Leeds United: BBC Sport pundit slams Patrick Bamford for ‘nasty’ incident v Middlesbrough
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been slammed by Neil Maddison for a “nasty” challenge in the Whites’ clash with Middlesbrough.
Daniel Farke’s side returned to the Championship’s automatic promotion places with a 4-3 win at the Riverside Stadium on Monday (22 April) thanks to goals from Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Bamford.
While the Englishman received plenty of praise for his improvised finish midway through the first half, BBC Sport pundit Maddison was quick to criticise the Leeds striker for a tackle on Finn Azaz late in the opening period.
Speaking on BBC Tees on Monday (22 April, 20:49) he said: “I don’t think he knew much about it but it looked nasty from Bamford. Azaz seems okay thankfully.”
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford slammed for ‘Nasty’ incident v Middlesbrough
It seemed slightly harsh that Bamford was criticised for his tackle on Azaz as it was incredibly obvious that the Leeds United forward hadn’t deliberately tried to hurt the Middlesbrough man, instead, he just lost his footing.
His challenge was clumsy and it probably warranted a booking as it did seem to hurt Azaz, but there was quite obviously no malice in it. There were plenty of other tackles in the game that went unpunished that were much worse.
While Bamford has always been a divisive presence in the Leeds side, his goals have proven to be incredibly important in the Whites’ push for promotion. Without him leading the line, Farke’s side would have fallen out of the race for the top two.
Hopefully, he can maintain his form from now until the end of the season. If he stays fit and firing over the next couple of weeks, Farke’s side will have an excellent chance of beating Leicester and Ipswich to the title.
In other Leeds United news, Liam Cooper could be set to sign a new contract after making a transfer admission
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