Crysencio Summerville wanted to take the penalty against Stoke City but Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford didn’t let him, according to Phil Hay.
Writing via his personal X account on Wednesday night (25 October), The Athletic journalist reported that Bamford, 30, was “adamant” that the penalty was his before he missed the spot-kick.
Bamford won a 75th-minute penalty after being fouled by Ben Pearson in the box but sent it over the crossbar. Five minutes later, an own goal by Pascal Struijk won the game for Stoke.
Hay reported after the game that in-form winger Summerville wanted to take the penalty but was stopped from doing so by Bamford, despite the striker missing the two he’d taken prior to that.
Why was Bamford allowed to do that?
He’s been in woeful form in front of goal for years now and after blazing that penalty over the bar at Stoke, his record from the spot now stands at nine scored and five missed.
It’s not a great record at all.
We commend Bamford’s bravery because everyone knows that he’s not a striker who’s blessed in goalscoring form and has also received some horrific abuse from fans.
Who can blame him for at least wanting to set the record straight?
But there’s a bigger picture here because football is a team sport and Bamford’s decision to stop Summerville from taking the penalty smacked as selfishness.
Summerville has never taken a penalty in a competitive first-team football match but he has scored four times in 10 Championship appearances this season with three of them coming in the three games prior to that trip to Stoke.
He’s the man of the moment and he’s buzzing with confidence.
What was Bamford thinking and why did Daniel Farke not intervene?
