CHELSEA ON-LOAN STRIKER PATRICK BAMFORD DRAWS PRAISE FROM DERBY BOSS Patrick Bamford,the 20yrs-old striker Chelsea signed from Nottingham Forest for £1.5M 2yrs ago,continued to propel Derby towards promotion,scoring a goal out of nothing to keep Steve McClaren’s side at the head of the play-off places in the Championship,2points behind 2nd-placed Burnley. Grantham-born Bamford has yet to make a senior appearance for Chelsea but has been in prolific form away from Stamford Bridge. His goal,curled in off the underside of the bar from a wide angle on the right,brought his tally since joining Derby on loan to 5goals in 7 Championship matches&taking his total for the season to 22 after earlier success with MK Dons in League One. The England Under-21s striker proved to be Derby County’s match-winner on Tuesday night,leaving his boss Steve McClaren looking on in admiration from the sidelines. Bamford,currently on loan till the end of the season at the iPro Stadium from Chelsea,netted the late goal at Hillsborough as Derby beat Sheffield Wednesday to continue their promotion charge in the Championship. And Bamford’s spectacular left-footer was the moment of quality that the game needed,according to McClaren. We have got players who can produce quality,there wasnt enough on the night but as the game went on it opened up&you cant calculate for a goal like that, said the former England boss. It was sheer quality&class to win what was a scrappy game. We nearly took him [Bamford] off,but you watch him training&he struggles to hit the big net&hits a lot of cars!. I thought here were go again but this time he kept it down&it was a thunderbolt. After winning caps for England at U18&U19 level previously,Bamford made his Under-21s debut in the win over San Marino last November. The former Nottingham Forest youngster was on loan with MK Dons at the time,but having now made the step up to Championship level he could be set for another call-up from Gareth Southgate for next month’s game with Wales,ironically being held in Derby. And McClaren believes the 20yrs-old can be a vital asset to any team he plays in at the moment. He scores important goals,theyre not just any goals, he said. Were just delighted we have got him&we are very surprised how well he has done. He can frustrate you&sometimes flits in&out of games,but he is a match-winner&thats what he was tonight. STYLE OF PLAY A tall,elegant striker,Bamford possesses the ability to strike a ball with either feet with great precision&accuracy. As a natural left footer,he prefers a finesse finish over just using power,a sign of a clinical&natural born goalscorer. He’s comfortable with the ball at his feet,&his height gives him the ability to score easily with his head. POTENTIAL Bamford’s potential is an interesting 1 in terms of his current club situation. His parent club aren’t exactly known for giving youth players a chance,even if Mourinho has suggested he’s prepared for that to change. There seems to be a few options in terms of his position at Chelsea; 1stly,he could well be given a chance next season as a back up to the strikers. This,given the potential return of Romelu Lukaku (I say potential as he yet might leave)&the increasing likelihood Chelsea will sign a world-class striker makes this unlikely. 2ndly,he could be taken on pre-season tour with the club&attempt to impress enough to play for Chelsea,again unlikely. 3rdly,a Premier League loan or even a loan abroad to Vitesse could be possible if he continues to impress with Derby in the Championship. The likeliest turn of events will be another loan in the Championship,but if Bamford works hard he can certainly make it to the top. Chelsea need a striker& ‘Bamfordinho’ is already a firm fan favourite,with fans of the West London side constantly keeping an eye out for their young star. 21goals this season in 2 leagues show how he can step up; the next step will be the key…
Posted on: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 19:26:34 +0000
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