Patrick Bamford: Premier League Player Watch - The Coaches’ Voice 10/9/21
As a younger striker, Patrick Bamford struggled to establish
himself in the Premier League with Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Norwich and
Burnley. Under the influential Marcelo Bielsa, however, Bamford is playing his
best football for a manager who has previously worked with Gabriel Batistuta,
Hernan Crespo, Alexis Sánchez and Fernando Llorente. Bamford scored 16 times in
47 appearances during 2019/20, when Leeds were in the Championship, and as such
he was expected to struggle in the Premier League. In their opening six
fixtures of 2020/21, however, he scored six times – producing his finest form
at the age of 27, and to the extent he has since scored his 100th goal as a
professional.
“I’m very happy for Patrick because he scored some wonderful
goals,” Bielsa said of his improving striker, who in that run of six goals
recorded the club’s first hat-trick in the Premier League since Mark Viduka’s
at Charlton in April 2003. “Apart from that, he is a noble player who
sacrifices a lot for the team; generous also. His development is more to do
with him and less to do with me.”
Tactical analysis
Bamford is a particularly versatile number nine who is as
capable of operating inside of the penalty area as he is elsewhere, even if he
provides his greatest goalscoring threat with his left foot and from close
range. If he is also effective at scoring with his right foot and his head, he
provides a consistent threat because of his movements towards goal and around
or between opposing central defenders, and his ability to drift away from his
marker and face the relevant goal for as long as possible. Though he lacks the
speed of Jamie Vardy, a striker who prioritise similar runs, his ability to
detect spaces and then receive possession often compensates, inviting him to
shoot quickly and often with his first touch before opponents can adjust.
He favours shooting with the inside of his foot (below), and
placing his finishes, but with a degree of power that doesn’t sacrifice his
accuracy as he aims towards the near post or across the opposing goalkeeper. He
is also particularly aware of what is unfolding around him in the final third
and in the area, and therefore remains alert and prepared to pounce on rebounds
or to be influential in the attack’s second phase and at set-pieces, when he
prioritises advancing into the six-yard box.
When outside of the penalty area Bamford relishes moving
with freedom away from the central lane to contribute towards building play in
deeper and wider areas, locating new spaces, and combining and passing on the
move; if he is required further forwards when play is being built, he will
instead make runs across the opposing defence to receive. His efforts mean he
can continue to convincingly progress play, even if doing so involves him
drifting from the positions he most relishes; it is that same willingness to
prioritise his team’s needs that those around him admire.
There are also occasions when that enthusiasm can prove a
weakness, when his teammates would have preferred him to hold his position
instead of making a run, potentially contributing to them conceding possession.
Similarly, for all of his willingness to press with aggression after losses of
possession, the positions he adopts mean he is regularly underloaded and will
therefore struggle to make tackles or interceptions, and is instead likelier to
make regains by collecting loose balls. If both traits can be improved, and he
complements doing so by more convincingly competing in the air, he can become
significantly more complete.
Bamford operates almost exclusively as Bielsa’s
centre-forward in what most closely resembles a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 structure, but
he is far more than just a striker for them. Bielsa sets his team up to attack
in a fluid manner, and Bamford’s movements (below) are important to their
attacking shape. He works back all over the pitch, and his goals are a direct
result of him pushing up high to meet the end of a move. The vast majority of
his goals for Leeds have been scored from inside of the penalty area.
Bamford benefits greatly from the fluidity of the movements
around him; their advancing number eights are particularly key. The attacking
impetus provided by his teammates encourages him to move away from his direct
opponent in the pursuit of space. He often makes runs in behind, even when
space is limited, and he is an adept first-time finisher who is able to take
shots effectively when he doesn’t have time to set himself. Their attacking
central midfielders operate closely to him, and often provide Bamford with
shooting opportunities as he drifts away from his direct opponent. Their
intention is to provide him with simple passes that he can attempt to wrap his
foot around to generate more power.
Bamford’s off-the-ball contributions are a key component of
Bielsa’s philosophy, and particularly important when his side are in
possession. Bielsa wants his attacking players pushing forward in search of a
goal, even when they are already ahead – as was seen with Leeds three goals up
against Aston Villa, when so many players advanced with intent deep into injury
time. Bamford’s movements help create space for those runners.
With so many players bursting forwards during
counter-attacks – often covering all five vertical lanes on the pitch – Bamford
can slightly drift away from his marker but still remain in a central position
and close to goal. He is therefore usually best placed to pounce on rebounds
and loose balls after an effort on goal.
