Patrick Bamford

[Smudge3920]

Bamford surprised most of the Leeds fan base this season.
I think most of us expected Rodrigo to be ahead of him but what does Bamford do? Scores in the first three games of the season. Hard to drop a striker who does that.
I think Bielsa has what he considers a model player, someone who genuinely wants to improve his game and who will do everything the manager wants of him.
However he doesn't create enough for others and I think that that could on the long run see him usurped at Leeds.

Have to disagree I am afraid...he creates lots for others with his play by drawing away defenders, he has what 5 assists, unselfishly for a striker with a couple... 2 really bad var offside decisions against him...he could very easily be on 20 gioals this year , but as you say a model team player ...

[Cjay]

I still don't see a top premiership player there. But I'll keep shtum because I know I can't argue that here without recourse. I know I've tried

I agree actually i dont think he is a top Premier league striker.

I dont think his finishing is good enough.

But how much do you pay for a top Premier league striker now?

£50,60,70,80mil?

How many top level Premier league players do we have in truth?

Raph?

Probably about it really atm.

[Irish Ian]

Have to disagree I am afraid...he creates lots for others with his play by drawing away defenders, he has what 5 assists, unselfishly for a striker with a couple... 2 really bad var offside decisions against him...he could very easily be on 20 gioals this year , but as you say a model team player ...

Bielsa said the same about him.

[Irish Ian]

I agree actually i dont think he is a top Premier league striker.

I dont think his finishing is good enough.

But how much do you pay for a top Premier league striker now?

£50,60,70,80mil?

How many top level Premier league players do we have in truth?

Raph?

Probably about it really atm.

I think Llorente and Koch would play in most Prem sides Cjay. As would Phillips.

As for Bamford the quality of some of his goals this season have been top drawer, Leicester away, Villa are the best I can recall.

[Smudge3920]

I agree actually i dont think he is a top Premier league striker.

I dont think his finishing is good enough.

But how much do you pay for a top Premier league striker now?

£50,60,70,80mil?

How many top level Premier league players do we have in truth?

Raph?

Probably about it really atm.

His finishing could indeed be a little sharper... Spuds have 3 top class rated strikers in Bale, Kane and Son...yet we taught them a master class at the week end ..Paddy scored... and Rodrigo as a sub our only two strikers...son was their only one on the sheet, other two totally shut down...not always about the strikers

[mothbanquet]

I'm going with the middle road here. I like the bloke and 15 goals (so far) is a great return for our first season back, given the 20-goal marker is generally seen as the minimum benchmark for excellence. If he improves on his tally next season should we strengthen the service he gets, it's going to be harder and harder to deny his quality.

I do think there are better strikers out there but we're talking European place-quality. That's a narrow bracket. I think it's too early to say yet whether other strikers would be better or worse considering all the non-finishing parts of the position that's required but I do think it's safe to say that there are positions in far, far greater need of upgrading than his in the short term.

Also, I do believe Gelhardt is being groomed to be his successor. I don't think we'll be buying anyone in unless Bamford leaves voluntarily.

[whiteroseboy]

Currently in the top 6 in the scoring charts add to that he has more assists than the others (apart from Kane) .
Only taken one penalty so his total doesn't have as much of a boost like some of the others.

[SG90]

His value has never been higher than it is now tbh. I'd keep unless we got a crazy bid, like £30m+. Bring in Aguero for a year, then bring in Gelhardt and Greenwood the following season.

[1964white]

I still don't see a top premiership player there. But I'll keep shtum because I know I can't argue that here without recourse. I know I've tried

And I thought you were warming to Paddy mate.

[weasel]

His finishing could indeed be a little sharper... Spuds have 3 top class rated strikers in Bale, Kane and Son...yet we taught them a master class at the week end ..Paddy scored... and Rodrigo as a sub our only two strikers...son was their only one on the sheet, other two totally shut down...not always about the strikers

Spurs had 3 class trikers but that is about all they do score or assist. I think you could easily add 5 goals to PB in terms of what his overall game adds to this Leeds side, same as with Harrison really you could have players in the same position who score/create more but don't do the stuff that Harrison does to help the team. Take Harrison and Bamford out of the team and replace them with Bale and Kane and yes you get more goals but would the Bielsa machine be stronger or weaker?

