Summary Leeds United shouldn't worry about Patrick Bamford's absence as some fans argue that the team is actually worse off with him in the starting eleven. Bamford's recent statistics indicate that he may no longer be good enough to help Leeds fight for promotion and his poor play is not due to luck. It might be in the best interest of Leeds United and Bamford himself to find a buyer, as he is no longer considered good enough for the team.
Leeds United shouldn't be worried about Patrick Bamford's absence for the start of the season as the team are "worse off" with the striker in the starting eleven, according to Peacocks fan and host of the One Leeds Fan Channel, Conor McGilligan.
Leeds United news – Patrick Bamford's injury
It's been a rough few months for fans of the South Yorkshire club. First came their relegation from the Premier League, which was closely followed by an exodus of first-team players looking for top-flight football away from Elland Road, and then just last week, the side lost three of their strikers to injury, Georginio Rutter, Mateo Joseph and Bamford.
The former England international picked up a hamstring injury in the club's final preseason friendly against Scottish side Hearts, which could be a massive blow to new boss Daniel Farke's bid to gain immediate promotion back to the top tier.
The German told BBC Radio Leeds (via BBC Sport) that the 29-year-old wouldn't return to the team before the first international break of the campaign, which gets underway on September 7.
Read the latest Leeds United transfer news HERE…
There has been at least some positive news for fans of the Whites recently as they managed to fight back from 2-0 against Cardiff City in their opening game of the Championship season last weekend, proving that the loss of the former Chelsea man might not be quite as bad as some might've thought.
In fact, some fans like McGilligan, host of the One Leeds Fan Channel YouTube channel, would rather the striker didn't play for the side at all, arguing that his presence in the side makes them "worse off."
He explained his position on the One Leeds Fan Channel, saying:
"We're worse off with Patrick Bamford in that starting eleven, and you might say, 'oh, there's a number nine up top,' but that doesn't matter with him. We all know this; we've all seen the constant chances, misses. He may occupy a defender, but what is the expectation? What is the standard?
"What is the curtain raiser with Patrick Bamford, to just stand in the box? I mean I can do that if they want me to, just ring me up and I'll get down to Elland Road and stand in the box and occupy a defender."
How good is Patrick Bamford?
Is McGilligan right in his assessment of Bamford? Are Leeds genuinely better off finding another number nine to plug that gap, or is he being somewhat dramatic?
Well, despite having that brilliant year in the Premier League under Marco Bielsa, McGilligan is spot on in his assessment that the £70k-per-week forward is probably no longer good enough to help Leeds fight for promotion.
In his 28 Premier League appearances for the side last season, he scored just four goals, provided only two assists, maintained a shockingly poor passing accuracy of 69.9% and averaged a disappointing match rating of just 6.36, per WhoScored.
And unfortunately for the 6 foot 1 striker, his underlying numbers are equally poor and suggest that his recent poor returns are nothing to do with poor luck and all to do with general poor play.
According to FBref, which compares players across Europe's top five leagues, the former Premier League striker sits in the bottom 31% for successful take-ons, the bottom 30% for progressive carries, the bottom 28% for non-penalty goals, the bottom 13% for expected assists and the bottom 12% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.
Ultimately, it would seem that should the club want to move on and reach the top flight once again, it might be best for all parties to try and find a buyer for Bamford, as he clearly isn't good enough for the Yorkshire side anymore.
