Patrick Bamford admits Leeds United struggled to break down a ‘very, very tactically sound’ Nottingham Forest side during Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at the City Ground, speaking to LUTV.
It was the sort of battling, backs-against-the-wall display that is starting to become Forest’s trademark under Steve Cooper. 30 new signings or not; this is a side which looks as if they have played together for years. Resilient, well-drilled, dogged and disciplined.
Yes, three-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas needed to dig into his Real Madrid playbook a couple of times in the first-half as Leeds turned the screw, but Willy Boly, Scott McKenna, Neco Williams, Renan Lodi and substitute Serge Aurier also played their part as Nottingham Forest climbed to the vertigo-inducing heights of 13th.
Nottingham Forest defeat Leeds United thanks to Brennan Johnson winner
“I think that sums up the season a little bit; we created a lot of chances and, if we had scored the first goal, we probably go on to get a couple,” Bamford sighs, enduring a miserable return to the club where he started his career.
“But we know what they are like. Once they got the first goal, they’re obviously very, very tactically sound defensively. They just made it difficult. And, in the end, we didn’t have the answer.
“I think we kind of tailed off a bit in the second half. We did create a good few chances in the first half. One of those has to go in. You have days like that.”
Leeds, in truth, have had a few too many ‘days like that’ of late. Jesse Marsch’s side dominated against Aston Villa in the Midlands and were left to rue a host of squandered opportunities. They were arguably the better team in the 0-0 draw with Brentford too. And, as if the mood wasn’t dejected enough, a goal-shy Leeds will now have to limp on without injured top scorer Rodrigo Moreno for the forseable future.
The Spain international could be out of action for two months.
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