With a crucial run of games coming up for Leeds United, supporters have called for the manager to start both Eddie Nketiah and Patrick Bamford in their bid for promotion.
Marcelo Bielsa has long been picking and choosing which forward to start, with Arsenal loanee Nketiah replacing Bamford at half-time in their most recent outing.
The Lilywhites beat Birmingham City 1-0 in their landmark centenary game at the weekend, a match where Leeds-born fan favourite Kalvin Phillips fittingly scored the winner.
After Bielsa’s tactical decision to swap the two forwards, the manager spoke following the game on how the two compared.
Bielsa on the Nketiah for Bamford half-time swap on Saturday: “The performance of both was quite similar. We played better in the first half than the second. Nketiah played when the team’s performance decreased and playing in those conditions is difficult to make an impact.”
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) October 21, 2019
Bamford has scored four goals in 12 Championship appearances this season, while Nketiah has found the net twice in the league coming off the bench so far – as per WhoScored.
Despite this, fans have continued to debate who should start over the other, with some suggesting both should start – presenting the option of starting the two forwards together up front – insisting that they could play well off each other:
Careful now….. people will get upset because someone dare say the team was worse when the scapegoat wasn’t on the pitch
— Adam Findlay (@SaltBrewAdam) October 21, 2019
PLAY THEM BOTH
— Sam Allan (@SamAllanUK) October 21, 2019
Play him from the start then
— Rich (@Rich1574) October 21, 2019
I agree bamford is playing very well but he’s a striker who doesn’t score. Why not start eddie…. Hopefully get a goal or 2. Then bring on bamford to shore it up when the performance starts to drop? Just saying 🤷♂️
— Andrew Horncastle 💙💛 (@Andymoh1983) October 21, 2019
Play them both
— Billy Gardiner (@gardiner004) October 21, 2019
Sorry but bamford a striker at end of day cant keep tiptoeing round the fact hes not scoring enough like others have said can’t really judge Eddie from start as he never starts
— Neil Huntington (@wallyhuntington) October 21, 2019
