Farke isn’t showing any signs of doing it either.”
Farke has no excuse not to use Joseph tonight
The ‘smart’ Joseph did not even get off the bench in Sunday’s first leg but clearly Farke was happy to settle for a draw to take back to Elland Road.
However, there would be no excuse for a repeat of that this evening, whether from the start, or a substantial number of minutes from the bench.
Joseph is the only player in Leeds’ squad who can replicate what Bamford offers with his runs in behind, and has considerably more pace to do so.
Norwich have an ageing centre-back pairing in Ben Gibson and Shane Duffy and Joseph’s pace could be such an asset to help Leeds over the line.