Paul Merson, former Arsenal and Aston Villa player-turned-pundit on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show, has said that Patrick Bamford faces a “big jump” if he wants to establish himself as a Premier League regular, according to the Gazette Live.
Merson said:
The goals (he scored for Boro last season) won’t happen in the Premier League, it’s such a jump. He’s played in the Championship for a while and it takes time to adapt to the Premier League. You don’t (beat) defenders like (you do in the Championship).
I like him, he’s an intelligent footballer but something has happened at the (Crystal Palace) training ground that (Alan Pardew) doesn’t like. Pardew is a top manager and he must not have liked something. I don’t see (Bamford) as a run-arounder, he’s not a (Jamie) Vardy who’ll close people down and win throw-ins and corners out of nothing. He’s a nice player – but he’s one where if he’s not scoring, you ask ‘what are you bringing to the table?’
That’s why (Connor) Wickham plays (at Crystal Palace) – he holds the ball up, he’s the battering ram who lets the wingers get up the pitch.
Bamford returned to Chelsea after an unsuccessful loan spell at Crystal Palace – where he failed to find the back of the net in just nine appearances (two starts) in all competitions.
Matt Le Tissier, also a Sky Sports pundit, believes that Bamford can make the most of this opportunity, saying:
I can see why he was frustrated (at Crystal Palace). He hasn’t been getting loads of chances to get a run in the side. Last season he was so good in front of goal in the Championship, but it just hasn’t worked out for him in the Premier League. He might be thinking, ‘hang on – if I go back to Chelsea with a new manager I may have half a chance here’. The other strikers (at Stamford Bridge) aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders and he might fancy himself.
The 22-year-old won the Championship Player of the Year award at Middlesbrough in the 2014/15 season after scoring 19 times in 44 appearances and playing a major role in Boro’s fourth-place finish before falling to Norwich City in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Bamford has received interest from newly-promoted Bournemouth and underwhelming Swansea. What do you think would be Bamford’s best move this transfer window?
