Willy Gnonto has picked out one of his Leeds United teammates and someone he thinks makes the team better.
Gnonto has managed to establish himself as a key player again at Leeds with six goals in his last nine league appearances, having endured a tough time during the first half of the season.
Leeds have actually won 12 of their last 13 Championship matches and that run of form has actually coincided with Daniel Farke having to make a few alterations to his starting XI.
Gnonto, along with Junior Firpo and Ilia Gruev, have all come into the side in 2024 as a result of injuries to other players, while Patrick Bamford has not looked back since replacing Joel Piroe in attack.
Bamford was only handed his first start of the season on New Year’s Day but has managed seven goals in 10 starts, and it is no surprise Leeds’ form has improved him with him leading the line.
Gnonto says Leeds are a better side when Bamford is starting
The 30-year-old’s introduction to the team has enabled Georginio Rutter to play in a slightly deeper role, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Dan James and Gnonto playing just off him.
It is often those three players behind the striker who take the headlines for their skills, goals and assists, but speaking on the latest episode of the Official Leeds United Podcast, Gnonto says that Bamford’s role int he team is so underrated.
He said: “I think sometimes that Pat doesn’t get the credit that he actually deserves. The role he plays is actually massive for us in the way that we play. You don’t see him every time, but he offers balls to everyone else, opens spaces, runs in the deep and channels.
“He’s always up there fighting for us and I feel like we play better when you have someone like this, as you have different players like me, Cree, Dan. When we have a big guy in the middle fighting, it makes us play better.”
Bamford has turned Leeds career around since return
Rewinding back to that night at Stoke City, Bamford’s career at Leeds felt all but over but it is incredible how he has come through adversity to turn it around.
Clearly a goal was all he needed and since getting that in the New Year’s Day victory over Birmingham City, he has not looked back.
Bamford feels like a much better fit in the team than Piroe as he has more qualities of a natural number nine, and Farke’s belief in him when no one else did, has certainly paid off.
Leigh Bromby said a couple of months ago that Leeds would get promoted if Bamford reached double figures between then and the end of the season, and he is very much on course for that.
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