Football Insider pundit Darren Bent has backed Patrick Bamford to remain with Leeds United for the next five years at the least, having cemented his spot as the first-choice striker under Marcelo Bielsa. The former Chelsea graduate has netted only 13 goals from 36 outings this term but he has been a regular up front under Bielsa, who has been impressed with his tireless workrate.
As a result, Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah was barely able to make the starting XI during the first half of the season and he was eventually recalled by the north London giants. Jean-Kevin Augustin arrived on loan from AS Monaco in January to compete for the centre-forward position but he has suffered the same fate and has managed less than an hour’s action in the league. (more…)
Former Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has backed the Yorkshire outfit to seal their comeback to the Premier League after 16 years. The Championship side were in a commanding position during the previous campaign but their form dipped during the final weeks of the season as they missed out on the automatic promotions spots.
Ultimately, they bowed out of the playoffs at the semi-final stage and that presented another disappointing moment for the fans. In the current season, Leeds experienced a similar stumble at the turn of the year but they have managed to overcome the setback by going on a five-match winning run in the Championship.
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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has talked up the possibility of keeping Eddie Nketiah at the club beyond the current campaign. The England youth international made the season-long loan move from Arsenal during the summer transfer window and he has since made an impact with five goals in all competitions.
In the Championship, he has largely played second fiddle to Patrick Bamford for the centre-forward role but he was handed with a maiden league start earlier in the month before he picked up a stomach bug. Nketiah is due to make his comeback this weekend and Bielsa believes the striker could be better served staying with the club on loan next term. (more…)
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has hailed the performances of defender Ben White since his loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer. The 21-year-old has been a solid presence at the heart of the defence this season and he has helped the club keep five clean sheet from the opening 11 league games.
Speaking in a press conference, Bielsa hailed White as a great player and said that he does not making any mistakes even when he decides to take risks, he told: “He’s a great player. He takes risks and he doesn’t make mistakes. That’s the most difficult thing in football. It’s easy when you take risks. It’s normal to make mistakes when you take risks. The best players risk and don’t make mistakes. Everything seems White is in this band.”
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Leeds United Marcelo Bielsa has been impressed with the form of striker Patrick Bamford and believes the goals scored during the early phase of the Championship campaign should provide plenty of confidence going forward. The 25-year-old joined the Peacocks from Middlesbrough last season and managed just 10 goals during an injury plagued campaign.
He has begun the current season on a high with four goals from just five appearances and Bielsa feels the run should provide more confidence as the season progresses, he said: “It’s something important for him. Against Stoke he scored one chance of a top scorer. He will win more confidence and calm, that is something he will have more with the passing of the games. (more…)
Leeds United managed Marcelo Bielsa has continued to back Patrick Bamford despite the striker’s woes in pre-season. The former Chelsea graduate struggled to find the net during the club’s pre-season tour of Australia and he was particularly poor against Western Sydney Wanderers, where he was handed with a number of clear-cut chances.
Speaking to Leeds Live, Bielsa acknowledged that Bamford is not going through the best of times in the club’s shirt but hopefully, he can finally convert the chances into goals sooner rather than later, he said: “For a striker it is very important they create chances. At the same time, for his confidence it is important he finally finishes these chances and scores. One of the first steps for a forward is it is important he creates a chance and makes steps in his performance in the pre-season and finally he scores goals.”
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