Good Morning. It's Tuesday 16th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road The future's White There was rare cause for celebration at Elland Road last night as the U21's thumped Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League 2 Division 2 play off final, to regain promotion back to the top flight. The Whites could have gone ahead on five minutes, after a smart dummy by McGurk, only for the 20yo Scouser to rattle the post. Roared on by a crowd of over 12,000, Leeds finally broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, courtesy of record signing Georginio Rutter, after a clever one-two involving Perkins and Joseph. They doubled their lead six minutes before the interval with a goal of the season contender. Charlie Allen's free kick found Jeremiah Mullen on the far side of the penalty area. His first time effort flew past a melee of players (keeper included, before anyone could react. The game was put to bed, ten minutes into the second half with a well executed set piece. Allen played a short corner to McGurk, who fired a speculative ball into the box, where Kris Moore was waiting to nod home from close range, please log in to view this image How do Leeds find themselves so reliant on a striker who hasn't shown form since 20/21 In this mornings 'The Athletic', Phil Hay asks how Leeds find themselves so reliant on a striker who hasn't shown any real form since the 20/21 season? Anyone thinking that Paddy will rediscover the form he showed two years ago under Bielsa should think again. His range of injuries over the last few years can only be described as Forshawesque; we're talking about a guy who was sidelined for almost four months after his goal celebration against Brentford, or three months after practicing penalties, yet the club seem intent on draining every last ounce of pitch time they can, from the one time England star. Perhaps there's a clause in every Managers contract saying 'if Paddy can walk, he must play'. Otherwise, why wheel him on and off the pitch every week? Leeds had the funds to bring in top hitman in January, but decided to squander the money on Rutter, a 21yo who has finally found some form playing for the U21's. There may not have been hundreds of strikers to pick from, during the January transfer window, but surely the money could have been better spent. We can blame Bamford for missing the penalty, but we shouldn't have been in the position that a spot kick could define our future! According to Hay:- "The current image of him [Bamford] is quite uncomfortable to watch; Bamford changed and not for the better, big moments counting against him and his club, influence waning and abuse rising from fools who need parental controls imposed on their mobiles and their lives. And all the while the thought that he is indicative of what Leeds have become, a victim of flawed ideas which left him and others painfully exposed." "This is the second season running in which Bamford had been grasping for form, fitness and goals. And yet, as it draws to an end with everything on the line, he is playing up front and Leeds are counting on him doing what he hasn’t really done dependably since 2021." "Bamford’s missed penalty in that draw with Newcastle was costly, and Rodrigo should have taken it. In the circumstances and on the merits of their respective form, the percentage play was to give it to the forward who had been in the habit of scoring." "But even Rodrigo’s starting position at the weekend, wider in a front three, told a story, as did another afternoon of nothing from £35million ($42.6m) January signing Georginio Rutter on the bench. How is it that after all that has gone on, for Bamford and the club, so much in attack is still resting on him?" "It is hard not to deduce that two years of physical issues have stripped the now 29-year-old of the ability to do what he did for Bielsa to the same standard: to run the channels in the same way, to provide as much of a focal point, to get on the end of so many chances (which, in fairness, Leeds no longer create at the same rate anyway). And if confidence is diminished then he is probably no different to Illan Meslier: self-assurance weakened by numbers and performances which mount up negatively." "Relegation can be avoided by something as simple as the conversion of a penalty and a Premier League No 9 has to score in those moments. But clubs do not go down because a single penalty was missed. Clubs go down because they were inept enough to have so much staked on solitary kicks from 12 yards." please log in to view this image
Big Sam talks about the players need to be brave, well Sam maybe you should be brave and drop Bamford and use Rodrigo or even Rutter, we need goals. Spring a surprise on Moyes
We just don't have the luxury of time to continue relying on Bamford. If Big Sam takes the brave decision to drop him and we still don't score then fair enough but I would agree with the the decision.
