‘All wrong’ – Match of the Day pundit slams one Leeds player in 3-0 loss v Tottenham
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has blamed Patrick Bamford for the third Tottenham goal in the 3-0 win against Leeds United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The goal in the 50th minute from Toby Alderweireld killed off any chance of a Leeds revival in a disappointing afternoon in London.
Talking on Match of the Day, Shearer said that Spurs matched Leeds for their intensity and high-pressing and said, “Leeds had one or two chances early in the game but after that, I thought it was one-way traffic.”
Talking about the third goal, Shearer said, “Leeds have also conceded more set-piece goals than anyone in the Premier League, so, if they get it right in these situations then they knew they were going to create and exactly the same thing happened.
“Alderweireld there, Bamford’s body position is all wrong for someone there at the near post, he should be on the half-turn. He hasn’t got a clue what’s in and around him.
“Alderweireld wants it more than any of those four players… thank you very much… very good header.”
Ian Wright also criticised Bamford saying he should be doing better at the other end.
“It is the energy and determination, for me, which you do not see a lot of now. Olivier Giroud does it. You saw it again today that Son attacks the near-post with real attention.
“This is something that Patrick Bamford, who is having a great season, needs to do more.
“He is hoping something happens for him, but he needs to show a lot more drive and determination.”
Jose got it bang on
We have to begrudgingly admit that Jose Mourinho got it all right against us on Saturday.
If we’re going to go up against teams with better quality players, we have to try something a little different or take every single chance that comes our way.
Bamford missed a header that he could have put away and that could have changed the match.
However, set pieces continue to plague Leeds and if you’re a fan it’s a worry every time they concede a free-kick or a corner.
All of this came together to condemn us to defeat in London again – when will that curse ever end? – and we could have no real complaints about the scoreline.
Taking the positives, we’re still not halfway through the season and we’ve got 23 points, so we’re still a long way away from getting dragged into a relegation battle.
And the first-team players get a rest now, with Marcelo Bielsa expected to play the Under-23s in the FA Cup against Crawley at the weekend.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Horrendous’, ‘Confidence is shot’ – These Leeds fans slam one player at h/t v Tottenham