As Some Leeds “Fans” Have Demoralised Bamford, Is It Time for Some Big Kev Swagger? – by Rob Atkinson


Bamford – trying to hear no evil

Even in the triumphant moments following his winner against Millwall in midweek, you could tell that Patrick Bamford has been got at by the relentless negativity and sheer destructiveness of a section of Leeds United’s “support” (for want of a more appropriate and descriptive word). Bamford had stuck away a diving header to complete the comeback from two down against one of our real bogey sides. His celebration was pointed – a strained, unsmiling face, ears covered in a defensive signal, not cupped in mockery. Despite his two goals, this was not a happy man. The famous Leeds United boo boys – mostly Twitter or other social media trolls, but there is a matchday gang too – might just be on the point of chasing yet another demoralised striker out of the club.

That would be a hell of a shame, but no real surprise, we’ve seen this sort of thing before. In Bamford’s case, I’ve been doing my best to blame online trolls, of which Leeds United have an ample sufficiency. But a picture of some vile graffiti aimed at our No. 9, daubed inside the South Stand by some witless moron, confirms that supporter stupidity is not confined to the Internet in all its various manifestations. Those critical of Bamford’s gesture might be described as “disingenuous at best”. Personally, I think that description has altogether too many letters.

Against Wigan this weekend, things didn’t go that well for anyone and, predictably, the self-appointed football experts were all over social media again, seemingly happy with the opportunity an unlucky defeat to a jammy goal affords them, and taking sideswipes at players and management alike, presumably in the name of constructive support. Such clowns don’t allow the fact that their knowledge of the game amounts to zero, to prevent them from having their vapid say and, once again, Bamford was the favourite target. Clearly, these bright boys and girls will not be happy until he’s relegated to the U-23s, at which time they can turn their fire on some other hapless individual.

Despite the fact that Patrick Bamford is a tireless worker, a goal scorer who never stops trying even when singled out for ritual abuse, someone without whom the side has usually struggled and who is clearly beloved of his team mates – despite all that, perhaps it’s time to take the spotlight off him for a bit. New signing Jean-Kévin Augustin is waiting in the wings, and – after a bit of indoctrination into the complexities of Bielsaball – he should be ready for his first team bow sooner rather than later. He also seems to be anything but lacking in confidence. Big Kev, as he’s known by some (and now by himself too, if you glance at his Twitter bio) could be the very man to allow Patrick Bamford some much needed “me time” during which he can get his head straight and rid himself of all the negativity and downright hostility some so-called Leeds fans seem to think it’s so cool to project. Lone man up front for Leeds is a big ask, and it may be that Paddy needs a bit of a break.

Not that I would presume to second-guess Marcelo Bielsa, it’s just that I hate to see a lad putting his body on the line match after match, only to be shredded by a few simpering idiots from the safety and non-accountability of their keyboards. It seems to me, from what I’ve been able to glean of Big Kev, that he may be a little more durable in the face of unqualified and clueless criticism. At the very least, he’d have a honeymoon period to allow him to settle in. Or so you’d hope.

I guess though that the famously steadfast Bielsa, who is actually starting to be questioned by some of these hard-of-thinking nonentities, will stick firmly to his own favoured approach – and he will know better than anyone else just how much or how little Bamford is being affected by the online chorus of disapproval. So far, Paddy’s reaction has been defiance, with a post-match comment about having a lot he could but won’t say, and maybe that should reassure those of us with the lad’s (and the team’s) interests at heart that he’ll be able to come through the slings and arrows being flung at him by the online Neanderthals. Let’s hope it stays that way, and that Bamford carries on with his job of shooting us to promotion.

But – if things do become intolerable – there is at least now an alternative. And I’d hope that Big Kev’s endearingly cocksure confidence, together with his evident desire to be at Elland Road and helping achieve Leeds United’s goals, will stand him in good stead if Mr. Bamford does eventually, temporarily, need to be taken out of the dumb clucks’ firing line.

