Terry Yorath jokes about ex-Leeds defender Sol Bamba’s return to Elland Road

Follow us on Google Discover

Sol Bamba’s Cardiff City side take on Leeds United at Elland Road this weekend.

Former Leeds defender and Cardiff manager Terry Yorath has joked to BBC Radio Wales that he hopes Bluebirds defender Sol Bamba puts in a performance at Elland Road this weekend that evokes memories of his time as a Whites player.

Leeds should make ambitious summer move for promotion-chasing Whites fan if they go up this season

Bamba spent just over a year and a half as a Leeds player, and spent much of that time as the club captain before his departure shortly after the start of the current season.

At his best, the Ivorian could be an inspirational colossus, but he could also be guilty of scarcely believable mistakes that would cost Leeds dearly. And unfortunately for Whites supporters, they saw a lot more of the latter once his loan move was made permanent.

Sol Bamba

And ahead of Bamba’s first return to Elland Road since his move to Cardiff, Yorath has joked that he hopes to see the same kind of display that fans became used to when he was a Leeds player.

“Well I hope he plays for Cardiff like he did for Leeds because he used to give a chance away every game,” he told BBC Radio Wales.

“He was one you couldn’t trust, playing alongside him was Bellusci, and Bellusci was another one you couldn’t trust, so Leeds at central defence last year were a shambles.”

Bamba’s partnership with Giuseppe Bellusci has been branded a shambles

The one positive that Leeds fans can take from the struggles of Bamba and Bellusci is the fact that it has allowed them to appreciate just how impressive the entire defence has been this season.

Pontus Jansson and Kyle Bartley have been exceptional on a regular basis this term, while the likes of Luke Ayling, Charlie Taylor and Gaetano Berardi have also done extremely well at full-back.

Polls: Who have been Leeds’ best and worst managers since 2004 ahead of Neil Warnock’s Elland Road return?

And Garry Monk will be hoping that they step up once again this weekend, as while Bamba’s defending was often questionable at Leeds, supporters will remember how much of a threat he could be from set-pieces.