Bamford makes Leeds fixture claim as Hasenhuttl says clash v Soton may still be on next week
Patrick Bamford has commented on the Leeds United fixture schedule and said that he would prefer to play games back-to-back than have a big gap between matches.
Leeds are out of the FA Cup and have had their league game against Southampton postponed next week – for now.
It means that Leeds have 10 days after the Brighton game before they play Newcastle.
However, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl dropped a grenade when he claimed the Leeds fixture could still happen next week.
Hasenhuttl said, “It can also be that maybe when the Shrewsbury game is again postponed that we suddenly have to play against Leeds on Wednesday. This is also possible, so we have to prepare for this.”
Talking on the official Leeds United podcast, Bamford was asked whether the Leeds players will welcome the rest.
“I think one of the main differences this year to last year, lots of the lads have been saying it, is the games are so far apart,” Bamford said.
“In the Championship it’s game, two days later… game, two days later… game. Now, you’re waiting 7-8 days between games.
“So yeah, probably playing back-to-back I prefer it, everyone wants to play matches.
“We managed to churn out the physical performance even when we played back to back. I prefer to play the games close together and getting a bit of momentum going.”
Leeds the fittest in the league
Bamford got a rest in the FA Cup game against Crawley and we think the result might have been very different if he’d played.
However, it means he’s going to be fresh for the game against Brighton and that’s no bad thing.
And it’s great to hear that the Leeds players just want to play.
Beyond the fitness of the Leeds squad, what a lot of people forget when they talk about Bielsa’s regime causing burn out is that our players coped with the rigorous schedule in the Championship last season.
There are eight more games to play in the second tier – by comparison, the Premier League looks like a stroll in the park.
Leeds are out of the EFL Cup, out of the FA Cup and aren’t playing in Europe.
Focusing purely on the Premier League should mean that safety is wrapped up fairly quickly. Then, the Leeds players can concentrate on enjoying themselves.
One thing we do want is certainty though. If the Southampton game is going to be back on, Leeds need as much notice as possible.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa drops strong hint that £1.5m Leeds striker could be set for first-team action