Ilia Gruev

[Orange Box]

I was rather meh when I saw Gruev in yesterday’s line up.

In the initial 5 mins of the match when he mugged a Liverpool player in their defensive third on our left side I was pleasantly surprised and thought he looks up for this. However, he quickly regressed to his five yard passing game. Partly a symptom of how the game evolved and it was evident he was playing on the left of the three and undoubtedly appears to feel far more comfortable in a deeper position.

With Amps also mostly playing deep, this for me was the reason for the disconnect between the front two and the midfield, the gap was too big for Stach to fill on his own.

I am certain that if a defender had pulled his hammy and with his last kick before pulling up he played a short pass to Gruev, he would pass it straight back.
When he initially arrived he was taking the ball on the half turn, where did that confidence go?

I think he is a solid uncomplicated safe midfielder, but at this level not for me.

Good observation to my mind. That return pass bit wouldn’t surprise me either. One positive in him playing yesterday though, when Tanaka came on he was fresh as a button and had the legs to go at em. Had Ao started and gone off with heavy legs would Greuv have done the same?

[1964white]

Good observation to my mind. That return pass bit wouldn’t surprise me either. One positive in him playing yesterday though, when Tanaka came on he was fresh as a button and had the legs to go at em. Had Ao started and gone off with heavy legs would Greuv have done the same?

No!

[The Subhuman]

Not his best game yesterday but still very decent. He did play very well v City and even better v Chelsea, he can and has changed games.

[DDB220]

No!

He isn’t a game changer, he does not have a worldie in his locker or an unbelievable incisive pass that spilts a defence. He is a safe busy player who helps turn the ball over when we want some possession to have a rest. Which has some importance in a game, but it is not a skill set that is remotely rare.

He delivers a decent free kick, perhaps on a par or thereabouts with Longstaff. But he not a player that will make me look up from a half decent book to watch him.

I forgot he was on the pitch for extended periods of the game yesterday. If he isn’t taking free kicks he is pretty much anonymous.

[DDB220]

Good observation to my mind. That return pass bit wouldn’t surprise me either. One positive in him playing yesterday though, when Tanaka came on he was fresh as a button and had the legs to go at em. Had Ao started and gone off with heavy legs would Greuv have done the same?

Well here is the conundrum, Tanaka has not played a great deal this season. He was pretty much an ever present last season and played three times a week regularly. I do not for one minute believe the change was because of his load or legs. I think Tanaka has 90 mins in him without a doubt.

But here is the key for me, at home we should approach games like we did against Chelsea - a positive take the game to the opposition mindset. We started with a containment set up.

It worked out well in the end. Do I put that down to some master plan - No. if we hadn’t have gone two down I am not sure Farke would have changed it like he did IMO.

But I will take positive results however they arrive.

[weasel]

Good observation to my mind. That return pass bit wouldn’t surprise me either. One positive in him playing yesterday though, when Tanaka came on he was fresh as a button and had the legs to go at em. Had Ao started and gone off with heavy legs would Greuv have done the same?

And that was neccesary. Liverpool can field a bench that would walk into our first team so we need to have game changers on our bench.

On Wednesday we had that with Okafor who was fresh when he came on and harried the mistake leading to our 3rd goal.

[Cjay]

Taken a lot of stick Gruev but two lovely passes tonight.

He actually is joint top for assists and he's played far less minutes than anyone else in that stat.

Immense tonight.

Not just the assists, dont think he's misplaced more than 2 or 3 passes all game.

[The Subhuman]

Taken a lot of stick Gruev but two lovely passes tonight.

He actually is joint top for assists and he's played far less minutes than anyone else in that stat.

Immense tonight.

Not just the assists, dont think he's misplaced more than 2 or 3 passes all game.

Not from me and Finn... Gruev's work goes unseen usually. Probably our best player last 5 last season, then bench player this till he got his chance. Great left foot and is so key in how we defend. Watching him tonight he's constantly looking around, watching for danger looking for runs, directing players...

The longer he keeps Longstaff out the happier I'll be

[Finnatic]

Not from me and Finn... Gruev's work goes unseen usually. Probably our best player last 5 last season, then bench player this till he got his chance. Great left foot and is so key in how we defend. Watching him tonight he's constantly looking around, watching for danger looking for runs, directing players...

The longer he keeps Longstaff out the happier I'll be

If only he could run properly…

[BobHirst]

It's amazing.
He actually passes the ball forward and we score.
More please.

