Noel Whelan has expressed his sympathy for Patrick Bamford after he endured a frustrating clash against Preston.

Bamford struggled to make an impact in the 1-1 draw as he was left isolated for long spells to contend with the Lilywhites defence single-handedly.

This led the striker to being taken off in the second half, but according to Whelan, it was a decision that was a little bit harsh on the frontman.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said: “I felt sorry for Patrick because I think that was the worst game I’ve seen with aimless balls played up to him with no quality in the air.

“It was just hoofed down the pitch and he’s had to turn something bad into something good. Sometimes you can get deflated by that as a lone striker where you’re feeding off bad balls, you can’t deal with it.

“What are you supposed to do when you’re bringing it down and it’s got snow on it, bouncing all over the place?

“There’s no quality up to your chest to hold it up. I felt sorry for him because it was a difficult game for a centre forward to play in.

“He was probably a bit unlucky to be pulled off, to be honest with you.”

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The verdict

Patrick Bamford might not have had his best game against Preston, but that's not something that should be a big worry for Marcelo Bielsa.

Every game between now and the end of the season will present a different challenge for Leeds United, and that means that the test will be finding a solution to get the points required to go up.

Bamford might have struggled against Preston, but he'll certainly be key to Leeds getting results moving forward.