Live from Barnsley: Leeds mainstay can rest easy as biggest threat struggles for U23s
By Mark Smith at Oakwell
It was strange turning up to Barnsley on Monday afternoon to find that Tyler Roberts would be starting for Leeds United under-23s.
The Welsh international appeared to be back to full fitness having come on against both Hull City and Huddersfield – scoring a couple of goals in the process.
There were even strong calls for Roberts to replace Patrick Bamford in recent games after many were left impressed with the young forward.
There was pressure on the shoulders of Bamford, and he answered perfectly by scoring the second in the 2-0 win on Saturday. He was still taken off for Roberts which didn’t help put an end to the possibility that change could be made.
Anyway, back to Barnsley. Roberts completed an hour at Oakwell, and although the conditions weren’t the best, he struggled to make any sort of impact.
With Marcelo Bielsa present at the game, it appears as though Roberts missed a big chance to impress and Patrick Bamford can rest easy knowing he will start against Cardiff City on Sunday.
It’s hard to remember Roberts touching the ball, never mind the forward finding space to create an opportunity for himself or a teammate – poor.
Bamford proved what he can do once again on Saturday for those who were doubting him, scoring his 13th of the season and causing constant problems for the Huddersfield defence.
The 26-year-old had three shots on goal as well as winning his side a couple of freekicks with his work out of possession according to WhoScored, cementing his spot as Bielsa’s main man in the final third.
Roberts could have taken a step closer to the first-team starting role with a blinder against Barnsley but instead will find himself back on the bench after a poor afternoon.
In other Leeds United news, here are our player ratings from the 1-1 draw with Barnsley on Monday afternoon