Patrick Bamford is set to be banned (The Guardian) for the next two games as he was found guilty of deceiving officials with his playacting against Aston Villa. Leeds United can appeal the decision but to be fair, Bamford and the club should accept the decision as what the forward did was genuinely shameful.
Now, this might be far from an ideal situation for the club, but it could turn out as a blessing in disguise. Bamford has been guilty of missing too many chances in the attacking third. The forward started getting regular game time because of an injury to Kemar Roofe, but it was surprising to see Bielsa persist with the former Middlesbrough striker even when Roofe became available.
The ban means that the £7m man will miss the tie against Ipswich Town and the first leg of the playoffs which is likely to be against Derby County. Bamford just doesn’t offer similar energy to what Roofe provides upfront, and we are glad that the top scorer would get a chance to lead the line in the crucial game in the playoffs.
However, that would mean that United would be short on options on the bench. Moreover, Bielsa could be in a dilemma whether to rest his key players for the tie against Ipswich Town or try to get out his strongest starting eleven on the pitch to prepare for Derby County.
We feel that going in with a strong team would be the right thing to do against Ipswich. The Whites need a little bit of positive momentum as they are winless in their last three games.
Roofe should also be given a start though the club would be dreading any scenario where the striker gets injured again. The English forward hasn’t started for quite some time and the 90 minutes against Ipswich Town could be crucial for him.
The 14 goal man has looked more mobile in the attacking third than Bamford, and his movement allows other players like Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich to get into space. Moreover, he has been more clinical than Bamford in front of goal.
United’s shoddy finishing in the past few games has cost them the chance to get to the Premier League through the automatic promotion spots. United played their best football of the season when Roofe led the line, and with Bamford likely to be unavailable now, it is a blessing in disguise for the club going into the playoffs.
