On Saturday, October 21, the right-back came on as a replacement in the 90th minute of the Championship game at Carrow Road.
Crysencio Summerville scored twice for the Whites, who outscored the hosts on a Shane Duffy own goal, and they prevailed 3-2.
According to Leeds Live (21 October), Farke was cited as saying during the game: “Luke showed unbelievable leadership so really, I love my whole group and I am tempted to play them all, but two thirds of the squad you have to disappoint each game so let’s see who we choose for the next game.”
Still crucial
Although Ayling did not play a major role in the club’s emphatic victory at Carrow Road last week, it is clear that he is still a key player at Elland Road this season.
Farke will need to rotate his starting line-up regularly in order to cope with the hectic nature of the Championship season.
It came as a surprise when Farke passed over Ayling for young right-back Archie Gray during the international break, despite the teenager’s three times-in-the-play-off-winning England Under-19 side.
The boss will need all of his players performing to their best, and it is possible that Ayling will be named in the starting line-up from the moment the game against Stoke City kicks off on Wednesday 25 October.
A genuine team effort is required to secure promotion to the top tier, and Ayling is sure to have his moment in the spotlight under the tutelage of the German in the coming months.
In a related development:
Leeds: Farke must unleash £20k-p/w diamond over Piroe after Norwich impact
Off the bench against the Canaries, the promising young player drew the eye.
On Saturday, Daniel Farke led Leeds United to a thrilling 3-2 victory over his old team, moving the team up to third in the Championship standings.
The Whites overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Norwich City and earn all three points at Carrow Road. They are now six points outside the automatic promotion spots, although Ipswich still has a chance to close the gap.
With a trip to Stoke City on Wednesday night, Farke’s team will make another out-of-Elland Road excursion in an effort to get into the top two.
Given that his team will play three games in a week, the German head coach may decide to make some adjustments to keep things interesting and prevent exhaustion.
Given this, Farke must bench Joel Piroe in favor of Wilfried Gnonto, who made an impact coming off the bench against Norwich, and unleash him from the opening kickoff against the Potters.
How did Gnonto perform against Norwich?
The Italy international entered the game with 20 minutes remaining in a match his side had lost 2-1, and played a key role in Leeds securing all three points. He ran directly down the right and put Norwich’s defence under pressure as he moved his team forward.
The £20,000-per-week striker, who was once described as a “diamond” by talent scout Jacec Kulig, completed 14 of his 16 attempted passes and kept possession well for Leeds.
He also had the good sense to find Crysania Summerville in space on the edge after a short corner had been played to him, and Summerville curled a fantastic effort off the post to level the match at 2-2.
🎯 “Summerville! Super strike!” pic.twitter.com/MD38fbV2bs — Leeds United (@LUFC) October 21, 2023
The youthful prodigy might have easily made an aimless cross into the box rather than playing a deft ball to the Dutchman, despite the fact that it was a great goal from a relatively simple pass from the Italian gem.
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How did Joel Piroe perform against Norwich?
Piroe, a former Swansea star, had a challenging afternoon in East Anglia as he fought to maintain possession and failed to take advantage of the favorable opportunity that presented itself to him.
The Dutch marksman was physically outmatched in five of his six encounters, losing to Norwich’s players more frequently than not, which occasionally prevented him from serving as a helpful outlet for Leeds.
In the first half, however, Piroe was presented with a golden chance to get on the score sheet and blew it wide of the target as Dan James played a through ball down the middle. Piroe had the keeper to beat, but shot wide of the far post with his left foot as he was about to receive pressure from behind from Jack Stacey.
With Piroe out of action for the weekend, it would appear that Gnotta should start against Stoke from the start after his impact on the Carrow Road game.
Gnotta should be in the starting line-up as an interchange striker in a three-way attack alongside Gerevin Rutter and James, alongside Summerville.
It would be the first time he has started a game since a 3-0 victory over Millwall back in September, and it would give Piroe the chance to rest.
