Luke Ayling appeared on Patrick Bamford’s podcast this week, and the defender stated that something the striker used to do under Jesse Marsch at Leeds United was “so bad”.
Jesse Marsch’s tenure at Elland Road was not a good one. The American was in charge when Leeds nearly averted relegation in 2021-22, however this was mostly owing to Raphinha’s brilliance in the Leeds attack.
Raphinha’s subsequent success with Barcelona demonstrates this. Raphinha scored three goals and led Barcelona to a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Leeds are still in the Championship, thanks in large part to the work done under Marsch as manager. Ayling and Bamford were crucial members of Marsch’s team, and the two remembered Bamford’s remarks.
Luke Ayling feels Patrick Bamford’s captain speeches were poor.
Bamford has captained Leeds on a few occasions, and Ayling served as vice-captain under Liam Cooper for majority of his eight-year tenure at Elland Road. Ayling joined Bamford on the most recent My Mate’s a Footballer podcast.
When asked about Bamford at Leeds, Ayling stated that when he was awarded the armband by Marsch, Bamford was required to provide a pre-match captain speech. Ayling claims they were “so bad” that Leeds would always lose.
The now-Middlesbrough defender even made a joke about his own speech impediment, emphasizing how severe Bamford’s were: “I have a speech impediment, and mine is probably ten times better than Pat’s.
“We used to form a large circle in the dressing room with Jesse Marsch, and the captain would do it. On the off chance Pat did it, we’d be 3-0 down in 10 minutes because they were so awful.”
A stark contrast currently exists, with Patrick Bamford’s future at Leeds in doubt.
Earlier this season, Bamford revealed he wanted to quit Leeds after missing a penalty against Newcastle and having fans gather outside his home. This season, the former England player is struggling for game time.
He hasn’t started a single league game, with Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe favored. Given Bamford’s large salary on the Leeds books, Carlton Palmer believes the club should attempt to move him during the January window.
However, Daniel Farke replied to concerns about Bamford’s future by stressing that he is still key to the Leeds squad and that he will play a significant role this season. He has two years remaining on his deal.
Indeed, Farke said that if Bamford had stayed healthy for the final few games of last season, Leeds would have finished in the top tier. Instead, Bamford missed the final few games and play-offs, and Leeds remains in the Championship.
