'I was angry': Patrick Bamford hits back at Leeds United claim with strong personal scoring view — YEP 11/1/24
Patrick Bamford has hit back at Leeds United claims with a strong personal goalscoring view, reflecting on ‘anger’ and ‘frustration’ heading into the new year.
By Lee Sobot
Whites no 9 Bamford was finally handed his first start of
the season in the New Year’s Day clash against Championship visitors Birmingham
City in which the striker netted his first goal last April to open the scoring
as part of a 3-0 success.
Six days later, Bamford then lined up for Sunday’s FA Cup
third round clash at Peterborough United in which he netted a stunning 25-yard
volley as part of another 3-0 victory for Daniel Farke’s side. Having gone nine
months without a goal, Bamford now has two from his last two games but the
30-year-old has hit back at claims that his confidence was down.
Instead, Bamford says he was merely frustrated and angry at
not starting – and says he knew he would get himself back on the scoresheet
once returning to the starting XI.
Speaking to LUTV, Bamford was pressed on scoring two goals
in his last two games and if he felt things were now going again to which he
responded: "To be honest, I never thought they weren't. Everyone says 'his
confidence is down' but it wasn't. I was just frustrated or angry I wasn't
starting and I knew as soon as I started that I'd score and so for me it's just
been keep going until I get the chance."
Bamford was brought into the side for the New Year’s Day
clash against Birmingham as boss Daniel Farke made five changes to his side
which included Bamford returning to the no 9 role as Joel Piroe dropped to the
bench and Georginio Rutter shifted back to playing as a no 10.
Farke then made another six changes to his team for Sunday’s
cup clash at Peterborough but Bamford stayed upfront with Piroe this time
replacing Rutter as the no 10. Bamford then netted a stunning goal two minutes
into the second half which was sandwiched by an Ethan Ampadu brace for a 3-0
win that put Leeds in the hat for the next round.
The Whites have since been handed a home tie against
Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the competition which they have reached
for just the second time in the last seven years. Leeds were dumped out at the
third round stage for five consecutive years between 2018 and 2022 before
finally progressing past Cardiff City last season following a replay as part of
a small run that ended with defeat at Fulham in the fifth round.
"I actually can't remember going through the third
round since I've been here,” admitted Bamford. "There was last year but
before that, there's not been many. It's nice to be in the hat.
"The team as a whole, everyone was buzzing and we
didn't treat it as if it was any different to an important league game and I
think that's the key thing. We came here and we wanted to win just as we would
if it was a top of the table clash in the last game of the season so that was
an important mentality to have."