OPINION
Leeds United should be in the Premier League.
That’s not entitlement or arrogance talking, but a mere statement of fact.
The Yorkshire giants spent most of this season sweeping aside any and everybody that got in their way, but fell at the last hurdle when an Easter capitulation and a spectacular collapse against Derby County conspired to consign them to another year in the second tier.
No doubt this summer will be spent drawing up the inquest, but the most obvious reason for their failure is an inability to put games to bed and finish off clear cut chances.
A tweet from LUFCDATA earlier in the week revealed that Leeds’ chance conversion was just 11.4%, compared to 17.7% and 17.3% for Norwich City and Sheffield United respectively.
Norwich:
525 chances created
93 goals
17.7% chance conversionSheff Utd:
450 chances created
78 goals
17.3% chance conversionLeeds:
638 chances created
73 goals
11.4% chance conversionIf Leeds had averaged a 17.5% chance conversion we would have scored approx. 112 goals ???? pic.twitter.com/EXXxntK6FS
— LUFCDATA (@LUFCDATA) May 19, 2019
Frankly, that’s not good enough, and when a stat is as glaring as that one, that only place you can look to lay the blame is with your strikers.
Kemar Roofe started the season like a freight train, but injuries put pay to his good form, and in his absence, Patrick Bamford failed to impressed.
Nine goals in 22 Championship appearances doesn’t sound like the worst record in the world, but when you’re pushing for the top flight, you need a forward with a Midas touch. Bamford does not have one.
And that has led to the most obvious indication yet of just how frustrated Leeds fans are with him.
According to a poll conducted by Leeds Live, only 57% of supporters want to keep the 25-year-old next season.
When nearly half of your fanbase wants rid, you need to fix up sharpish.
The issue Bamford has is that he looks fairly incapable of doing so.