By Craig Scott

11th Aug, 2019 | 1:16pm

Bamford woes v Nottm Forest can't become a trend

Patrick Bamford’s performance in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday was not one you would expect from a £10million centre-forward playing for one of the Championship’s top sides.

Although Bamford, 25, scored in the opening match of the season when Leeds beat Bristol City 3-1 last week, the former Chelsea striker was nowhere near good enough for the Whites’ first game of the campaign at Elland Road.

According to stats by WhoScored, Bamford had five shots at goal against Forest but only hit the target on two occasions with another one hitting the woodwork.

In the first-half, his touches inside the penalty box were sloppy and looked like those of a player who was always going to struggle throughout the 90 minutes.

After the break, it was more of the same but Bamford did manage to hit the frame of a goal with an awkward volley from six yards out. To be fair to the Leeds striker, he did well to even get a connection with the ball let alone shoot it towards the goal.

However that was as good as it really got for him.

Leeds’ midfield created a premium of chances for him to score as Forest never really forced Kiko Casilla into action up until the point when the ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper had to pick the ball up out of his own net when Lewis Grabban scored an equaliser in the 77th minute.

At the other end of the pitch, Forest goalkeeper Arijanet Muric was there for the taking.

The on-loan Manchester City shot-stopper had a shocker last week in the season’s opener against West Brom when he conceded two goals that never really should have beaten him.

However except for that one shot that hit the bar, Bamford never really troubled the young Swiss goalkeeper.

Leeds take on Salford Ciy in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and while it remains to be seen whether or not Marcelo Bielsa rotates his squad for that game, if Bamford starts, he simply needs to get back into the goalscoring groove at Elland Road.

Bamford has scored just once in his last seven appearances at Leeds’ home ground.

For a £10million striker with over 100 Championship appearances to his name – that’s not good enough.

It is time for the ex-Middlesbrough man to step up his game or there’s a good chance he will be risking the axe from Bielsa.