Patrick Bamford is a huge signing for Leeds both on and off the pitch. He is a player that Leeds will look to for goals in the next few years, a player who will be the number one striker at the club this season. Will Bamford start today? It’s a big call, Kemar Roofe has been playing that role through the summer.
Roofe had a decent season last, and he will expect to be starting the game today and he will expect to start it as the striker. His performances in pre-season haven’t been stand-out but he has two goals in three games and the link-up play hasn’t gone unnoticed. He scored in the opening game against Forest Green and the winner against Las Palmas last week, a very tidy goal.
He finished as the clubs top scorer last season, he wasn’t prolific but he also didn’t play that striker role all season. Injuries and being forced to play in wide areas didn’t help his cause. After starting the summer and finishing it as the main striker it would be harsh to see him dropped, he will probably start the game with Bamford on the bench.
Where we know Pontus Jansson will start on the bench (according to Bielsa) Bamford is in a very different situation. Bamford was part of another gruelling pre-season under Tony Pulis at Middlesbrough, the same as jack Harrison at Manchester City and Barry Douglas at Wolves. Jansson has had a three-week break, Bielsa admits that means he needs to get up to speed.
The situation probably is that Bielsa may want to spend more time on the training ground with new players, the Bolton cup game may be the perfect game to put a couple of players into the side and then keep them there. When the team-sheet comes out at 15.30 today I fully expect a similar team to the one last season, in a couple of weeks I expect a very different one, because we need it.
