‘He’s compromised’ – Jermaine Pennant makes claim about ‘fantastic’ Leeds player
Jermaine Pennant has said that Patrick Bamford is a “fantastic finisher” who is “compromised” by the way Leeds United play football under Marcelo Bielsa.
Bamford has been the number one striker for Leeds all season but has only scored 13 goals.
He’s been praised for his all-round contribution to the Leeds side and Bielsa has backed him to the hilt.
Pennant backed the striker and said you had to look past his goal stats to get the full picture of his contribution to the side.
Talking on Gameday Breakfast on talkSPORT (Saturday, 8am) Tony Cascarino accused Bamford of getting too involved in possession and not getting in the positions he needed to score.
“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Pennant replied. “Bamford is a fantastic finisher, he’s got so much composure on the ball. But Bielsa likes to build from the back and for his players to be relentless with the energy they put in. And it does seem like he’s compromised at times because of the way they play.
“When Bamford isn’t in the team they’re not the same side. For me, it is frustrating, as a striker you’re judged on the goals you score and you need to be selfish at times.
“Bamford’s the complete opposite, he’s completely selfless… If it wasn’t for him, Harrison and Costa wouldn’t be as involved in the games as they are. As frustrating as it is, I appreciate it’s part of the DNA of Leeds United under Bielsa.”
Pennant makes a good point here.
Bamford does offer a lot more than just a lone number nine. But it’s not enough to point out what he does contribute without also talking about what he misses.
Cascarino claimed he doesn’t get in the positions he needs in order to score more goals but that’s not true.
Bamford has missed 27 big chances this season, 10 more than the next player on the list, Lewis Grabban at Nottingham Forest.
He is getting in the right positions but his shot conversion rate just hasn’t been good enough.
We’re big fans of Bamford and have no problem with Bielsa sticking with him week-in, week-out.
But if he’d taken 10 more of those big chances then he’d be tieing Mitrovic at the top of the Championship scoring charts.
And, with his all-round contribution on top, he’d be the standout striker outside the top flight. That’s what we want from him.
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