Leeds United will kick off their 2024/25 campaign in the Championship with a clash against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road this afternoon.
Pompey won League One last season and will come into this game full of confidence and riding the crest of a wave, hoping to carry their positive momentum into the second tier – as Ipswich Town did last term.
The Whites, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Daniel Farke has also had to deal with losing several of his key performers during the summer transfer window, as Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, and Crysencio Summerville have all completed permanent exits from Elland Road.
The German boss has, however, been able to bring in a few signings of his own. Jayden Bogle, Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, and Joe Rodon have all come through the door to bolster his options across the park.
However, the Whites are yet to add to their attacking options and that could mean that other players will need to step up in the short-term to make up for Summerville's exit.
One position that is currently up for debate is the striker role and Farke must now boldly unleash Mateo Joseph from the start, ahead of Patrick Bamford.
Why Leeds should not start Patrick Bamford
The former England international came off the bench in the last pre-season friendly against Valencia last week and should remain as a substitute for this clash with Portsmouth.
Firstly, the 30-year-old forward is only recently back from an injury that had kept him out of action since April. He missed the play-offs against Norwich and Southampton, and made his return in that clash with Valencia earlier this month.
This does not suggest that Bamford is fully fit and match-ready to hit the ground running against Pompey on the opening day of the season, due to his lack of minutes over the last three months or so.
The left-footed marksman also left a bit to be desired with his performances on the pitch when he was available for selection during the 2023/24 campaign.
Bamford ended the season with eight goals in 33 Championship appearances, hardly an incredible return for a club chasing automatic promotion, and that came from 9.52 xG.
This suggests that the former Chelsea striker, who missed nine 'big chances', was a wasteful finisher and did not make the most of the opportunities that were created for him.
He did not make up for his poor finishing in other ways as the centre-forward only created one 'big chance' for his teammates and registered one assist, which shows that Bamford did not provide much creativity for his fellow attackers.
The great thing about being a number nine for Leeds is that they know that chances will come their way if they are in the right positions, because of Georginio Rutter's creative skills.
Why Georginio Rutter is a striker's dream
The French number ten is a striker's dream because of his incredible ability to consistently create high-quality opportunities for the team's attackers to find the back of the net.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Rutter made his mark in a Leeds shirt, after a short and uneventful first five months with the club in the Premier League, by setting the Championship alight with his creativity and flair.
Appearances
45
Goals
6
Assists
15
Big chances created
22
Key passes per game
1.9
Pass accuracy
69%
As you can see in the table above, the former Hoffenheim man racked up an impressive 15 assists and 22 'big chances' created in 45 games during the regular season.
In fact, his teammates only scoring 15 times from those 22 'big chances' suggests that they did not make the most of his fantastic creative skills.
Rutter ranked within the top 2% of forwards in the division for both Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.29) and assists per 90 (0.39), which shows that he was one of the best players in his position when it came to splitting open opposition defences.
Farke must now boldly unleash Joseph to start with Rutter as part of the attacking set-up against Portsmouth this afternoon, as they could thrive alongside each other.
Why Daniel Farke must unleash Mateo Joseph
It would be a bold call to bring the Spain U21 international in as he is yet to start a league game at senior level for the club to date, having made 23 appearances as a substitute in the Premier League and the Championship.
However, his form for the Whites in pre-season, and Bamford's struggles with form and fitness, suggests that now is the right time to throw him in.
It is the start of a new season and that means that it is time for new heroes, particularly in the wake of Summerville and Gray's departures, and Joseph could be the breakout star at Elland Road this term.
The 20-year-old marksman, who U23 scout Antonio Mango once hailed as a "deadly", scored four goals during pre-season, with two strikes against Hannover, one against Schalke, and one against Valencia.
Joseph also caught the eye as a starter against Chelsea in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge earlier this year, which shows that he can perform in a competitive environment.
Minutes played
90
Shots
3
Goals
2
Key passes
2
Pass accuracy
81%
As you can see in the table above, the Spanish whiz, who also played for England at youth level, plundered two goals and created two chances against the Premier League side.
The 5 foot 11 sensation, who scored 19 goals in 33 games for the club's U21s, has showcased his goalscoring quality for the academy and for the first-team when given an opportunity.
It is now down to Farke to finally provide him with a chance to display his abilities as a starter in the Championship against Portsmouth today, with Rutter hopefully using his creative genius to lay-on plenty of chances for the striker to score.
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