Leeds’ survival hopes suffered a massive blow this weekend when they lost 3-1 at West Ham and they are now depending on other results to go their way if they are to stay in the Premier League with only a game left in the season.
Bamford started the game sharply and was creating problems for the West Ham defence but he went off in the 34th minute with a hamstring problem.
The forward has come in for criticism in recent weeks due to a few squandered opportunities but Derry admitted that Leeds felt his absence for the rest of the game at West Ham.
He stressed that once Bamford went off, Leeds lacked a focal point in attack and that has been a problem for the team throughout the season.
The former White said on BBC Radio Leeds: “We had a long conversation about the Patrick Bamford situation.
“But tell you what, they really missed Patrick Bamford for the 70 minutes he wasn’t on the pitch.
“They didn’t have the plan B and they didn’t have the alternative focal point, which has been missing for a lot of Leeds United’s season.
“To miss an absolute out-and-out number 9 is really concerning and it has affected Leeds ad that’s what we saw for 70 minutes.”
Leeds will host Tottenham on the final day of the season and they have to win and hope other results go their way if they are to stay in the Premier League.