54 responses to “As Some Leeds “Fans” Have Demoralised Bamford, Is It Time for Some Big Kev Swagger? – by Rob Atkinson

  1. Here we are again.
    In this January window we completely ignored our appalling defence.
    For the first time today Marcelo admitted that Cooper was the only one who was good at heading the ball!!
    The ridiculous goal we let in, killed us, as our forwards are terrible at finishing chances – 15 today!
    To blame the fans for their ineptitude, is ridiculous.
    Patrick, Helda, Alioski, Harrison, Klich & Pablo have all missed easy chances, all season.
    The pressure is coming from their position in the League, and the expectations of the club.
    The nerd fans are turning on Marcelo today, and not our wimpy team!
    He was worked a miracle with very average players, and Radz/Orta must accept the blame for the low quality he
    has to work with.
    Patrick must man-up, and play with conviction.
    The fans have supported him all the way, despite his horrible finishing.

    MOT.

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  2. Thinlizzywhite

    Oh do give over. Bamford is not a number one striker. Bielsa, wonderful as he is, is not infallible, and to not have a backup striker on the bench is poor judgement. This game had loss written all over it…as with so many games in the past when all our hopes have been pinned on Bamford.

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    • Too many fans who think they’re football experts, sorry to say.

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      • Thinlizzywhite

        Don’t claim to be myself Rob, and have always bowed to Bielsa as an immense visionary we are lucky to have been graced with at our club. But no backup striker? If not J-k then Roberts now fit? Too many games I have won bets on because I have predicted we would lose after wiping the floor with teams but by half time it’s still nil-nil …. as with today which I again sadly predicted and correctly again. Because we have all seen it too many times … and you know that.

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      • I heard Bielsa described as “baffled” at this defeat. If he is, what chance do we have. But beyond maybe suggesting looking into any curses Don’s gypsy lady left unlifted, I don’t feel qualified to proffer advice, certainly not on selection or tactical issues. Not to a big beast like Marcelo who bestrides the football world in his omniscience. Those more confident than I am, who feel Bielsa can benefit from their expertise, should get on with it. But I’ll have them in my sights 😎

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  3. Thinlizzywhite

    And before I get attacked or slagged off … as a player Bamford has been great, committed and truly hard working. He’s just not up to being our number one striker.
    If he was then Middlesborough would never have let him go to begin with.

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  4. Keith Milbutn

    There were other players out there today who I don’t think are up for it, Casilla is a heart attack happening again, Cooper couldn’t run a a free for all in a Brothel, Alioski just isn’t good enough etc, Bielsa hast got to reshuffle next week to chsnge a defeated team, bring some new guile and pace and lethal clinicality in front of goal, stop these endless inaffective crosses into opposition box , MOT.

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    • I do struggle with fans telling Bielsa what he’s got to do. It’s incongruous – like someone who’s built a shed advising the architect of the Taj Mahal to up his game.

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  5. Life is LUFC

    You know Rob I am not sure even Mauro Icardi (PSG) …
    Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) ..Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) …as combined force would have got past 4 centre backs, 2 left backs, 2 right backs and three goalies today.
    Once Wigan got that goal they threw every player into defence. No one and nothing not even Coronavirus was going into the back of their net.
    As you say LEAVE OUR LADS ALONE they are doing a lot more and a lot better than you moaning, whinging non-entities out there, you are not real fans.
    MOT real fans.

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    • Good to hear some common sense on what is an emotive issue 👍

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    • Crediting Wigans great defence, and ignoring the 17 chances we created, seems lopsided.
      Missing easy chances does not make the opposition good, it makes us wasteful and sloppy.
      We have been missing bucket’s full of chances every game, and it has not because we are up against top defenders.

