Leeds United’s second season back in the Premier League is not going so smoothly as their first. Even with their big win over last-placed Norwich, the Whites are still in 17th place, just three points clear of the relegation zone.
The injury bug has bitten Leeds hard during the first quarter of the campaign, and the loss of key players has been a significant factor in their early struggles.
There has been no bigger injury casualty than Patrick Bamford. Bamford, who was Leeds’ leading scorer last season, has been sorely missed up front, and Whites fans surely can’t wait for him to return from the ankle injury which has kept him sidelined for the last few weeks.
SBOTOP takes a deeper look at the impact of Bamford’s absence and why the Whites need their star striker to return as soon as possible.
Bamford’s big boots hard to fill
It was always going to be a challenge for Leeds to replicate their terrific form from last season, especially if Bamford were to be out for an extended stretch.
Bamford was so instrumental in their success last term. Not only was he their most consistent goalscorer with 17 goals – tied for fourth in the league – but he was also a terrific link-up man. He contributed an impressive seven assists, third on the team behind wingers Raphinha and Jack Harrison.
Bamford was once again putting that impressive ability to tie together the attack on display before his injury, as he had three assists in the first six games in all competitions.
Aside from being one of the best players in the side, Bamford was also arguably the most irreplaceable. Leeds simply didn’t have anyone else who could slot in and do what he did, both as a goalscorer and as a playmaker.
Instead of bringing in another striker during the summer transfer window to bring on in case of emergency, Leeds decided that having record signing Rodrigo as Bamford’s primary backup was good enough. But if these last few games have been any indication, that does not appear to be the case.
Bielsa still searching for right combination
Coach Marcelo Bielsa turned to Rodrigo to fill in at centre-forward after Bamford went down. It was the Spanish striker’s first chance to play his preferred position for an extended stretch since arriving at Leeds – he had played mostly as a midfielder last season – but he has not exactly shone in that role when Leeds really need him to.
To be fair, Rodrigo has done well as a playmaker. While he has no actual assists yet, he has provided 2.7 xA (expected assists), which is tied for seventh in the Premier League.
However, he has struggled to produce the Premier League 2021 highlights that Bamford could in front of goal. He has just two goals thus far this season on 14 shots in nine games – one fewer than Bamford’s total of 15 shots in just five games.
As a result, Bielsa has started to experiment with the likes of Jack Harrison, Daniel James, and Tyler Roberts leading the line with Rodrigo returning to a No 10 role, but the results have been far from convincing.
Perhaps the only card Bielsa has yet to play is to give 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt a shot from the start. But despite a promising substitute performance from Gelhardt against Wolves, it’s understandable for Bielsa to be a bit cautious about turning to a teenager with just two goals in his senior club career to turn a struggling team’s fortunes around.
Leeds need Bamford for crucial stretch
Despite missing the last month and half, there is still no definitive timetable for Bamford’s return, which is a bit concerning. But with another international break coming up, Bamford will get an extra fortnight to try and recover in time for what is shaping up to be a crucial stretch of games for Leeds starting this November.
Leeds return from the international break with away games against Tottenham – who could have Antonio Conte on the bench – and Brighton, then back-to-back home games against Crystal Palace and Brentford.
None of those matches looks particularly easy, but they are easily much more winnable than the next four games on the schedule, which are against Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
Even if Bamford does return, the Premier League 2021 odds of Leeds picking up points against those four are not going to be good. Therefore, they must make the most of the first four games against the mid table sides if they are to stay out of the relegation zone heading into the New Year.
Having Bamford back for those games would be a huge boost. As his absence over the last few weeks has shown, he is an integral piece to this Leeds side and his presence has been sorely missed.
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