Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is entering his sixth year with the club since joining from Middlesbrough. Pundit Frank McAvennie has doubts the 31-year old can still do a job at this level.
The Whites were reportedly looking to sign an attacker before the transfer deadline. The departures of Summerville and Rutter left a gap in the team. The duo contributed 49 goals and assists combined for Leeds United last season.
Leeds ended the deadline without an extra signing in attack, leaving Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford as the only senior strikers in the first team. Joe Gelhardt is out of favour and reportedly wanted to leave the club, but failed to secure a move away.
Can Patrick Bamford be the man for Leeds this season?
Bamford only managed four goals in 28 appearances for Leeds in the championship last season. He played a handful of games, and was an option off the bench whenever the team needed him. With the loss of key players in the transfer market, the Whites will be forced to rely on Bamford once again. Frank McAvennie doubts the English striker has the ability to score goals for the club this season:
“I would have liked them to bring in a top striker,” he told Football Insider.
“You can’t beat having someone that’s going to get you 20 goals a season, that’s what Bamford did a couple of years ago.”
He’s been their man for ages, can he still do that? From what I’ve seen of Patrick, I don’t think so, unless he steps up,”
“He’s not shown me that he can score 20 goals this year, if he can do it or they bring someone in who can they’ll be in the Premier League next year.”
The 31-year old striker has failed to score 20 goals in all competitions in the last five seasons of his career.
Will Leeds United’s attacking depth be enough this season?
The signings of Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon was decent enough to cushion the blow after the departures of Rutter and Summerville. But the feeling around Elland Road is that the club needed another attacker.
Leeds reportedly failed to agree a deal to sign SC Freiburg forward Roland Sallai on deadline day. A move for Burnley winger Manuel Benson also failed to materialize.
Patrick Bamford has already been involved this season, but so far, Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph have done a decent job up front for Leeds. Joseph and Piroe were on the scoresheet in the Whites 2-0 win over Hull City at Elland Road last weekend.
