Leeds United fans would be a worried lot even though they sit on top of the table. The team has seen two of their main strikers ruled out for the tough away clash against Millwall. Patrick Bamford has reportedly torn his posterior cruciate ligament and could be out of action for the next four months. Just a few days after, the injury gods struck again at Elland Road as the other striker Kemar Roofe has now been ruled out for 2-3 weeks.
The Whites had a relatively quiet summer transfer window as they secured just two permanent signings including Bamford. However, they might now be lamenting that decision as they are short on proven strike options. It is likely that Bielsa and Co will have to ride the tide with young guns like Tyler Roberts and Ryan Edmundson. There is an option to sign free agents but Phil Hay of Yorkshire Evening Post revealed that as of now, the club doesn’t seem interested in signing any freebies.
It seems like Bielsa is quietly confident in the players he has at his disposal and doesn’t want to overthink about who is available in the market. Some notable names who are available are Victor Anichebe, Darren Bent, Lacina Traore, Robbie Keane, Jerry Mbakogu and former United striker Habib Habibou.
However, the primary reason we feel that the former Argentina manager isn’t interested in bringing new players is the fact that they would take time to get used to his philosophy and ideas. And not to mention, most of the said players might not be match fit at the moment, and we all know what high standards Bielsa demands from his players.
On the other hand, youngsters like Tyler Roberts, Ryan Edmundson and Jack Clarke have been in and around the first team for a while now. They would have witnessed the training regime, the strategy and the work ethic demanded by the gaffer so they would be more likely to soak in the manager’s idea. Not to forget they would also be more hungry to showcase their worth whereas the mentioned free agents would like just to collect some last paycheques of their playing career.
So one can understand why the manager is not too keen on jumping the gun and signing a free agent. Roofe’s injury doesn’t seem to be that serious, and he is expected to be back in a fortnight, and till then, the Argentine manager can see through this tricky period with talented young forwards who would be determined to leave a mark on the senior team in the absence of first-team strikers.
