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Rosenior: Bamford is a fantastic player

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Image for Rosenior: Bamford is a fantastic player

Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior has praised Leeds striker Patrick Bamford, 25, after he scored both goals in the 2-0 win against Preston on Tuesday night. 

Bamford was without a goal in four games ahead of the visit to the Deepdale Stadium, but took full advantage as the home side were reduced to 10 men, scoring twice in a 15-minute spell in the second-half of the Championship game.

Talking on EFL Championship Goals (Sky Sports, Wednesday, 11am), Rosenior said it was a “massive, massive win at this stage in the season”, and he singled out Bamford for praise after the striker scored his seventh and eighth goal of a season that’s been curtailed for him through injury.

“It starts with this which I absolutely love and it shows their determination to win the game,” Rosenior said. “Patrick Bamford is the striker and he takes the throw-in quickly and this is… what a strike into the corner of the net, it gives the keeper no chance. And when you’re in a situation like this, you need your goal-scorer coming to form and that is a fantastic goal.

“First of all, that pass from Pablo Hernandez is top quality and he’s been doing that all season. I love this. Because a lot of players would just play this into an area, but he picks out Bamford.

“A lot of strikers would just try and run in there and get as close to goal as possible. The top strikers find space in the box, Bamford just holds his position and that’s a fantastic header into the top corner. That is what he’s all about, he’s a fantastic player in and around the box and he’s going to have to score a few more crucial goals if they want to get promoted.”

OPINION

If Bamford finished all the chances he got in games he would be the league’s top scorer. And, while he scored two last night, he missed possibly the easiest chance of the game and his shot at a hattrick. He was put clean through but delayed and allowed the Preston defender to make a last-ditch tackle. That shows that his confidence isn’t sky-high, despite the two he scored. Leeds can’t rely on wonder strikes and need Bamford to start putting away the chances that should be meat and drink for a player of his calibre. That’s to take nothing away from him against Preston though. His two goals secured the vital three points for Leeds and they might have to win every game between now and the end of the season and hope that Sheffield United slip up to secure automatic promotion. That could happen on Wednesday night as Chris Wilder’s men travel to Birmingham, where Leeds dropped three points on Saturday. 

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