Leeds United missed a huge opportunity to move to the top of the Championship table as they suffered a defeat away at Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
The Whites came into the match off the back of a 3-1 win over play-off contenders Hull City at Elland Road, but failed to kick on at the CBS Arena against Mark Robins’ side.
They found themselves two goals down by the 50th minute as Ellis Simms and Haji Wright both found the back of Illan Meslier’s net to give the hosts a comfortable advantage.
Joel Piroe, who came off the bench during the second half, pulled one back for the Yorkshire-based outfit, however, they were then unable to push on to find an equaliser on the day.
That result means that Leeds are still one point behind Ipswich Town, who lost to rivals Norwich City, and are now two points behind Leicester City, who still have a game in hand on the other two in the top three.
There were a number of underwhelming performers, including Georginio Rutter who lost possession a staggering 25 times, but one player, in particular, must finally be ditched from the starting XI is Patrick Bamford.
Patrick Bamford’s season so far
The former England international started the campaign as the reserve number nine behind Rutter and Piroe for Daniel Farke, after a disappointing season in the Premier League for the Whites.
Bamford, who scored four goals in 28 matches in the top-flight last term, had to bide his time for a chance in the starting lineup and finally took his opportunity when it came at the start of 2024.
He produced four goals and one assist in his first five matches of the year in all competitions. However, the ex-Chelsea forward has scored four goals in the subsequent 12 games, which shows that the marksman has not been able to carry on that early 2024 form.
Minutes played
1,307
14th
WhoScored rating
6.54
21st
Goals
7
4th
Expected Goals (xG)
9.31
5th
Assists
1
14th
Key passes per game
0.4
18th
As you can see in the table above, Bamford has not been one of the club's top performers as a creator at the top end of the pitch, and has been wasteful with the opportunities that have come his way in the box.
Only Rutter (-8.14) has underperformed his xG by more than the 30-year-old dud (-2.31) within the Leeds squad in the Championship so far this season.
The English lightweight, who has missed six 'big chances', has also lost 63% of his duels against opposition defenders in the division, which suggests that players have found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests at times – on the ground and in the air.
His latest performance against Coventry on Saturday is why Farke must now finally ditch the ex-Middlesbrough star from the starting XI for the upcoming matches.
Patrick Bamford's performance against Coventry in numbers
The £40k-per-week dud came into the match with no goals or assists in any of his last three matches for Leeds, and one goal and zero assists in his last five, but the manager kept his faith in the experienced attacker.
Unfortunately, though, that faith was not rewarded with a strong performance on the pitch from the Whites number nine, who needed a positive display to prove that he is the man to fire the team to promotion this season.
Instead, Bamford had a no-show at the CBS Arena and contributed to the side failing to pick up any points from the game, with his wasteful finishing in the final third, which is why his time in the starting XI should now be up.
Minutes played
66
Sofascore rating
6.4
Goal contributions
0
Shots
3
Shots on target
0
Big chances missed
1
xG
0.55
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds striker had a nightmare in front of goal with zero shots on target from three attempts and 0.55 xG worth of chances, including one 'big chance', as the forward missed from close-range from a Junior Firpo pass during the first half.
He also lost six of his eight duels, as Coventry's defenders dominated him throughout the afternoon, and failed to create a single opportunity for his teammates at the top end of the pitch, along with a pass accuracy of 75%.
His performance resulted in the Yorkshire Evening Press' Lee Sobot handing him a 4/10 match rating, as the reporter stated that the forward made 'no real impact'. Meanwhile, LeedsLive's Beren Cross also gave Bamford a 4/10 and described his display as 'ineffective'.
The players who could replace Patrick Bamford
Farke is not short of options to replace the misfiring number nine as both Piroe and Mateo Joseph are waiting in the wings for their chance to shine.
The former, of course, came off the bench to score against Coventry. He produced a composed right-footed finish into the far corner after Rutter's pass deflected to him in the box.
However, the Dutch whiz, who has scored 12 goals from 12.26 xG in the Championship this season, also missed a 'big chance' with a tame right-footed effort that made it easy for Brad Collins to save after the ball dropped to him 12 yards out to the left of goal under little pressure.
The alternative to Piroe is academy graduate Joseph, who is yet to start a league game for the club this season after 16 appearances as a substitute.
His first Championship goal for the Whites recently came in the 2-2 draw with Watford, as the Spain U21 international came off the bench to bundle the ball in to secure a point for his team.
The 20-year-old starlet was handed a start in the FA Cup against Premier League side Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in February, and showcased his quality with two goals in a 3-2 loss for Leeds.
Joseph proved that he can step up and provide a threat as a goalscorer as a starter for Farke's side, with a composed right-footed finish and a well-placed header against the London giants.
Time is now up for Bamford after his latest no-show against Coventry and the German head coach must unleash one of his two alternative number nines in his place against Sunderland on Tuesday.