Leeds United strikers Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph were spotted arguing and shoving at halftime due to a rondo-based disagreement as the players returned to the pitch.
Leeds’ mood has shifted considerably in the previous two weeks since the international break, with Daniel Farke’s side falling from first place in the league and unstoppable to one win in five games.
Leeds’ latest troubling run continued with a home loss to Blackburn, as Sammie Szmodics scored in the 82nd minute.
Leeds 0-1 Blackburn: Discontent obvious among Whites fans.
Leeds are two points behind the leaders and one point behind the automatics with three games remaining, which is something that most fans would have given their all for at the start of 2024.
However, Leeds’ current position outside of the top two causes justifiable dissatisfaction among fans, with two highly winnable home games against bottom-half sides delivering only a point.
The only saving grace for Leeds is that it overlaps with Leicester and Ipswich, both of whom are now doing the same.
Performances haven’t been nearly good enough in the last five games, with Hull City winning despite Leeds not looking their best.
Spotted: Joseph and Bamford exchange tense encounter at halftime.
On Saturday, forwards Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph were on the bench and were involved in an unusual half-time incident before being introduced by Daniel Farke in the second half.
After Stuart Dallas was serenaded by the Elland Road crowd, a casual rondo between the substitutes began in the break. The YEP’s Graham Smyth highlighted a tense moment between the two strikers:
“Every week in the replacements’ rondo, there’s a fun disagreement about who should go in the middle to try to win the ball, but none has ever been as heated as the one between Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford.
“It began with words, followed by a small push from Bamford, which the boy ignored. Captain Liam Cooper approached Joseph with a smile and an arm around him, while Glen Kamara attempted to pacify him as well, but the 20-year-old seemed unimpressed.
“Eventually, after Kamara and Daniel James took turns comforting him, and Cooper embraced him again, Joseph’s rage dissipated.
“It was the kind of disagreement you would expect from footballers in training on a semi-frequent basis, it just played out in front of thousands at Elland Road.”
Likely water under the bridge for Joseph and Bamford.
You don’t become an exceptional athlete until you have a strong competitive edge, which lasts even when you’re warming up.
For these two, especially, you must have a selfish streak to play up front, and a tiny dispute may be all that is required to rile either.
As Smyth points out, this is the type of occurrence that will occur virtually every day, so it’s nice to see the senior leaders handle the situation immediately.
