Joe Gelhardt is on the right track as he strives for more Leeds United minutes in the Premier League. That’s according to head coach Jesse Marsch, who insists he has been delighted with the youngster’s progress over the last month.
Gelhardt’s second season with the senior side at Elland Road hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far after struggling to make his mark, find consistency and kick on over the first few months of the campaign. Despite featuring off the bench regularly, his time spent on the field has been minimal, playing just 162 minutes prior to Wednesday night’s clash against Manchester City.
As such, the confidence and form he had built up last season had visibly taken a hit as United entered the World Cup break. It seems, though, that the youngster has managed to catch Marsch’s eye in recent weeks, with his promising performances on the training field and in mid-season friendlies.
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The forward bagged goals against both Elche and AS Monaco to add wind to his sails as the restart approached and he was rewarded with his third longest stint on the field in the league this season, against the champions on Wednesday night, replacing Rodrigo in the 72nd minute. He asked questions of Pep Guardiola’s backline, too, with his presence and unpredictability in the box.
Gelhardt will now be looking to build up a head of steam as Leeds enter the New Year and Marsch will be keen to see him continue his progression.
“Well, I think first of all, he's had a really good last four weeks,” Marsch said when asked about the youngster after the City clash. “We had an individual meeting with him two days ago and we told him that.
“I thought today when he came into the match, he was dangerous and he was effective and he was intensive and he had a real positive effect in the match. So I’m pleased with him and it was really unlucky for him, specifically in the one that slides past the second post that he wasn't able to come up with a goal.”
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