Do Leeds United finally have cover for Patrick Bamford?

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Outside of his first season at Leeds, Patrick Bamford is currently enduring his longest spell on the sidelines.

This is no doubt incredibly frustrating for the striker who, after 17 goals and seven assists last season, finally saw a dream come true by playing a game for England, before suffering an injury against Newcastle United in September.

Whilst Bamford is due back sooner rather than later, his presence has been sorely missed. Though certainly more appreciated as a player now than he probably ever has been, many people still don’t realise the importance and value Bamford brings to Leeds United.

His physicality allows him to not only control the Leeds attack but simultaneously break down the defence at which he runs. His hold-up play and decision making are at a near-elite level, and without that, Leeds as an attacking outfit seem much blunter.

Without Bamford, Leeds have mainly been relying on Rodrigo as a striker, who himself has drawn controversy and divided opinions since his arrival at Elland Road. The Spaniard may be more nimble as a striker, but his lack of strength, at least when compared to Bamford, means Leeds have had to change their playstyle.

Passes in the final third seem less intricate, in fact, they seem fewer altogether. The Yorkshire outfit look as though they hope Rodrigo’s speed and positioning will allow him to beat a defence and meet a long ball fired forward by one of Leeds’ more defensive players, but such a method has hardly ever provided dividends for the Whites.

Marcelo Bielsa rewards loyalty and dedication with game time, and that is an admirable ideology in itself. When those rewarded, however, are of a detriment to the side’s overall performance, can such a method really be praised more so than condemned?

Again, without Bamford, Leeds often lean towards Rodrigo to lead the attack. If not him, then often the responsibility falls to Tyler Roberts. After that though, Leeds are stretched thin. Both Jack Harrison and Dan James have seen themselves as number nine’s under Bielsa, and neither truly possess the playstyle to make a difference at that position.

Whilst Roberts is a striker by nature, his inconsistent form and lack of an end product have caused most Leeds supporters to turn against him. The Welsh international certainly provides something with his runs, flicks and work rate, but it seems to be his loyalty that has kept his place in the rotation rather than his talent, which many have picked up on.

Bielsa knows more about football than the regular fan, that isn’t a point that is up for debate. The debate surrounds why players such as Roberts find themselves with a significant portion of game time each week when they hardly ever change the game for Leeds United. There are certainly more examples, and this isn’t an attempt to isolate Roberts as the sole benefactor of such a thought pattern.

His name arises due to the recent performances of a certain Joe Gelhardt.

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Gelhardt is a player that Leeds fans have raved about for some time now, practically from his first game for Leeds’ under-23s. The attacker came from Wigan Athletic ahead of the Whites’ return to the Premier League for a fee of around £1 million, which seems more like a bargain with each passing day.

Comfortable as a striker or an attacking midfielder, Gelhardt has repeatedly shown off his talent for Mark Jackson’s academy side. Fearless on the pitch, the 19-year-old will charge at any defence with the ball at his feet, taking on any man in front of him. Should he lack possession of the ball, he will make darting runs to tire and displace the defence ahead of him, or press the opposition into a clearance or mistake.

Gelhardt made his senior debut for Leeds this season against Fulham in the Carabao Cup. A game that saw Leeds field a youthful side, the forward took his opportunity after coming on from the bench. It was a game that saw Gelhardt slot a penalty home in a shootout, an effort he struck with the confidence and composure of a player far beyond his age.

After sending fans into even more of a frenzy after his showing at Fulham, Gelhardt had to wait a handful of games before his next appearance. With his side trailing by a goal at home to Wolves, Gelhardt was brought on in place of Mateusz Klich just after the hour mark. The introduction of the teenager was met with rapturous applause which lifted the Elland Road spirit for the remainder of the game.

Despite being on the pitch for only half an hour, Gelhardt was arguably the most influential player of the match. His darting runs and constant pressure terrorised the Wolves defence, and it was his run that earned Leeds the penalty that saw them earn a deserved point from the tie.

Of Gelhardt’s 18 touches, 13 were within the Wolves box. He too saw an effort on goal well saved by Jose Sa, which in itself is but a mere inkling as to what he may be able to do in the Premier League.

Of course, Gelhardt is still young, and the last thing Bielsa would want is to rush him too far into too much pressure. The forward, however, is perhaps the second-best striker in the Leeds side currently due to his natural fit into the system. His aggression, his drive, his work rate. These are things you can scarcely teach.

He alone sent Elland Road into a frenzy, a noise so rarely reached by modern Premier League clubs. That’s a sizeable achievement as it stands, let alone when you take into consideration that it was his first-ever league game for Leeds.

With Bamford due back from injury any week now, Leeds will hope that their slow start to the season will gradually ease with the reintroduction of not only Bamford but the likes of Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, Junior Firpo and Robin Koch. It must be of great relief to Bielsa though, knowing that despite his young age, Joe Gelhardt has proven himself a capable option in the Leeds attack when he is needed.

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