[HarryofOz]

Spurs had 3 class trikers but that is about all they do score or assist. I think you could easily add 5 goals to PB in terms of what his overall game adds to this Leeds side, same as with Harrison really you could have players in the same position who score/create more but don't do the stuff that Harrison does to help the team. Take Harrison and Bamford out of the team and replace them with Bale and Kane and yes you get more goals but would the Bielsa machine be stronger or weaker?

An interesting hypothetical.

While I'm not calling for that to happen (although I rate Kane very highly), unless they were prepared to play BielsaBall, they wouldn't make the team.

[becchio bear]

An interesting hypothetical.

While I'm not calling for that to happen (although I rate Kane very highly), unless they were prepared to play BielsaBall, they wouldn't make the team.

Go on then, why?

[Mountain]

A model pro, on and off the pitch, a crucial element of the Bielsa project. Leeds have been fortunate with strikers over the last decade, Beckford, Becchio, McCormack, Wood and now Bamford. Unlike the first 4, at long last we can afford to hang on to one of them, and the one whose goals took us up and established us in the top tier. If rumours are true and Leeds have pinned him down to a contract extension, it's great news.

[John in Louisiana]

For the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone thinks Paddy is not a PL striker. He’s the sixth- leading scorer in the league, plus he does a world of things no other striker is called upon to do.

There isn’t another striker on the planet who would do everything Bielsa demands as enthusiastically as Paddy.

I always thought he’d be better in the EPL as he’d have more room in which to operate, but he’s delivered beyond anything we could have hoped for.

We could use a backup for him, but why on earth would we want to spend the money required to bring in someone who might get us four or five more goals over 40 games but could never do all the other things Bamford does?

[John in Louisiana]

A model pro, on and off the pitch, a crucial element of the Bielsa project. Leeds have been fortunate with strikers over the last decade, Beckford, Becchio, McCormack, Wood and now Bamford. Unlike the first 4, at long last we can afford to hang on to one of them, and the one whose goals took us up and established us in the top tier. If rumours are true and Leeds have pinned him down to a contract extension, it's great news.

[Norm]

John in Louisiana wrote:
For the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone thinks Paddy is not a PL striker. He’s the sixth- leading scorer in the league, plus he does a world of things no other striker is called upon to do.

There isn’t another striker on the planet who would do everything Bielsa demands as enthusiastically as Paddy.

I always thought he’d be better in the EPL as he’d have more room in which to operate, but he’s delivered beyond anything we could have hoped for.

We could use a backup for him, but why on earth would we want to spend the money required to bring in someone who might get us four or five more goals over 40 games but could never do all the other things Bamford does?

Great post John. He's not only a great striker and team player but his intelligence and articulation show through at every interview.

[1964white]

For the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone thinks Paddy is not a PL striker. He’s the sixth- leading scorer in the league, plus he does a world of things no other striker is called upon to do.

There isn’t another striker on the planet who would do everything Bielsa demands as enthusiastically as Paddy.

I always thought he’d be better in the EPL as he’d have more room in which to operate, but he’s delivered beyond anything we could have hoped for.

We could use a backup for him, but why on earth would we want to spend the money required to bring in someone who might get us four or five more goals over 40 games but could never do all the other things Bamford does?

Excellent summarization John

I'm always concerned when Paddy is subbed during the game as his work rate is often missed & we are under the cosh defensively once he leaves the pitch.

[HarryofOz]

Go on then, why?

He is skilful, he works hard, he scores goals, he creates chances.

[becchio bear]

He is skilful, he works hard, he scores goals, he creates chances.

Ok you've described Bamford, I asked your opinion on Kane

[HarryofOz]

Ok you've described Bamford, I asked your opinion on Kane

Off to your own shed you go