Leeds United have a reputation for developing young talent, and a number of promising forwards on their books currently, but one that was under utilised during the run-in was Mateo Joseph.
The likes of Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter, and Joel Piroe were always likely to feature in the majority of minutes in attacking areas for Daniel Farke. However, players such as Joseph and Joe Gelhardt were retained by the club this summer, allowing other young forwards such as Sonny Perkins and Sam Greenwood to head out on loan instead.
The pair will have been hoping for development minutes with the first-team, and share some similarities in how the starts of their respective careers in LS11 have gone so far. Firstly, as Gelhardt’s first goal for the club came during a 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in 2022 under Marcelo Bielsa.
Almost exactly two years on, and Joseph repeated a similar feat with his very own moment much like Gelhardt’s, as Leeds were defeated 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup fifth round, with Joseph securing his first senior goals with a brace against Leeds’ bitter rivals.
Many would have expected that to be a turning point for Joseph to receive further minutes, but instead Farke stuck with the tried and tested options of one of Bamford or Piroe to play with Rutter in attack.
Mateo Joseph’s campaign
The 20-year-old striker was starting his second game in a row in the cup loss to Chelsea, and it was also just his second start all season in any competition for the club. Injury restricted Joseph to less action than he would have liked this term during the beginning of the season, after starting the campaign on the treatment table, but he has all the fundamentals to make it as a striker to a very high level.
The 20-year-old can finish well, run the channels, link play, hold up the ball, and is strong in one-v-one situations as well. His skill-set for a striker is well-rounded already, and he has all the attributes of a modern day number-nine to succeed with more refinement and development.
Joseph’s displays in back-to-back games in the FA Cup caught the eye. He acted as Leeds’ focal point against Plymouth in the FA Cup replay, striking the woodwork and showcasing his ability to work the channels and play off the shoulder in a difficult fixture.
