OPINION
No one wearing white could come away with much pride after Leeds United’s shock defeat to Wigan Athletic at Elland Road.
Patrick Bamford may have opened the scoring after seeing Pablo Hernandez’s penalty saved but it was the 10 men of the Latics who came out on top to put a serious dent in Marcelo Bielsa’s hopes of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League.
As might be expected, the pundits were left leaping onto Leeds’ failures and pointing the finger of blame, and they were no doubt spoiled for choice as to who they took aim at.
Sky Sports‘ Alan McInally targeted 25-year-old striker Patrick Bamford for criticism, telling Sky Sports News (19/04): “Patrick Bamford in the second-half didn’t do enough for me, he really had to do more. He’s leading the line for them, he’s got to be a pivot point for them and I don’t think he was that today.”
Now the former Middlesbrough man did find himself on the score sheet with a well taken finish and he might be questioning what more he could have done with the lack of service coming his way.
There was a great deal of profligacy at Elland Road and the hitman has surely got to shift blame onto the four men who were tasked with delivering crosses from the flanks; Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison on the left and Luke Ayling and Pablo Hernandez on the right.
Time after time Bamford saw the ball crossed in either too high, too low, too fast or too slow and he simply had no chance of getting more than one with what was coming his way.
He might not have been on top of his game but there were more culpable individuals in defeat and Bamford should not be afraid to stand his ground.