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  6. Rob, are you aware of the ‘observer effect’ in physics? It is the theory that the mere observation of a phenomenon changes that phenomenon. Whist you are right to call out the boo boys amongst our supporters, your well intended defence of Patrick Bamford may be doing his confidence more harm. By way of illustration, unconnected with football, in infants school I tripped over a doorstep and fell on my face. It hurt but I was okay. Then a ‘big girl’ took pity on me and I started crying and feeling sorry for myself. Of course, other boys called me a sissy for crying. I’m pretty sure that Bamford is missing chance after chance because he is feeling sorry for himself: his confidence in himself has gone. By singling Patrick our for sympathy you are, possibly, being the ‘big girl’ in the playground – you are the ‘observer effect’. ( – ;

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  7. You say “self appointed football experts” but aren’t supporters allowed an opinion? Bamford has been given a lot of support in every game and I’m yet to hear any anti Bamford chants. There are mutterings of course but if a player misses the amount of chances out his way then that’s fair enough. Everyone is grateful for the goals he has scored this season but they’ve largely been either penalties or point blank range. You also keep saying you think Bielsa has a bit more savvy than the rest of us yet he keeps making the same errors of judgement every week. 1) we can’t defend corners 2) no strikers on the bench despite just signing one 3) kiko ffs. Bielsa stated that Kev isn’t ready to play in the championship yet has poveda on the bench who also hasn’t played in the championship. Besides I think the French league I slightly superior to the league Kev now finds himself in. The bar has been set after the Birmingham and millwall games,why can’t we do that all the time? I’ll tell you something else too,soon the supporters will turn on Bamford and that will be Bielsas fault,not twitter,not facebook,not instagram or telegram Sam. All bielsas fault because he’s too effing stubborn.

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    • It’s all about opinions – but I’m talking about a concerted, destructive campaign of online abuse, the kind of bandwagon that tends to attract the needy and those short of attention. As for Bielsa having “more savvy than the rest of us” – are you seriously disagreeing with that?

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      • Yes I am disagreeing with that simply because the majority of supporters can see the mistakes/problems that aren’t being addressed. The man himself has only this weekend come out and said so himself so at least he’s starting to notice. There has always got to be a plan B when things aren’t working out or if a team has matched our game plan like the Wendies did. So far he does the same thing every week and expects it to work. I watch all the post match podcasts and read all the blogs/comments and everyone says the same thing. I’ve found that the true supporters are seldom wrong.

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      • He’s obviously rubbish then, and we should have a committee of fans elected by a straw poll in the Drysalters after 6 pre-match pints, to do his job for him…

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  8. Steve Farrell

    I am a southern whites fan who has been supporting United since I was 11 in 1967. Whilst I accept that to a degree Bielsa has done a great job, surely his judgement in maintaining faith with Bamford must be called into question. He continually in press conferences refers to the number of chances we create & it seems obvious to me that with that rationale changes need to be made. It defies belief that he should not have had Augustin on the bench today. Is he seriously any unfitter than Roberts coming back from injury? He (Bielsa) doesn’t seem to understand that if things are not going the right way that changes need to be made ( never a plan B )

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    • Even if I were to accept that Bielsa requires help from the unqualified (I don’t) then the way to go about it would be to write a letter or email starting Dear Marcelo and ending Yours truly, Dave of Beeston, football expert. I’m sure that would elicit a polite response as well as soothing the writer’s ego and frustrated inner tactician. The way NOT to go about it is to post childish and pathetic abuse on Twitter, targeting and demoralising one or more players. I’d have thought that much was blindingly obvious.

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  9. Marcelo Bielsa is a legendary coach who has done an extraordinary job in taking this side from also fans to contenders.
    However that does not exempt from criticism , he likes to operate with a small squad which in the championship with its never ending amount of highly competitive games is not ideal. Going into this season with just Bamford and selling Roofe was a mistake as is the lack of depth in defence.
    Bielsa knows best and hopefully will get us over the line but this squad has shortcomings that were expensed last season and are being exposed again, let’s just hope this time we have enough points to get over the line.

