After another Daniel Farke snub against Watford, Joe Gelhardt may call for crunch Leeds United discussions.
Leeds United attacker Joe Gelhardt has quickly become an afterthought at Elland Road, and he may force Daniel Farke into tough talks following yet another omission in their 3-0 win over Watford.
Summer signings’ goals Joel Piroe, Sam Byram, and Jaidon Anthony delivered a strong performance in front of the home crowd at Elland Road, a result that moves them into the top six with 13 points.
Farke will be overjoyed with his attacking talents’ current form, but it was another game in which he made a painful decision on Gelhardt, who was forced to watch his teammates excel without him.
The former Sunderland loanee had a busy start to the season in the English second tier, appearing in all four games and scoring once in the EFL Cup win over Shrewsbury [SofaScore].
Now, it looks that the attacker has dropped far down the pecking order under new manager Farke, with the German choosing Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter as his preferred choices in attack, which is understandable given their recent play.
Gelhardt has had a difficult time at Elland Road since joining from Wigan Athletic three years ago, after coming onto the scene with some great displays for the Lancashire club and establishing as one of the hottest prospects outside of the Premier League.
He is one of a handful of young English players signed by the Whites in recent years in the intention of one day playing a significant role in the first squad.
Last year, the club demonstrated their belief in Gelhardt’s potential by awarding him a new five-year deal that will last until the summer of 2027, as well as a promising loan at Sunderland that ultimately proved fruitless.
When he returned to Leeds, he was linked with a permanent return to the Stadium of Light, but that never happened.
Lecce, an Italian club, were also said to be interested in the attacker during the summer, with the notion that he may “explode” if given the appropriate opportunity.
He stayed at Elland Road, though, with the intention of finally making his impact in Farke’s new and improved side, but after starting the Whites’ first four games, he’s now been dropped.
As a result, it is difficult to predict when Gelhardt will start at Elland Road, which means the next few months could be challenging for him, especially with Patrick Bamford likely to return from injury soon (Leeds Live, 20 September).
That might push him further down Farke’s list of priorities, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gelhardt start negotiations with Farke about his future at Elland Road, with his development and exposure potentially suffering as a result of his latest snub.
How quickly things change in a young player’s career after an impressive breakthrough, and in Gelhardt’s case, it seems as if he is stuck between a rock and a hard place at Elland Road.
He’s got to do what’s best for him and that means demanding a possible January exit if these snubs continue.
