---
title: "Bamford: Is he the goalscorer Norwich need?"
canonical: "https://readnorwich.com/2016/04/12/bamford-goalscorer-norwich-need/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Daniel Emery"
section: "Articles"
published: "2016-04-12T16:29:27Z"
modified: "2016-04-12T16:29:27Z"
---

# Bamford: Is he the goalscorer Norwich need?

Goals win you games. When your side isn’t scoring many goals then your odds of getting three points out of the match are certainly slim.

Every team is always searching for that striker who will score 10-20 goals a season. Norwich have been searching ever since Grant Holt left the club. The likes of Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, Gary Hooper, Cameron Jerome and Dieumerci Mbokani have all been signed by Norwich over the last few years to score goals in the top-flight. But, none of them have been a success.

However, there has been one signing that is showing signs of life; Patrick Bamford. He only has two starts to his name so far but is really starting to look the part and a goal doesn’t seem far away.

Bamford scored plenty of goals for Derby, MK Dons, and Middlesbrough, but there are still question marks over his ability to find the back of the net in the Premier League.

![Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readnorwich.com/readnorwich/2016/04/493582367.jpg)

The on-loan Chelsea forward is looking like one of Norwich’s few hopes coming into the final matches of the season. He will need to start scoring if Norwich are to have a shot at staying in the league.

But, has he got what it takes to make it at the top-level?

I really think that he does. He has something about him, it’s hard to pinpoint, but there is just something there that tells you he is a top player. He has a lot of the attributes required to be a top-class striker.

First of all, his movement is superb. He is Norwich’s most intelligent striker without a doubt, in terms of working chances and creating space. Cameron Jerome works hard, but his actual movement to create space and chances is poor. Dieumerci Mbokani is very good at holding the ball up and winning fouls/flick-ons, but, again, he doesn’t work himself, or others, many opportunities. I think a perfect example of this came against Swansea when Bamford came off the bench. He made a good run in behind the defence, picked up the ball with his back to goal and swiveled away from the defender before firing a shot on target. He may not have scored, but it certainly highlighted his intelligence to create chances for himself out of thin air.

If I had to pick out a successful example of Bamford’s clever movement then it would have to be against Ipswich, what are the odds! A ball was clipped forward by Boro and Bamford flicked the ball around the Ipswich defender and spun around him before racing through to fire into the bottom corner. It was a fantastic goal due to the movement he used on the half-way line to create a chance for himself out of a nothing ball forward from his team. If Bamford gets more game time between now and then end of the season then we are sure to see some of this in Yellow and Green.

[Patrick Bamford SECOND GOAL AMAZING SKILL Middlesbrough vs Ipswich 4-1 HD (embedded)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q87BgBWPHDs?feature=oembed)

Also, he is calm in front of goal. He hasn’t been able to fully show this at Norwich yet due to his lack of game-time, however, his time at Middlesbrough, Derby and MK Dons certainly proved it. His composure in front of goal is top-class and he has an ice-cold efficiency to his finishing. He certainly beats Cameron Jerome in this category, who everyone knows is far from composed in front of goal. It is hard to tell whether Dieumerci Mbokani’s finishing is that good because of how few and far between his chances in front of goal have been. Although, when Mbokani does get a chance, he usually takes it.

Again, if I had to pick out a successful example of this then it would have to come for Middlesbrough against, funnily enough, Ipswich. It was in the same game as my previous example, but Bamford played on the shoulder of the last defender and raced clear on goal before ball-rolling the ball past the ‘keeper to send him off-balance and then tap the ball into an empty net. He was coolness personified in that situation. The calmness and composure you need to be able to do that is incredible, making what he did ever so impressive. Also, the fact he loved a goal against Ipswich surely makes him a more likeable character amongst Norwich faithful, aye?

[Patrick Bamford FIRST GOAL with nice touch Middlesbrough vs Ipswich 4-1 HD (embedded)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/uMws-XE_HnE?feature=oembed)

I think that some Norwich fans don’t like him simply because he didn’t play well against us in the Play-Off Final at the end of the last season, which is possibly the worst excuse for not rating a player I’ve heard in a long time. Not only was he not 100% fit for that match, he also tore our team apart in two other games against us that season. To not rate him based on one match, where he wasn’t fully fit, is ludicrous. I am not saying that this applies to all fans, but I have certainly seen a lot of scepticism aimed at Bamford due to that reason.

He is only 22-years-old, he needs games. For Alex Neil not to give him any minutes against Newcastle was rather odd, considering he brought a worse striker in Jerome off the bench instead. Although you could argue that Jerome would be able to work harder, as we were winning 2-1 at that point. Yet, the point still stands that he needs time. Neil gave him starts against Manchester City and West Brom and he impressed me in both. His movement and ability was there for all to see and if he was a little bit luckier then he could have scored a couple of goals as well.

With only six Premier League matches left to play, Bamford doesn’t have all the time in the world to show off his talents and Alex Neil must give him more chances instead of ten minutes cameos here and there. If he does well enough and scores a goal or two between now and the end of the season then I think we should try to sign him permanently for next season.

![Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readnorwich.com/readnorwich/2016/04/472601588.jpg)

Antonio Conte has now taken over at Chelsea, and I very much doubt that Bamford will be in his plans for next season, meaning that the young forward could well be free to join the Canaries for the right price. He may not be the 20 goal a season every fan wants just yet, but he needs time and Norwich could be the perfect place for him to develop his game and turn into the top player everyone knows he can become.

However, he obviously has his limitations, if he didn’t he would be playing for a much better team (in terms of league position). The game against Crystal Palace recently highlighted this very well. People have to remember, he is only 22 and has very little experience in the Premier League at all. To get booed and called expletives by thousands of people is not an easy thing to take as a young player, especially under the immense pressure he was already on. For Norwich fans to then jump on the Crystal Palace bandwagon and start abusing Bamford as well was simply absurd.

In light of his performance, he has been heavily criticised by fans and has been given a very time by his own ‘fans’. It really is sad to watch. Regardless, as long as they don’t continue their ill will into the match against Sunderland, I am sure Bamford’s mentality will come out unscathed.

One criticism of his play so far has been his work rate, which is odd. He worked very hard against Manchester City, West Brom, Swansea and Aston Villa. People are just jumping on the Palace hate train and riding along.

![Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readnorwich.com/readnorwich/2016/04/471086580.jpg)

The reason Bamford hasn’t been an instant success is that same reason Dieumerci Mbokani hasn’t scored over ten goals this season; a lack of service. Norwich create a worryingly minute amount of chances per game and have lacked attacking threat in a lot of matches. This is mainly due to playing players like Howson out wide earlier in the season and not having creative central midfielders. A massive problem has been playing out from the midfield. Howson is good on the ball, but O’Neil and Alex Tettey’s lack of quality on the ball has led to many attacks being broken down. If Norwich can get a creative central midfield player in in the summer so that more chances would be created, giving the strikers a better platform to score goals.

So to answer the question ‘Can Bamford score goals in the Premier League? I think that he can and has all the attributes to be able to do so, he just needs to be given a chance to showcase his ability. Putting it simply; give him chances and he will score. He is a proven finisher and rarely wastes a good opportunity in front of goal. This means that Norwich just need to provide him with some sort of service into the box for him to thrive on.

Robbie Brady, Matt Jarvis and Nathan Redmond on the wings when they play should really focus on beating their man and getting as many balls into the box as possible. Too many times this season our wingers have cut inside and passed to a central midfielder or turned and passed backwards to the fullback, it would be refreshing, and helpful, to see them whip crosses into the box more frequently.

If we can get more deliveries into the box then the likelihood of Bamford/Mbokani having a chance in front of goal obviously increases. Both are known finishers and would relish a better supply into the box for them to attack and, hopefully, score.

![Stephen Pond/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readnorwich.com/readnorwich/2016/04/515050028.jpg)

I spoke to Middlesbrough fan, and Vavel writer, Sam France about Patrick Bamford to have his take on the forward…

### Are you disappointed Middlesbrough couldn’t bring Patrick back to the club this season?

> The whole of Teesside wanted Bamford back this season. We weren’t surprised as we knew he wanted and deserved a shot at the Premier League, but some worried his goals last season would be irreplaceable.

### Did he take time to settle in when he first joined Middlesbrough?

> He found it difficult to make his mark at first and was played on the right for much of the first half of the season – once he started scoring goals, though, he never stopped.

### What were his main strengths as a player?

> It may sound strange given his form this season but in the Championship, his finishing and positioning are second to none – he was deadly within 20 yards.

### What do you think he needs to work on?

> For someone over six foot, his lack of physicality can be an issue. He isn’t the fastest but in the Championship he was good enough on the ball to get away with that, which doesn’t seem to be the case in the top flight; he needs to toughen up.

### Could he play as a lone striker?

> Most of his goals last season came in a 4-2-3-1 system when played as the forward, but frequently the player in the hole was more of a second striker, like Jelle Vossen, than a number 10, like Lee Tomlin. His lacklustre performance in the playoff final shouldn’t be scrutinised too heavily as he had been injured and playing through the pain barrier when required for several weeks, but he becomes isolated when not supported.

### Do you think he has what it takes to score goals in the Premier League?

> Despite this season, yes. This is a player who scored a 123rd minute penalty in front of the Kop at Anfield and scored one and laid off another at the Etihad last season – he’s clearly got something about him, and this is the first season in his career he hasn’t scored goals. Time isn’t necessarily on his side but in the right team with the right backing, he can score goals – we’ll have him back at Boro if nobody else wants him!

### His mentality has come into question, was that ever a problem at Middlesbrough?

> There were some who saw him as a pampered lightweight who cared more about his haircut than his performances at first, but by the end of the season he’d become our most prolific striker in recent memory – that was enough to win most of them round! His playing style will lend itself to such accusations as he isn’t going to chase defenders round at 100mph for 90 minutes like Jamie Vardy, but this is the first time things haven’t gone his way at a club – how he responds next season will probably say more than anything he has done this campaign.

So, some interesting answers from Sam. I think the point about him taking some time to settle in and win over the fans was a very applicable point to compare to his current situation. He hasn’t quite amassed the fans’ appreciations just yet, but given time he may well repay the faith shown in him by Norwich.