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  10. Reality Cheque

    From the outset I apologise for my post Rob but it is from the heart as a fellow long suffering Leeds United supporter. I confess from the start that I have absolutely zero professional football coaching experience or badges
    BUT….. we have a supposedly World Class coach who has now been in charge for almost TWENTY months where his team have consistently had far superior possession & averaged EIGHTEEN attempts on goal per game yet we have a far inferior shot conversion rate compared to the majority of our key rivals
    Bielsa has installed a 1km track at Thorp Arch on which Phil Hay confirms Augustin has already been repeatedly running laps of since being signed. But our major flaw is how we perform within the close quarters of the 18 yard box at both ends of the pitch. We are extremely lacking defensively at set pieces and equally extremely lacking in our finishing in our opponent’s penalty area. Eddie was barely used by Bielsa and it now appears that a fully fit Augustin is not going to be in the match day squad until he is fully integrated in Bielsa’s art of fluffing simple goal scoring chances. We paid millions to secure Eddies loan and have done the same with Augustin but Bielsa appears to be determined to restrict Augustin’s opportunities to immediately resolve our woefully poor conversion rate.
    None of last season’s 3 promoted teams we subjected to intensive triple training sessions per day and Bielsa has incredibly now failed to resolve our woefully poor conversion rate despite working with our players for almost 20 months
    Bielsa is an honourable man who is the first to admit that he has a very poor record as far as winning promotions or trophies is concerned and it is with a very heavy heart that I now concede that I have little faith in him achieving promotion with Leeds United due to his stubbornness & resolute faith in his methods
    For the sake of all my fellow Leeds United supporters I sincerely hope that I am wrong but the stats do not lie over the 19-20 month period of Bielsa’s tenure

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    • Let’s wait and see. I’ll happily publish your graceful climb down WHEN we go up. And, if we don’t, I’ll write an article humbly apologising to all those out there who know better than Pep Guardiola’s inspiration.

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  11. John Bennett

    As a fan of many, many years one of the aspects of being “Leeds” that has made me proud is the perception around football that we have a loyal fanbase and that we know our stuff about the game. Ironically, now that we are in the most exciting development phase for years (with committed players and Directors and a quite simply wonderful coach in Bielsa) a number of so called supporters seem intent on undermining both of the above perceptions. Thankfully the morons remain in the minority (with even less actually bothering to attend games) and the traditional fanbase need to ruthlessly drown them out – the danger is that the idiots divisive, confidence eroding rantings become a self fulfilling prophecy. To everyone on the Leeds staff at every level – thank you for your efforts in one of the most uplifting years I can ever remember at the club (and I date back to Revie walking through the door at Elland Road!). MOT!

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    • Well said, you speak for all true fans MOT

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      • Morning John.
        Football fans mirror life = Good, Bad and Indifferent.
        What makes Leeds fans great?
        Our capacity to suffer, and swallow the crap dished out by the Owners.
        To me great fans support Rochdale and Harrogate Town.
        Fans at big clubs rebel more often, as they all want a return for the millions spent on their teams.
        NON of the ‘big teams; would put up with the crap we have from various greedy owners, who lied and schemed for their own ends.
        It was not until the fans turned on ‘he saved our club’ Bates,
        that he left.
        Same with Cellino.
        Don’t confuse supporte’rs anger for disloyalty.
        It is all about promotion for us, and the way we are ‘playing’ right now. it does not look too promising.
        I think you will agree we are getting worse, and the chasing pack smell blood – again.
        Mr Bielsa is a great coach who has failed more times than the coaches he mentored.
        I love the man, and the effort he draws from our very small and average squad.
        When the season starts we are the fittest team, and it shows.
        Now that other teams are reaching their peak it is not as easy.
        With a lot of angry fans, the memories of past failures are starting to surface.
        The pattern is the same, and anticipation of failure is in the air.
        Every game for me is a new start for the team, but 1 win in the last 5 is not good, my friend.
        I am not a coach but, if I was on Mr B’s large staff I would suggest that instead of terrible/inaccurate lobs into the box, against giant defenders, I would have them fire it in fast and low, which defenders hate – just a thought.

