Leeds United manager, Daniel Farke, recently addressed the ongoing debate about Joel Piro's role within the team, shedding light on the reasons behind his deployment as a Number 10 rather than a Number 9. In a passionate statement during a press conference, Farke aimed to put an end to the recurring questions about Piro's position, providing a comprehensive explanation for his tactical decisions."I get the feeling we are discussing this topic in every press conference. We always speak about Rutter and Piroe, and I understand, everyone has opinions. Let's make a deal, I give you my lengthy thoughts, and then don't ask me again. It lasts a while," began Farke, clearly frustrated with the persistent inquiries.

Farke's first point emphasized the need for flexibility within the squad. "Firstly, I want to play players always in their best position, but this means also when you talk about Rutter, Bamford, Piroe, just one of them can be on the pitch, they all want to play striker. I also like to have two or three of them on the pitch. We were lacking goals from deeper positions, and you can't rely on goals from the striker."

He went on to discuss the variability of the striker's role depending on the club's context, saying, "Secondly, your best position always differs between clubs. It's different to score 20 goals for a club who is fighting relegation or fighting for the top positions. It's a different ask. With all respect, I think it's different if you have to score 20 goals for Swansea than Leeds United. At Swansea, he was the main man; here, he has other players. It's a different role. This is something we must not forget."

Farke acknowledged Piro's striking qualities, stating, "Joel, there are always different qualities, and some of his tempt me to play him in the striker position, his finishing, of course. I struggle to find players in the whole country with his finishing."

However, he highlighted the importance of the team's tactical setup, explaining, "But for us, we want the ball at each and every moment. We want a player to lead the line with intelligence. We need a striker who stretches it with running behind and smart movement. But, with all respect to Joel, he's not the lightning-quick player who stretches the line, so he arrives late with instinctive finish. If our striker has to fulfill other tasks, then he's perhaps not always the perfect option up front."

Addressing recent criticisms after matches where Piro failed to score, Farke emphasized, "After Millwall, Ipswich, Watford, we are singing the song of Piroe, but when he doesn't score, it's because he's in the wrong position. It's not healthy."

He concluded with a focus on the collective team effort, saying, "I'm thinking about the team being successful. It's important that our strikers in total are there. In respect to Swansea, they played him up front, but they didn't win the title. We need players all over the pitch that score."

Farke then touched on Piro's recent performance, saying, "Piroe has scored four in seven, and if we continue on that average, we are happy. We need also the goals of Bamford, Rutter."

In a final note, Farke drew on his experience with strikers and success in previous clubs, stating, "Really my last point now. I was a striker, I started my career at a small club, and the striker won the golden boot, and we had to sell him. Two more times. I went to Dortmund, I had a striker, he won the golden boot. Five seasons in a row, my strikers won the golden boot. Then I went to England to join Norwich; we signed Pukki, and he won the golden boot twice. I went to Gladbach, signed Thuram; he scored double figures and played in a World Cup final. When it comes to strikers, I know my business, and when it comes down to winning this league, I know my business."

Farke ended his statement by urging the media to cease further discussions on Piro's role, saying, "Let's not talk about this again. Keep going and speculating, that's OK, but let's not talk about it in a press conference."

With his comprehensive explanation, Daniel Farke hoped to put an end to the debate and focus on Leeds United's collective success rather than individual player positions.