Team Focus: Multi-Talented Bamford Leading Organised Boro Towards Promotion

There was a story earlier in the season about Patrick Bamford, Middlesbrough’s star performer on-loan from Chelsea, turning down a Harvard scholarship. Privately educated, fluent in French, German and currently learning Spanish on the side, the 21-year-old recently stated his ambition to move into the world of business when his career comes to an end. He spends much of his free time in the north east visiting friends at Durham University and has spoken of his life being easier than that of a student due to having more free time. Then there was the story of him performing a piece of classical music on a hotel piano for his team-mates before a midweek fixture against Blackpool. He is also more than capable on the saxophone and violin.

Not your typical footballer, then, you might think. But Bamford displays so many traditional attacking qualities that you could easily transport him back into a bygone era and he would fit in seamlessly. Whether he is good enough to make a breakthrough at his parent club remains to be seen – José Mourinho has not deviated from one up front all season and Bamford would be third choice at best at Stamford Bridge – but he at least looks certain to fetch a decent sum of money if the decision is made for him to move on to pastures new this summer.

Boro are his third loan club in as many seasons and despite making an impact at Derby last season, his influence has been felt most strongly in the north-east. His 14 league goals have been invaluable to a push which sees them lie a point off the top and neatly placed for a pulsating finish to the season, while he has scored in cup games at Anfield and the Etihad.

Impressive as Bamford has been – and there are still things for him to work on – plenty of credit should go to his manager, Aitor Karanka. He has maximised the loan market and it has paid big dividends. His strong relationship with Mourinho – who has been fed regular updates about Bamford’s progress and is said to be impressed – has also led to the defenders Tomas Kalas and Kenneth Omeruo making temporary moves. Ryan Fredericks, another defender, belongs to Spurs while Fernando Amorebieta and Dwight Tiendalli have been recently added from Fulham and Swansea City.

Such is the unpredictability of the division that not too much should be read into being taken apart at Bournemouth before the international break, but for the division’s most resolute defence to be breached three times in one game will have been a source of much frustration for Karanka. They were outclassed for large spells and it was the first time they have shipped three since losing by the odd goal in five at home to Sheffield Wednesday in August.

Bournemouth have the next best defensive record but have conceded 10 more than Boro’s 30. On the other side of the coin they have scored only 59 times. Bournemouth have managed 82, Watford 78 and Norwich 76. Without Bamford’s goals and the dozen netted by Grant Leadbitter, they would not be in contention.

Only Norwich (9.6) have a better shots conceded per game average than Boro’s 11.5, yet when it comes to tackles and interceptions made per game they rank only mid-table. Similarly, when it comes to their attacking figures they do not rank highly in any category. Their success has been built on being organised and tight at the back. Of their eight players with an average WhoScored rating of 7.00 or more, six are defenders and the other two, Leadbitter and Adam Clayton, play in central midfield. Kike and Jelle Vossen have contributed in front of goal but neither have stood out too much.

With seven games left, this weekend is a crucial one. They should win easily at home to Wigan on Good Friday despite the Latics’ improvements in recent weeks before making the trip to Vicarage Road on Easter Monday. In a head-to-head league between the seven sides in with a shout of promotion, Watford’s record is the worst. Six points will set them up nicely, four would be a healthy return, but as Derby have shown, it can be very easy to slip out of automatic contention.

Do you think Boro will gain promotion to the Premier League this season? Let us know in the comments below