        MOT!!

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  12. I have a season ticket in the south stand & I haven’t heard any anti Bamford from any section, but surely fans have the right to voice opinions regarding players or managers, one previous comment mentioned the (observer effect)
    Personally I haven’t heard of , but he may have a point , Bamford misses 1,2, 3 chances we sing his name , possibly comes a time where he thinks that we’re actually patronising him and his lack of confidence suffers in front of goal .

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  13. After every game if we don’t win, or if we are drawing at half time despite dominating and creating so many chances, social media is such a great platform to use to vent one’s anger. ‘Bamford bashing’ is so easy to do now but I believe in Roberts comments yesterday that nothing has changed and the players still believe. I believe that, like so many, Bielsa has transformed the team and its some of the best football we’ve played consistently for a long time.
    However there’s know doubt that looking at the stats we have probably created over 60-70 chances since the Arsenal FA Cup tie and scored 3 times in one game. That does not reflect on Bamford its a collective responsibility ,as was yesterday, and for all talk of Big Kev, yesterday proved that we only had 12 players that the boss had faith in and unfortunately, as much as it hurts to say, I cant help but think it may not carry us through. We play Brentford in 2 games time and they have 3 players that have 38 goals between them and 13 assists ( includes a certain old favourite ) and it may just be the day we fall out of the top 2, ……………….So why do Brentford again have this set up and Leeds don’t. Well we probably do and for all the chances Bamford Harrison Costa have had between them they should have similar stats. If they did we would be stress free and we would be 10 points clear!
    Unfortunately again we have to take to social media for more negativity and vent our anger but those who do, its no different to us who just stay silent.We always look for someone to blame, but the players know and hurt, just as us supporters, what it means and sometimes for all their effort, and that’s something we cant fault, over 46 games you may not be good enough. I honestly thought 2-0 win yesterday and It was going to be the day we push on and look forward to the biggest week in the clubs history for a long time. But again we all wake up Sunday morning and it’s a painful day of thinking ‘if only’ or ‘why us’. I’m praying I shed a tear of joy about football for the first time since driving home to south of england listening to Liverpool beat United after watching our 3-2 victory at Sheffield United on 26 April 1992! Bielsa in the premier league would be a dream come true but is it just that………I hope not!! MOT!

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  14. Coastal White

    Personally, I think Patrick Bamford works very hard for the team. Bamford is the first line of defence and is tirelessly pulling defenders all over, which in theory at least, should provide space for others to operate in. In all truth with the attacking intent and prowess of the entire team we should score more goals, Klich, Costa, Harrison, Dallas, Alioski all seem to struggle to put the ball in the net regularly. Yes, Bamford is the spearhead but I could give a toss who scores, I just want to see the TEAM win.I fail to see how getting even more on the lads back is helpful.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. andrew hinks

    im afraid & more so after the second half ‘momentum giver’ against millwall was followed of course by the all so predictable (even i thought we’d beat wigan !!) reversion back to type yesterday with similar old boring stats/facts/nil pois goals scored domination & another farcical goal conceded to lose ANOTHER game (but ‘we won the stats tho’ as per usual… whoopee!)

    we cant even blame a biased ref yesterday either!

    we have once again another joke keeper insitu!….. whom the football league have stalled on banning him yet because they probably know he’ll cost us games & points which they crave! .. yummy! jeez!

    id rather us be dominated & win 1 nil frankly as the doog said!

    how the new forward didn’t get on the bench is beyond me as we are in February NOT august & there aint no acclimatisation time now Marcelo!…… he’s needed now as Paddy B, Whilst working hard aint gonna get you enough goals up top as the pressure builds business end of the season?