I'm a massive critic of Bamford. We can call for Rutter and Rodrigo to start up top but the reality is that out of those three, Bamford is the one most suited to how Sam wants us to play. It's not Bamfords fault that he is picked as our 9. It's poor recruitment. It's mind blowing that he's the go to man at this club in 2023. In the last month our reserve keeper is in goal, the best centre half has been Cooper (when available), the best midfielder has been Forshaw who can only do half an hour and our best hold up player up front is Bamford who isn't up to PL standard. Thems the facts and there's nowt we can do about it. The Bamford situation is exactly why I was against Sam or Dyche coming in after Jesse. We don't have the type of player to make it work effectively. Our defenders can't defend and our strikers can't get us up the pitch. As it stands, Sam has instilled a bit of confidence in the lads and turned the mindset around which is great but at the end of the day it will be luck that determines which division we play in next season. We have to hope Paddy shins one in and hope opposition players miss the target.
Nothing wrong with the logic there and it highlights everything tha was done wrong by Orta for Marsch. How can we still need a CF 3 years on, how come we still need a LB, why do we have a lightweight midfield, how come sent 2 CBs out on loan and sold our best midfield cover to DC United. Amazing fk up
To be fair Tyler Adams is our best midfielder by far and when we played scum back to back, him and McKennie smashed their midfield in bits. Championship Klich was twice the player that Klich was this season mate and that's a further indication of how poor recruitment has been as he was still a player we probably could do with now. Rodrigo, Gnonto and who knows even Rutter probably have more talent than Bamford but none of them can hold the ball up. Bamford is just the one who can "give it a go" the best of them. Its painful but that's where we are. I've said all season that we should replace the whole back 4, get a new keeper and get a number 9. Just for @Jammy 07 this one.....Kieffer Moore would be perfect for Big Sam ball. £6 million would have got him 16 months ago.
Morning all. Bamford should be 4th choice striker at club, end of, but he's not and that's on the incompetence of the board. As for calling for Rutter, why?. Managers looking at him in training since January clearly feel he's not good enough yet. Poking a goal in for the u21's when you're a 35m striker is not a huge achievement in my books. The same clambering for Joffy to start for two seasons went on and he only got a few minutes here and there. Brilliant we won the u21 and hopefully many of them go on to play top level with us. Leicester were rubbish last night, absolutely no fight. Players and fans seem to have given up. Looks like one from three now. On paper we've a decent chance but need to win games, something we've been utterly hopeless at. Really hoping we could be out of bottom three going into the last game
Bamford does not put himself about enough to qualify for the starting XI. His heat map is more like flicker. We don't have a strong enough team to carry anyone, even if he does get a few goals.
At the risk of starting a stick up for Paddy day here I just want to look at he first goal on Saturday. Ball is hoofed up the channel to Bamford. He nods it down to Harrison who promptly plays a one two with Bamford again. Harrison flicks the ball down the line to Bamford who has drawn 4 defenders with him. He turns and crosses in to the huge space that his run created for Rodrigo to head at goal, Ayling follows in and its 1-0. Sorry guys but I don't see Gnonto, Rutter or Rodrigo doing that. It's not their game. Rodrigo is far better playing in and around Bamford as the goal shows. Bamford isn't great but don't expect Sam to drop him from the starting line up. We literally have no other option as a focal point.
Maybe part of Sam's psychological building up the players was to realise Bamfords confidence is low and to say to him "Paddy son, you are the Centre Forward, if we get a penalty take it"? Now I'm sure Sam probably regrets that right now and doubt he'd let him have another but tbh, the guy has 4 games to save our season including 2 of the top 3, so guess he has to be a bit daring with his decision making. To be honest, I was watching saying "oh god please let it be Rodrigo" but then I ain't the one earning big conkers trying to keep us up! The good thing is, it feeds the knockers need to criticise our own!
Paddy doesn’t look like a No9 hes not built right, he’s too lean and has no power. Maybe the reason his body doesn’t work, simply the hammer it gets playing up top on his own. He’s on his ass a lot as not strong enough holding the ball.
Thing is, he didn't look remotely confident taking it anymore than he did with the one against Arsenal., almost afraid in fact Maybe Sam was trying to boost his confidence as you say, but doubt that'll have helped
Agree with you () but I wouldn't mind betting by the time they got to training yesterday, Sam had decided to put an arm around Paddy's shoulders rather than give him the shellacking he really wanted to - he hasn't the luxury of time to build anyones confidence properly.
