Leeds United have found themselves caught up in another Premier League relegation battle this season and Javi Gracia has been tasked with the challenge of repairing the mistakes of his predecessor to save them from another spell in the Championship.
The Whites are currently 13th in the league table following their victory over Nottingham Forest this week, however, a clash with Crystal Palace this weekend is ahead and taking all three points could be massive in their fight for survival over the remaining nine league games.
As a result, Gracia must deploy his very best team in order to give the club the best opportunity to retain their top-flight status at the end of the season.
Indeed, there will be no room for complacency as they still have to face a number of their relegation rivals including West Ham United, Bournemouth and Leicester City after hosting the Eagles at Elland Road tomorrow.
One player who hasn't been pulling his weight for some time is striker Patrick Bamford and now that a number of attacking players like Wilfried Gnonto, Luis Sinisterra and Rodrigo have returned from injury, it could now be the perfect time to replace him for a more prolific set-up.
Should Javi Gracia ditch Patrick Bamford?
There is no doubt that in seasons gone by Bamford has played a key role in Leeds' Premier League journey, notably bagging 17 times in 2020/21.
However, since suffering multiple injury issues over the last two campaigns, the once-consistent goal-scorer has struggled to maintain his previously high standards.
The £70k-per-week striker – who was once dubbed "anonymous" by journalist Beren Cross – has only scored four league goals since the start of the 2021/22 season and in Leeds' most recent clash with Forest, he was lucky his teammates stepped up to secure the victory.
Over his 89-minute performance, Bamford was by far the worst-rated player for Leeds (6.3) – as per Sofascore – failing to register a single shot on target, losing possession of the ball 14 times, losing seven duels and missing one big chance, as well as only making 14 accurate passes throughout the game.
As a result, it's possible to suggest tat Gracia could save Leeds' season by ditching the one-cap England international and instead deploying Rodrigo in the centre-forward role he excelled in over the first half of the term.
The Spanish sensation has scored eight of his 13 goals and registered two assists in all competitions in the most advanced position on the pitch this season, proving that he is not only incredibly consistent in the role, but also a much better alternative to Bamford.
With that being said, Gracia must now finally ditch Bamford and give Rodrigo the opportunity to start as the centre forward during the run-in, as it could be the defining decision that saves Leeds from relegation.