Is On-Loan Patrick Bamford Chelseas Next Striking Sensation? With the scrutiny English football has come under in recent weeks—with less than a third of the Premier Leagues players being eligible for the England team according to research by BBC Sport—Chelsea fans will be encouraged one of their own young Englishmen is making headlines for all the right reasons. Patrick Bamford is a striker currently on loan from the Blues at SkyBet League 1 side MK Dons, and with his impressive scoring record, many are asking if he has what it takes to go all the way and become a regular in Jose Mourinhos first team. Who Is He? Chelsea signed Bamford from Nottingham Forest for £1.5 million in January 2012. He was aged 18 at the time and, coming through the ranks at the City Ground, there was plenty of buzz around what he could achieve in the game. He had been with Forest since he was eight, rising through the clubs academy system to earn him a place in the first team. Bamford had made two appearances in the league before Chelsea came calling, making his debut against Cardiff City on New Years Eve in 2011. Before he departed the City Ground a few weeks later to join Chelsea, there was still time for Bamford to score five goals and set up three in Forests 9-1 humiliation of Wigan Athletic in the FA Youth Cup. By that time, Chelsea had seen enough and made their move before the transfer window closed. Playing Style When Bamford first arrived at Stamford Bridge, playing in Chelseas Under-21 team, he took a while to adapt. Whereas Chelseas academy has recently produced No. 9s that are somewhat more slight and diminutive, his 61 frame meant he stood out as being different. He was played on the left of a front three, but as his confidence grew and he became settled, Chelsea started seeing the best of him and what he can offer. Bamford is talented in the air, proving a real threat, but is equally talented with the ball at his feet. He enjoys dropping deep, running at players and shooting from range. Preferring a position through the middle, the 20-year-old is known to score the odd tap-in, also, but he has the ability to score goals from all over the pitch. In recent seasons, clubs in England and across the continent have looked to move away from the sense of what a traditional striker brings to a team. But in Bamford, Chelsea signed a player who typifies what weve known down the years as a typical No. 9 and offers something different to what the Blues have within their ranks right now. MK Dons Loan Chelsea first loaned Bamford to MK Dons in November last season, less than 12 months since his arrival from Nottingham Forest. Playing regularly in League 1 has proved a good education for him, too, with his goal record proving particularly impressive. This season Bamford already has 11 goals in 15 games in all competitions for The Dons. Last season wasnt as impressive—he scored four in 14—but his time at Stadium:mk was disrupted by a hamstring injury. That meant he returned to Chelsea for treatment. But manager Karl Robinson was sufficiently impressed, wasting no time in getting him back to Milton Keynes for this season and renewing his loan this summer. Bamfords current deal takes him through to January, but if the goals continue to flow, we can expect him to remain with the League 1 club until the end of 2013-14.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:08:10 +0000
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