    piss poor planning, hope marcelo the miracle worker ,no team investment in the summer & the ‘desperation’ window will now lead to the biggest financial implosion when we have dropped of the cliff we are sliding down into probably a play off place at best for me or my preferred position of 7th if thats to be?

    players sold off in june 2020, marcelo gone, ‘to let’ signs up on the silly bungalows/bunk beds @ Thorpe arch which radz/spin/orta got built (spend money on the fuckin team in June/July & not on Llewellyn quick build!!!)

    quite simply since December 13th v Cardiff (10 games) we have won just twice, brum & millwall & conceded 6 goals in those wins & losing 5 since DEC 21st sounds all to familiar doesn’t it?

    wigan are shite on the road thats fact, as 3 away wins in 39 games suggest (2 of them v us tho!!)

    with the certain London defeat @ Brentford looming after the forest game the writing is on the wall already for me as anything but a win at forest will only escalate the descent into financial oblivion that will come in June!!

    radz/spin/orta boast of the record replica shirt sales (110,000+) hence adidas’ interest in shirt sponsoring next season yet apart from wages gone up markedly (premier league says ‘spin’ kinnear) they’ve have sold off every player possible in June 2019 except phillips who will go in June this year with the cosy £20-25million tucked back into radz’ coffers whilst we get back to the likes of ‘uncle mort, arbuckle & claypole as coach of these average championship players finishing back in their rightful league position of 13th -15th with probably another relegation battle thrown in to boot somewhere?

    only one team is guaranteed to lose against a winless team on a poor run or a team beats us then goes on to lose there next few games (see QPR-SHEFF WED et al!)

    in a nutshell its what LEEDS do!

    sadly all to predictable!

    Kent white since 1969

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    • Thinlizzywhite

      Spot on my friend- also a Leeds fan since the age of 8 – 1969/70 season.

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      • “Paul Robinson described Patrick Bamford as “wayward and wasteful” as Leeds United lost 1-0 at home to Wigan this weekend.

        The former England goalkeeper, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, says that an inability to take chances has become a “thorn in the Leeds’ side” over the past 18 months.”

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  16. Wise old Owl

    Your points about Bamford are well made but much as I admire him for his tremendous work rate etc his finishing is very poor and his confidence seems to have completely disappeared. If all that wasn’t enough he also appears to be physically shot, perhaps the sheer physicality of the regime is too much for him, either way he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a period of time.
    Another concern is the goalkeeper he is making mistakes on a regular basis, a ban for him could prove to be a blessing in disguise the young keeper who debuted against Arsenal looked very impressive.
    Every game follows the same pattern we completely dominate the opposition in terms of possession but we miss chance after chance and then a mistake at the other end proves to be very costly. I believe that we need a small change in tactics and team selection, after all to continue doing exactly the same thing game after game and to expect to get a different result simply doesn’t make sense.
    I know that you will question my right to criticise Marcelo and I admire him greatly after all he has given us the best football that we have seen for many years, but he does seen to be very stubborn and sometimes the observer sees more than the participants.

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  17. Joe Namath

    I was in a Restaurant called the Taj Mahal and the standard of building work was well dodgy. When I built my shed, I assembled it with great care and I feel assured it will still be standing long after the Taj Mahal has been reduded to rubble. Great Chicken Balti by the way.

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  18. John Bennett

    Just to clarify my earlier e-mail observations – I do believe fans have the right to criticise (and should use it) and that length of service as a supporter buys no special status (though it does offer some perspective).

    I too have been angry in my time (mainly when I thought we had hit rock bottom as a club and then Bates turned up, when we “lost” Elland Road and during the manager-a-month, laughing stock Cellino years – but such times only make me more determined to appreciate the present period of genuine HOPE (the most important thing a fan can have, even if it doesn’t always translate into trophies).

