[ad_pod ]
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has urged Leeds to experiment with two of their forward players heading into the new season.
What’s he said?
As Leeds embark on their mini pre-season tour of Australia, two members of the squad who could find themselves vying for the same spot in Marcelo Bielsa’s side are Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford.
The former has been linked with a move away but is among the travelling party for pre-season despite the likes of Helder Costa and Jack Clarke missing out.
Both Roofe and Bamford started together against York in the Whites’ friendly last week and it’s a tactic that has sparked Whelan into urging Leeds to experiment with the pair.
Talking to Football Insider, he revealed how they could do it, commenting:
“This is where you experiment, isn’t it? We didn’t see it much last season because of injuries to the two of them.
“This is where you figure out what you’re going to play, what formation. I very much doubt he’s going to change his thinking but can you put Kemar Roofe in a number 10? That’s something worth thinking about, can he play behind Bamford and play off him?”
Can they do it?
Last season Leeds were extremely unfortunate to lose Bamford for such a lengthy period of time. Per Transfermarkt, he missed 22 games through injury whilst Roofe was forced to sit on the treatment table for six matches too.
As a result, the pair of them failed to actually play alongside each other on too many occasions.
Yet, if Leeds can get both of them fit and firing properly next term it will without a doubt ensure they have a better chance of achieving promotion.
In 2018/19, Tyler Roberts and Mateusz Klich were preferred behind the striker but, as Whelan says, this is the ideal time to now experiment with what they’ve got.
Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
The fact only 16 squad members have travelled to Australia means there should be a greater license to play the pair of them together, and experimenting with Roofe in behind Bamford could be on the cards given Klich hasn’t travelled.
It could also prepare them for a potential departure if the Pole joins Burnley, a club he was the subject of interest from over the weekend.
Roofe scored 15 goals last term, cementing himself as one of the biggest threats in the side.
Moving him from his favoured position up front could seem foolish on paper, but if it gets both him and Bamford scoring at the same time, it could be game-changing for Bielsa.