Daniel Farke once again has one of the youngest squads in the Championship at his disposal with Leeds United.
Last season, only Sunderland a younger average age of players used across the 46-game league campaign, and it is a similar tale this time around, too.
Alongside Sunderland, only Stoke City, Hull City and Sheffield United have a younger squad than Leeds despite the exits of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.
Liam Cooper’s departure after almost 10-years at Elland Road has also allowed new faces to step up into Leeds’ leadership group, with Ethan Ampadu now officially the club’s full-time captain.
Pascal Struijk and Illan Meslier were both also appointed as vice-captain, which effectively represents the start of a new era at Leeds.
Palmer makes claim about Patrick Bamford
Patrick Bamford is now the only real senior face left from the squad that won promotion under Marcelo Bielsa four years ago.
Struijk and Meslier were, of course, part of it, but were very much youngsters looking to force their way into first team reckoning at that point.
Unfortunately, since the early stages of Bielsa’s final season in charge, Bamford has struggled enormously with both his form and fitness.
Aside from a good run during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, Bamford has been unable to string together a run of consistent performances and is now behind Mateo Joseph for that number nine role.
Having missed the majority of pre-season through injury, Bamford has also been absent for both of Leeds’ last two matches, and speaking to Football League World, Carlton Palmer believes such issues means he is now a shadow of his former self.
He said: “Leeds United were left with Patrick Bamford. With all the departures from the football club this summer, Patrick Bamford stayed. He’s proven that he can score goals in the Championship.
“In the 2019/20 season, he played 45 games, the most he’s ever played in a season, and scored 16 goals, before scoring 17 goals in a 38-game Premier League season.
“But since then, it’s been terrible with injuries. In 2021/22, nine games and two goals in the Premier League. 2022/23, 28 games and four goals. Last season, 33 games and eight goals. He has fallen off.”
Summer Bamford exit would’ve suited all parties
Leeds allowed a vast number of players to move on in the summer transfer market and it’s looking like Bamford should’ve been one of them.
Perhaps through no fault of his own, he simply cannot handle the demands of an intense Championship season anymore and a move to somewhere like the MLS could’ve suited him.
Having said that, it would not be a surprise if his fitness issues effectively prevented any interest from arising in him.
As such, Bamford will now have to settled for a reduced role this season under Farke and be ready to step in whenever he needs to. His off-the-field leadership can still be important.
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