Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is a bit of a marmite figure amongst his own supporters.
Tony Dorigo has claimed that Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is facing ‘similar experiences’ to the ones Gareth Bale is facing at Real Madrid in regards to the treatment he is receiving from fans.
From Bale’s perspective, he is a legend in Madrid given what he has achieved and won at the club, but that hasn’t stopped the ‘boo-boys’ from venting their anger towards him as he has been facing an uncertain future at the club for some time now.
Whilst Bamford doesn’t have legendary status at Elland Road or the record of Bale, he is a bit of a marmite figure amongst his own supporters in Yorkshire.
Leeds legend Dorigo thinks that the booing of players helps no-one, as he was critical of a small proportion of fans for booing, as he used Bamford and Bale as examples.
“The curious case of fans booing their own players has never ceased to surprise me,” Dorigo wrote in his blog. “Brought into focus earlier in the season when Patrick Bamford was momentarily targeted by a micro section of the Leeds fans, the boo-boys had locked in their target.
“Do you really think you are helping and supporting your team [by booing]? Maybe you actually think that manager Marcelo Bielsa will ditch his top-level experience and super detailed knowledge of the player and how he fits into his tactics because……a few fans made booing noises in the stand? Makes perfect sense doesn’t it!
“Gareth Bale has plenty of boo-boy experience at the Santiago Bernabeu but his response is to keep his head down and do the best he can. Patrick Bamford at Leeds had a similar experience, starting back at Preston last season when getting sarcastically jeered in the warm-up when scoring. His response was a 2 goal haul and a look to the earlier jeering supporters, where I wouldn’t blame him if a 2 fingered gesture had crossed his mind.”
One way Bamford can win over that small proportion of Leeds support is by putting the ball into the back of the net on a regular basis.
If he does that then it’ll increase Leeds United’s chances of winning, but if he is missing a hatful of chances then it’ll only frustrate the fans even more.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side suffered a defeat to Millwall prior to the international break and they will be hoping to get back to winning ways when players return to club duty next week.
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