Leeds United 3 Birmingham City 0: Shrewd Patrick Bamford call reaps dividends for Leeds United to pile on woe for Wayne Rooney — Yorkshire Post 1/1/24
HARRY LAUDER’S song Keep Right On Till the End of the Road has been adapted by Birmingham City into their club anthem, but at the start of January, it is also a reminder for football teams everywhere to journey on amid a tough nine-month marathon even when they are tired and weary.
By Leon Wobschall
The course of Championship seasons rarely run smoothly and
after a jittery run of one victory in five, Leeds United needed a settler and
they got it at the expense of an out-of-form Birmingham City. They journey on.
Leeds - who handed a shock full debut to Norwegian keeper
Kris Klaesson - with Illan Meslier suspended and Karl Darlow out after
dislocating his thumb - calmed things down rather nicely indeed in a perfect
way to start the new year.
On one of the milestone match dates in the domestic
calendar, there was significance in Patrick Bamford being the player to make
the breakthrough in his first start of the campaign after 16 substitute
appearances.
In for Joel Piroe, Bamford scored the sort of goal which
United have not scored enough of this season, a classic centre-forward’s
contribution.
He rose above Emanuel Aiwu at the back stick to provide a
relieving opener on 34 minutes from a right-wing cross from Dan James - with
the forward providing a highlight which had nothing to do with his striking
peroxide hair.
It was Bamford’s first goal at Elland Road since April 9 and
Daniel Farke’s decision to start him reaped a dividend and proved the soundest
of moves. The applause when he left the fray on 75 minutes said it all.
Farke showed his shrewd side to start Bamford. Good managers
truly earn their money by making such decisions over the course of the season.
James’s eighth goal of the campaign just before the interval
following an excellent low cross from substitute Junior Firpo - who had
replaced Sam Byram early on - looked to end the game as a competitive entity,
with Blues looking what they currently are, a side anxiously looking over their
shoulders towards the drop zone.
Firpo also assisted for the third - from Crysencio
Summerville - midway through the second half as Leeds made the most of home
comforts once again. At LS11, they look pretty impregnable, the issues are
elsewhere.
New Year’s Day crowds can be notoriously muted and this was
no exception in the first half hour of the game, even if the South Stand did
try and provide some sport at the expense of Rooney.
Thankfully for his sake, Leeds’s offerings did not provide
their supporters much to get their teeth into early on, with the hosts looking
a side grappling for a bit of form. They would find it and the Rooney baiting
was near far away, with a full repertoire being aired.
Bamford’s goal, well-timed on a number of levels, provided
some balm and James’s strike ahead of the break further sweetened the mood.
From a Leeds perspective, Georginio Rutter did find some joy
dropping into those deep pockets which he enjoys and knitted everything
together. No goals, maybe, but vestiges of quality all the same.
He was denied a goal from a rebound following a heroic block
from Blues defender Emmanuel Longelo. It came midway through the first half,
straight after keeper John Ruddy had been called into his first piece of work
to keep out Summerville’s strike with the loose ball then falling invitingly
for Rutter.
The early incident of note saw Sam Byram exit the fray with
a muscle injury, with Blues providing Leeds with just one scare, when Siriki
Dembele getting away down the right, only for a heavy touch to let him down,
enabling the immaculate Joe Rodon to cover and clear in the nick of time.
It was another afternoon when Rodon was reassuringly on
message.
James’s strike ahead of the break - which took a slight
deflection en route to the net - gave Blues a mountain to climb.
Klaesson was called into action just once in the final
offerings when he kept out Dembele’s drive after he had wriggled past Ethan
Ampadu.
He then earned his corn for second time early on the
resumption to dash the Blues’ hopes of a lifeline after Juninho Bacuna profited
from some fitful defending by Firpo.
A shot which flashed just wide from Ivan Sunjic before
Bamford rattled the post with a low drive at the other end with Lee Buchanan
getting in the way of James’s goalbound follow-up.
Summerville’s 12th goal of the season, a tidy low finish
after a delicious Rutter pass had found Firpo on the gallop ensured Leeds
punters had more fun at Rooney’s expense.
His Blues side look relegation candidates on this evidence,
something that might just interesting the likes of Sheffield Wednesday,
Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town.
The Midlanders have won just twice in their last 15 league
outings and look in a spot of bother.