Patrick Bamford has finally shared what happened at half-time when Leeds United were beaten 5-1 by Crystal Palace last season.
The Whites had been hosting Palace at Elland Road in a crucial relegation clash in April and having taken the lead through Bamford’s header, it all began to unravel from there.
Marc Guehi headed in an equaliser in stoppage time of the first half and Leeds were just never able to recover from it, as Palace went onto score four unanswered goals in what turned into a shambolic afternoon.
There were still actually eight matches remaining of the season after that game, but Leeds never really got over such a bad defeat and went onto pick up just two more points, which saw them relegated.
In the wake of that game, rumours were rife across social media there was a bust-up between the players in the dressing room, which Bamford has now clarified on the latest episode of the ‘My Mate’s A Footballer Podcast’.
Patrick Bamford shares what happened in Leeds’ dressing room at half-time during Crystal Palace game
Co-host Joe Wilkinson put the question forward on behalf of a Leeds fan who sent it in, with Marc Roca and Luke Ayling having been cited as the two men involved.
Bamford said: “You know so many people at the time asked me about it as well, the funny… well it’s not funny because we did collapse fully. They scored just before half-time to make it 1-1 and we ended up losing 5-1.
“Afterwards all of a sudden it came out there was this fight in the changing room. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, people were discussing and shouting a little bit because we’d just conceded before half-time.
“I have been in changing rooms where there have been actual bust ups and they’ve had to be separated. But that game everyone thinks there was one, there wasn’t. I guess it’s an easy way to explain we lost 5-1. I couldn’t explain why, they scored one and just went on.”
Leeds’ squad in entirely different place now
It is crazy what less than 12 months can do to the feeling around a football club, all be it now in a lower division.
Given how many players, in particular those who had literally just joined the club, were happy to jump ship in the summer, it shows Leeds was just a stepping stone for them to play Premier League football.
Now, however, there seems to be a genuine connection again between the players and supporters, with loanee Joe Rodon saying he has never experienced anything like this at previous clubs.
Hopefully Leeds are able to get promoted in the next six weeks or so, and the Whites will be in a much better place to stay there due to the vast improvements behind-the-scenes.