Leeds United 2 Hull City 0: Can Mateo Joseph be Whites' natural born 'Sniffer' after taming unready Tigers?

Leeds United spent August looking for final pieces, Hull City trying to buy almost an entire jigsaw.

But the Whites' 2-0 win over the Tigers pointed to an extra dimension from what they already had. It is as exciting as it is important in a summer where both have wriggled in financial fair play straitjackets.

The way Mateo Joseph opened the door to victory decorated a solid structure; Hull have only just got the scaffolding up.

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Not since 2016-17 have Leeds had a 20-goal centre-forward – Chris Wood got 30. Crysencio Summerville's 21 last season were huge but came from wide and will be very hard to replace from there on a Championship budget.

"Sniffers" like Leeds great Allan Clarke are an endangered species. Patrick Bamford is a natural No 9 but his finishing is erratic, his fitness even more so. Even Leeds' most natural finisher does not see himself as an out-and-out nine.

"I’m a nine-and-a-half," said Joel Piroe, whose calm goal with enough time to think about what would happen if he cocked it up sealed victory.

Translated into English, he prefers not to lead the line but arrive from late whilst others take the hits.

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It is far to early to call Joseph the next Wood, never mind Clarke.

INSTINCT: Leeds United's Mateo Joseph celebrates opening the scoringINSTINCT: Leeds United's Mateo Joseph celebrates opening the scoring
INSTINCT: Leeds United's Mateo Joseph celebrates opening the scoring

"We can speak about the quality of a player when he has 20, 30 goals, not just after one," cautioned manager Daniel Farke, sensibly

But “a perfect striker goal, perfect movement in the box," showed he has something special.

As they often do at Elland Road, Leeds spent the first hour dominating without putting their guests to bed. Once they started mixing their play up, Hull carried a threat, mainly through Liam Millar. Although as it turned out the hosts were on the way to a third consecutive clean sheet after an uncharacteristically generous first week of the season, the game was in the balance.

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Manor Solomon, the only full debutant of this first post-transfer window game made a good impression but his 63rd-minute cross was going straight to Ivor Pandur. At least it would have had Joseph not sprinted across Sean McLoughlin and the keeper to poke in at the near post.

ICE COOL: Leeds United's Joel Piroe makes it 2-0 against Hull CityICE COOL: Leeds United's Joel Piroe makes it 2-0 against Hull City
ICE COOL: Leeds United's Joel Piroe makes it 2-0 against Hull City

It showed why a 20-year-old whose only senior starts had come in the cups before this season has kicked off every league game since.

"At 18, 19 it's really hard to learn the imagination and the natural-born instinct to be a striker," said Farke. "There's still work to do but there's definitely this instinct."

And with that, the game was done. Hull's push for an equaliser saw them caught by a three-on-two counter-attack after 81 minutes. Junior Firpo's cross was perfect, Piroe's response ice cool.

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Shambolically late to the party, Hull are no test yet. Starting again after changing coach and launching a firesale, they signed 15 players in the summer, 12 after the final pre-season friendly. Coming into an established structure like Leeds' that would be tough, but Tim Walter is building from scratch.

SNIFFER SUPREME: Leeds United legend Allan ClarkeSNIFFER SUPREME: Leeds United legend Allan Clarke
SNIFFER SUPREME: Leeds United legend Allan Clarke

Of the new three defenders, Cody Drameh came early but got injured in pre-season, the other two (Finley Burns and Charlie Hughes) have a combined nine minutes of football and five unused substitute shifts.

Defenders evidently do not turn on owner, Acun Ilicali, who likes excitement and a say in transfers, but when your strategy is based on playing out from the back, they are vital.

"There's a lot of movement in the back four and it's about building that movement into the midfield and attackers," explained Alfie Jones.

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Still, Hull did make a step forward on Saturday. Until then they had played that way with a blinkered zealousness. They continued at Elland Road despite pressure in their faces from Leeds players and at their backs from supporters.

But 22 minutes in, Pandur kicked the ball long.

In Chris Bedia, on his first start, Hull have a physical No 9 who can give an outball, as can Millar on the left and right wingers Abu Kamara and Mohamed Belloumi once they get their feet under the table. Hull began using it – occasionally.

"It's all about adapting," said Walter, whose press conferences have got more terse as his winless start to the season continues. "Everybody has to adapt in their whole lives.

"It (Walterball)'s different, for sure it's different, but if you want to be successful, you have to be different."

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Leeds are adapting too, Ao Tanaka signed on deadline day to bring more goals from midfield, Georginio Rutter’s sale changing the feel of the forward line. But if Joseph follows through on his promise it could be the most striking evolution of the lot.

Leeds United: Meslier; Bogle (Byram 82), Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Ampadu, Gruev (Tanaka 86); Gnonto (Ramazani 74), Aaronson, Solomon (Piroe 74); Joseph (Rothwell 86). Unused substitutes: Darlow,Gelhardt, Debayo, Wober.

Hull City: Pandur; Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Giles (Drameh 85); Slater (Jarvis 60), Zambrano (Simons 78); Omur (Palmer 78), Mehem, Millar; Bedia (Burstow 85). Unused substitutes: Hughes, Burns, Puerta, Racioppi.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).

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