Leeds United: Glaring Mateo Joseph issue needs to be fixed, it stemmed from Burnley moment | OneFootball

Mateo Joseph can be a goalscorer but has lost confidence in recent weeks for Leeds United.

Mateo Joseph has not looked like the same player in front of goal as a Leeds United player since missing a crucial one-on-one against Burnley last month.

The promising 20-year-old striker showed glimpses of his potential in the latter half of 2023/24 and in pre-season, with many expecting big things from him this term.

Now, with the restructuring of Leeds' attack after opting against bringing in a striker in the summer, it gave Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford, and Joseph the opportunity to fight it out for the starting lone striker role.

Daniel Farke put his faith in the youngest of the trio, and it has largely been an inspired decision. The Spanish youth international has had a real run at making the number-nine spot his own.

That's following fan frustrations at Farke's reluctance to give Joseph more game time, but there is a sense that this campaign will be even more of a breakout season than the last.

The German has trusted Joseph to spearhead the forward line in 2024/25, where he has so far started up top in all of their league games so far but one, scoring or assisting four times in those matches.

That's after having only started cup games or come off the bench in the league in 2023/24, with many people connected with Leeds hoping that he would have greater involvement in the first-team this year.

Many fans have been excited by him following his performances during recent years in Leeds' U-21 side, where he proved his worth and showcased his strong ability in one-v-one situations as well.

The goals should flow eventually, which is the only slight criticism of Joseph right now; he has often snatched at chances so far, as opposed to showing the composure in front of goal which had so many excited about his pre-season exploits.

One criticism could be that he is not getting the service regularly, especially with the likes of Junior Firpo and Jayden Bogle such capable full-backs at cutting the ball in low to the front post, which is an area Joseph has previously proven to thrive in.

However, it is not just that, with perhaps a lack of confidence in his own ability since a crucial miss against the Clarets earlier in the season. Joseph has seldom had a clear-cut chance of that nature since.

Per FBref, Joseph has accumulated 1.9xG so far, but 1.5 of that total came during the first five matchdays of the season, meaning he is simply not getting the same chances as he was during Leeds' first few games with just 0.4xG in four games since.

The main concern is that he was keeping pace with the Championship's top forwards in that period, but he has fallen well behind in recent weeks. The top 10 players in the league for xG per FotMob's estimates have all accrued 3.0 or more, with Joseph's total not even in the top 30 in the division, all whilst playing for the league's most dominant in possession team.

Of course, understanding xG is important here; it is a measure of the quality of chances, which is partly down to his teammates to find him, and partly due to his own movement. It's not certain which is more crucial for Joseph presently, and it is perhaps a combination.

However, he visibly looks lacking in confidence in the box in a Leeds shirt at present, even if other areas of his game are as strong as ever. He is not making as many runs to the near post, or in behind to latch onto accurate through passes.

Ordinarily, Joseph's box movement is the best of any striker at the club, as he will run on the blindside of defenders unnoticed, or in behind or laterally, in order to drag the opposition around and make himself a nuisance and a player they must constantly track.

The importance of Mateo Joseph

Joseph may simply be suffering from a lack of confidence since that miss against Burnley, or it could be that Leeds need to find more optimal ways to get the ball to him in dangerous situations, but his skill-set for a striker is not in question as a well-rounded forward already at such a tender age.

He possesses the line-leading abilities needed to pin the opposition and run the channels. It could and should be his breakout year in a Leeds shirt, which it is still proving to be.

Holding up the ball, linking play, and being the focal point for others to work attacks off of, combined with impressive movement off the shoulder and extremely impressive pressing of the opposition make him Farke's go-to attacking choice more often than not.

The school of thought for his goalscoring suffering of late could be purely down to the types of chances created, with evidence of that in midweek for Spain. If you produce cutbacks in and around the six-yard line, Joseph scores; it can be that simple and was against Hull for his goal earlier in the campaign.

His ability to be a constant physical and athletic presence is helpful at alleviating pressure and getting Leeds up the pitch by making the ball stick in the final third. However, the haul against Kazakhstan highlights the type of chances he can thrive off of.

Largie Ramazani’s composed finish against Cardiff City from Joseph's intelligent flick was just one example of his ability to play with his back to goal and to create a platform from which the entire Leeds team can build, but he also needs to put more away himself than be just a provider.

It's the first time they have had a player with both his profile and the durability required to pin the opposition and to fire them up since Bamford in 2019/20. But he can be more prolific than that season, if Leeds generate those situations with low cutbacks, which will help him to put any doubts about his league scoring form behind him.

The self-belief he has means that the poor finish against Burnley has perhaps impacted him more than many were expecting, but his recent exploits on international duty are exactly why he is worth persisting with.

It was perhaps a statement after Piroe started over him for the first time against Sunderland, and one that Farke and co. will be pleased to see as a reaction.

The issue is two-fold, with Joseph still playing well outside of the box but looking frustrated and unsure of himself in it, be that down to his confidence or his teammates lacking the cutting edge required for him to soon explode in terms of goals.