da betobet： Former Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe has defended his former teammate Patrick Bamford in an interview with The Sun, claiming he receives criticism that he does not deserve.
What did he say?
da betsul： Roofe left Elland Road over the summer to join Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht, but he was still keen to support his former teammate Bamford.
The two played together last season as Leeds finished third in the Championship table, before missing out on promotion in the playoffs.
However, Leeds are currently top of the table and look likely to secure a place in the automatic places, provided the season resumes and is not made null and void.
Despite Leeds’ good form Bamford has faced plenty of criticism from fans and pundits this season, but manager Marcelo Bielsa has selected him from the start in 35 of their 37 league games so far.
“Playing as a No9 is the hardest position on the pitch,” Roofe told The Sun.
“It’s hard to get a top, top striker who can score week in, week out and when you can get one it’s expensive.
“You have to deal with so much pressure. If you don’t take those chances people say you’re not good enough or if you don’t score for a while you start to think, ‘When am I going to get another chance to score?’ and when you get that chance it might be on your mind, ‘Will I score it?’ You have to be mentally strong.
“It’s a bit unfair for him because he gets a lot of stick and sometimes he doesn’t deserve it.
“Bielsa keeps faith in him because he has that system and players that he trusts play in.”
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Making a change
The form and selection of Bamford has been a real bone of contention for Leeds fans this season, with the ex-Chelsea man managing just 13 goals from 36 appearances.
Both Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin have been forced to sit on the bench because of Bamford’s continued selection, but nonetheless Leeds have a seven-point cushion to Fulham in third.
Bamford does play an important role in Leeds’ build up and allows them to dominate possession, but his poor finishing has been part of the reason that Bielsa’s side rank fourth in terms of goals scored overall.