    But what experience has taught me as an underwhelming player and coach, as a parent, as a boss/ employee and as a simple human being is that no-one, but no-one, benefits from having their weaknesses ruthlessly picked over, their mistakes mocked and any self-confidence wrecked. Footballers are no different!

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    • Well said. In moderation, and without a malign agenda, most things can be lived with. Sadly though, it’s gone way beyond that, and I honestly doubt the bona fides of the loudest mouths.

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  19. What an interesting selection of intelligent comments with a little bit of repartee thrown in,(Andrew hinks) it beats a lot of the dross on the aforementioned platforms most interesting and informative, thank you all and keep them coming, PS, i still think we will make it over the line bloodied and a bit punch drunk but we have to hope this is our year.

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    • Sports Pundits are saying that Pat will cost us promotion etc..
      Even on LUTV Bryn & Tony report what they see and feel:-
      “It seemed easier to score from there…”
      “Our defence is a shambles..”
      “His passing is wayward…”
      “Crosses into the box are wasteful..”
      When Pat scored his diving, close range header, Tony Dorigo said ” He could not miss that one”!!!!
      Out of our 100’s of thousands of fans, if ONE fan says Bielsa should be sacked – that is the headline!!
      This is the media we have now, with the internet. ‘In the OLD Days, you only heard the lunatic fringe in the pub, or the toilet!!
      I have always taken the middle ground, just sticking to what I know.
      Not what I think or feel.
      i.e
      1. Will be be promoted? No idea!
      I will qualify that by saying that, just now our form is poor. and our finishing is abysmal.
      This is not negative or positive.
      It is just what I know.
      That does not mean that we cannot turn things around, and a couple of wins can give us a brighter outlook.

      MOT!!

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      • Cause and effect – that’s the issue here. Some seem to imply that Bamford deserved stick because of missed chances etc. Whereas I argue (and the likes of Deane & Dorigo seem to agree) that his confidence is shot and there’s tension in his game because of the amount of heckling he gets. Sports pundits will always jump on bandwagons, they just love an “angle”. But true supporters should know better and be willing to exercise a bit of discretion.

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      • Do you think that maybe the problem is with Patrick, and his need for approval Rob?
        Everyone is different of course, but if you are a Sportsman, a Film Star, or a Royal prince, you have to accept that criticism, fair or unfair, goes with the job?

        MOT.

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      • Criticism is one thing, a concerted campaign of destruction quite another.

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  20. Wise old Owl

    Yes his confidence is shot but it’s not entirely due to the amount of heckling that he gets it’s also due to his own realisation that at the moment he can’t put the ball in the net. Missing all those chances must be very demoralising, so as I said earlier he has to be taken out of the firing line for a time and for his own sake the sooner the better.

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    • He’ll still be confident in his own ability, but he’ll resent the tension in his game arising from the site knowledge that every mistake will be seized upon by an online chorus of morons.

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  21. king sniffer

    I don’t think I have ever seen a number 9 cover more ground during a game. Bamford’s work rate is unbelievable, but surely he cannot be expected to keep that up for an entire season without backup.
    The picture of that celebration is just sad. So well done to the twatterati. That’s the end result. So what do you think you should do now. Get him dropped, and bring on Big Kev. God forbid he should miss his first couple of chances; but hey, every cloud, there’s another back you can all jump on.
    The idea as a supporter is to support. If your actions are having a negative effect on the team and it’s players, you are actually making the situation worse.
    That’s it now. The transfer window has shut, so we go now with what we’ve got. The choice now is, you can either SUPPORT the team and try and improve the situation, or the alternative.
    There is a difference between opinion, constructive criticism and abuse. At this moment in time, nothing other than support in every sense of the word is needed.

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    • It’s incredible, but there are some on social media already having a go at Jean-Kevin Augustin after his 45 minutes for the U-23s today. I can only assume they’re fake – not genuine LUFC supporters. Otherwise, it’s fair to say that we have the best of fans, we have the worst of fans – with apologies to Charles Dickens.

      Like

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