Leeds United failed to maintain momentum as they lost 1-0 against Stoke City away from home on Wednesday night (25 October) in the Championship.
An own goal from Pascal Struijk and a penalty miss from Patrick Bamford brought their three-game winning run to a disappointing halt.
Graham Smyth writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post has delivered the player ratings for Leeds, and the Whites fans probably won’t complain.
Five players have got 5/10 ratings, while Georginio Rutter managed the highest mark with 8/10. The worst performer was Jaidon Anthony who got 3/10.
The YEP wrote about Anthony: “A couple of set-piece deliveries and a shot aside he had a bit of a stinker. Couldn’t keep the ball. Wasted it far too often.”
Rutter attempted five shots, and played out three key passes, as per WhoScored, and he is clearly one of the stand-out performers for the Whites in an otherwise very lackluster performance from Daniel Farke’s side.
Bamford equally poor
Smyth has given Bamford a 5/10 performance, but he really doesn’t deserve this rating. He did set up Cry Summerville with a nice touch but his penalty miss will not be forgotten.
Great players in the past have missed penalties, but Bamford’s case is different. The 30-year-old has battled with form and fitness in recent years and it’s hard to believe that he is still around and getting chances.
Apart from one decent season under Marcelo Bielsa, he has never been able to show his true worth to the club. Bamford was never a top-quality finisher and he has been awful in terms of scoring throughout his career at Leeds.
He made his fifth appearance for the Whites this season and surely Farke must bin him now. He keeps on missing chances, but the penalty miss against Stoke City is unforgivable. Farke now has options in the forward department, and the club should think of getting rid of Bamford in January.
