Patrick Bamford future uncertain at Leeds United after Daniel Farke snub
Patrick Bamford could be forced to quit Leeds United in January after Daniel Farke decided to bring on Mateo Joseph when chasing the game against Preston North End.
The choice to bring on Joseph rather than Bamford may prove damning to Bamford’s chances of more game time at Elland Road after it was reported in the summer that Farke would look to move him on. [Daily Mail, 10 July]
Leeds fell to a late defeat, but it was Joseph who looked like he had saved the day as he set up Daniel James who won the penalty which Pascal Struijk converted, although Leeds went on to concede another goal late on.
The boss cleared up his decision in his post-match press conference [via Leeds Live]: “There are no gifts and no coincidences,” said Farke. “I got the feeling when we were in underload and wanted to play with two strikers, I wanted to go for a striker who was capable of working a lot, running a lot.”
Despite Farke moving quickly to make his stance and reason for the change clear, it is becoming more and more apparent that Bamford no longer has a role to play at Leeds.
There have been plenty of ups and downs during his long spell at Leeds, but the latest decision to snub him in favour of the 20-year-old may prove to be the final nail in the coffin as far as his chances of being a first-team player are concerned.
Bamford has featured 15 times for Farke’s side this season, but every appearance has come from the bench as the boss looks to either chase a win or see out a result. The lack of trust shown in the striker from the start will be made even more painful by his perceived drop down the pecking order.
His failure to score or provide an assist in any of his 15 league appearances this season were underlined by his penalty miss in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke at the Britannia in October, and that may have been what swayed Farke’s opinion.
With the January transfer window rapidly approaching, it may be time to cut ties on a more permanent basis, with Bamford likely keen to play more regular football, and Farke making his stance obvious when it comes to the Englishman’s role in his squad.
In other Leeds United news, Jamie O’Hara was delighted with what one Leeds loanee did.