We are deep into the international break now and yet, Daniel Farke still remains in the Leeds United dug-out.
If there were an apt time to get rid of the under-fire German, it would have been during this big gap in fixtures in the Premier League.
However, he has managed to see out the break – for now – without feeling the wrath of the 49ers, as he attempts to get back to winning ways against Aston Villa up next, when the hustle and bustle of the top-flight returns.
He will need summer recruit Noah Okafor back to his rampaging best down the left flank to secure a surprise result against Unai Emery’s visitors, with the Swiss continuing to stick out as one bright spark, even as the losses begin to stack up high.
How Okafor's start compares to Leeds wingers of days gone by
Already, the former AC Milan attacker has captured the hearts of the hardened Elland Road masses, with Leeds content creator Oscar Marrio even hailing him as a “difference maker” down the left flank.
Indeed, the £18m summer arrival is constantly trying to carve out openings and excite the Leeds fans watching on, with a whopping 12 dribbles attempted in November, even as his new employers fell to back-to-back away defeats.
Okafor also has the goals to back up his tricks and flicks, with two goals already put away by the hard-to-contain 25-year-old from eight Premier League contests.
But, how does his electric start to life in England compare to other notable wingers who previously called West Yorkshire home?
Amazingly, before he went on to reach “world-class” heights at Barcelona – as Brazil icon Romario stated – Raphinha would ply his trade for the Whites, with 17 goals and 12 assists collected from 67 matches in total.
Yet, he would only tally up one goal from his first eight Leeds appearances in the Premier League, with zero assists also next to his name.
Even more staggeringly, Luis Sinisterra – who only made 16 top-flight appearances for Leeds – managed a more impactful start than his Brazilian counterpart, with two goals fired home from his opening six matches, also seeing him surpass Okafor’s early numbers.
Back to the present, however, while Farke will be overjoyed with Okafor for the most part, he will still be feeling the strain of the right wing spot in his starting XI.
Farke continues to persist with the likes of Brenden Aaronson on the right, despite his up-and-down reputation on English shores continuing into this season.
Only one goal has come the American’s way this campaign in league action, with Joe Gelhardt – on the other hand – full to the brim with goals and assists galore out on loan at Leeds’ Yorkshire neighbours in Hull City.
He might well be somewhat of a forgotten name now at Elland Road, but Gelhardt – who has eight Premier League goal contributions under his belt – is tearing apart the Championship at the moment with the Tigers, as classy dinked finishes such as his fine effort against Portsmouth become customary.
Hull manager in Sergej Jakirovic, when speaking to Croatian outlet Jutarnji, has even stated that the Liverpool-born star goes about his business on the pitch “in the style of legendary Dennis Bergkamp”. Leeds would surely benefit from having their classy 23-year-old attacker back at his parent club, therefore, if his glowing praise is anything to go by.
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Gelhardt at Hull
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Position
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Games
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Goals + Assists
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AM
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6
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2 + 0
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|
RM
|
6
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4 + 2
|
|
CF
|
1
|
1 + 0
|
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt
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The numbers back up all the wild praise, too, with Gelhardt now up to a stunning seven goals and two assists already in league action, despite lining up for just 15 matches.
This also means the one-time England U20 international is outperforming Okafor back at Elland Road, with the temptation surely there to recall Gelhardt from his loan at the Tigers, to see if he can impress in the league above, again, and fix Farke’s Aaronson-related woes.
Really, this should be no surprise to those who saw him tearing things up on the youth pitches at Wigan Athletic. He scored ten goals in one match against Huddersfield at U14s and was said to be on par with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.
“Very few players stand out at 14. Steven Gerrard did in my first season, Rooney and certainly Joe [Gelhardt],” long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt once stated.
Reports do suggest Leeds have a small window right at the start of the upcoming transfer window to recall the reinvigorated 23-year-old if they so desire, with Gelhardt and Okafor on either flank back at Leeds a terrifying prospect.
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