Joe Gelhardt would have every right to feel frustrated with his current situation at Leeds United. The young striker has been used sparingly by head coach Jesse Marsch over the course of the season so far and he has found it hard to prevent his progress from stalling.
Gelhardt has featured in most of the Whites’ outings this term, but his stints on the field have been short and consequently his impact in a United shirt has been severely limited. He emerged off the bench in stoppage time during Leeds’ last Premier League contest against West Ham United and managed just two touches of the ball before the referee blew his whistle for the final time.
That was the 10th time this season that he had been introduced into a Premier League game after the 80th minute and with the clock ticking down it wasn’t exactly a surprise to see him struggle to make a lasting impression. Marsch even admitted himself after the game that he was unhappy with the amount of time he handed Gelhardt before stressing his belief that the youngster can make a difference.
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As such, he drafted the 20-year-old into the starting XI on Sunday as the Whites took on Cardiff City in the FA Cup, but a rusty and flat performance followed as his lack of competitive action showed. It’s clear that Gelhardt needs consistent and regular minutes within a first-team environment in order to continue his development and that might have to come away from Elland Road.
The Whites are known to be on the lookout for a new striker to bolster their offensive ranks, with Georginio Rutter and Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres just two of the names being considered this month. Any signing, though, is likely to present another obstacle when it comes to Gelhardt’s pursuit of game time.
A loan move may just make sense for the former Wigan Athletic man, then, as the club plot his route through the remainder of the campaign. According to the Athletic, Swansea City have already shown an interest in taking the youngster on a temporary basis, but it’s a fair assumption to make that a few more Championship clubs would join the queue should he be made available.
“I don't want to discuss that, we really like Joffy,” Marsch said when asked about such a possibility after the draw with Cardiff in South Wales. However, if Leeds can successfully land themselves another striker in the coming weeks, it’s likely that Gelhardt would drop another rung down the pecking order and he might struggle to get on the field at all.
Rodrigo deservedly has United’s number nine role wrapped up for the time being, having bagged 11 goals in all competitions so far. However, Patrick Bamford is on the verge of a return to fitness once more which is certainly a boost and a new man only serves to strengthen Marsch’s attacking hand as the Whites pursue ways to score more goals in the top flight.
Questions would have to be asked about Gelhardt’s role for the remainder of the season if he were to stick around in such circumstances. A loan, though, might just provide the perfect platform to rebuild his confidence, find form and kick on in the way he had hoped to at the beginning of the season.
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