[Carrick Dave]

He isn’t a game changer, he does not have a worldie in his locker or an unbelievable incisive pass that spilts a defence. He is a safe busy player who helps turn the ball over when we want some possession to have a rest. Which has some importance in a game, but it is not a skill set that is remotely rare.

He delivers a decent free kick, perhaps on a par or thereabouts with Longstaff. But he not a player that will make me look up from a half decent book to watch him.

I forgot he was on the pitch for extended periods of the game yesterday. If he isn’t taking free kicks he is pretty much anonymous.

He does you know.

[weasel]

I reckon he was shooting for DCL's goal. Definitely looking to bend it into the corner, may well have gone in if DCL hadn't stolen it from him, selfish tw*t!

[malcolmw]

Taken a lot of stick Gruev but two lovely passes tonight.

He actually is joint top for assists and he's played far less minutes than anyone else in that stat.

Immense tonight.

Not just the assists, dont think he's misplaced more than 2 or 3 passes all game.

He got my vote for man of the match. No question about it imo.

[1964white]

Not from me and Finn... Gruev's work goes unseen usually. Probably our best player last 5 last season, then bench player this till he got his chance. Great left foot and is so key in how we defend. Watching him tonight he's constantly looking around, watching for danger looking for runs, directing players...

The longer he keeps Longstaff out the happier I'll be

You reserve your stick for Longstaff & Bijol.

Gruev was excellent last night, his best game in a Leeds shirt by far!

[The Subhuman]

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[1964white]

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Much more involved on the ball last night.

Need more high contributions from Gruev over the next three months

[The Subhuman]

It was his day for sure but he's mostly produced high quality games all season. I think I have one subpar performance from him so far.

[Finnatic]

It was his day for sure but he's mostly produced high quality games all season. I think I have one subpar performance from him so far.

Definitely not many subpar games I agree.

Also worth noting, we were winning against Everton when he was on the pitch then we lost our shape when he wasn’t and ended up drawing.
Similarly against Newcastle, drawing deep into injury time and ended up with nothing after losing our shape when he was subbed.
We went chasing after the ball both times when we lost our shape, a disciplined low block might have been a better bet.

He probably had tired legs when subbed, but not a tired mind - I’m not saying we’d have definitely won and drawn the other but it’s a possibility.

[Irish Ian]

Sources close to the Leeds squad have related that the upturn in Gruev fortunes relate back to his half time substitution at home to Arsenal.

In an episode eerily familiar to Leeds away to Citeh earlier in the season. Gruev, having been subbed at HT lashed out angrily at a Red Bull can sitting on the dressing room floor.

Gruev unintentionally shanked the tin with the outside of his boot and the can looped through the air and landed upright right in front of Herr Farke. Asked to do it again he popped one straight to Perri ( who still dropped it) the he pinged his next one to DCL who took it in mid air, drank it's contents, belched and chested the empty canister into the awaiting bin outside the shower cubicles. He then sent one Exocet straight to Boyle

A hushed silence descended the room.

Reminiscent of away at the Etihad when Farke pointed to Dominic Calvert Lewin when the new "give the ball to Dominic" tactic was born, now we have the next development of Farke ball.

Farke reached for a felt tip, and in recognition to Marcelo (peace be upon him) Bielsa, who legend has it did it first while at Marseille, drew a little line on Ilias right boot..

Just use this part of our foot Ilia.....

They will love you from now on.

[weasel]

Sources close to the Leeds squad have related that the upturn in Gruev fortunes relate back to his half time substitution at home to Arsenal.

In an episode eerily familiar to Leeds away to Citeh earlier in the season. Gruev, having been subbed at HT lashed out angrily at a Red Bull can sitting on the dressing room floor.

Gruev unintentionally shanked the tin with the outside of his boot and the can looped through the air and landed upright right in front of Herr Farke. Asked to do it again he popped one straight to Perri ( who still dropped it) the he pinged his next one to DCL who took it in mid air, drank it's contents, belched and chested the empty canister into the awaiting bin outside the shower cubicles. He then sent one Exocet straight to Boyle

A hushed silence descended the room.

Reminiscent of away at the Etihad when Farke pointed to Dominic Calvert Lewin when the new "give the ball to Dominic" tactic was born, now we have the next development of Farke ball.

Farke reached for a felt tip, and in recognition to Marcelo (peace be upon him) Bielsa, who legend has it did it first while at Marseille, drew a little line on Ilias right boot..

Just use this part of our foot Ilia.....

They will love you from now on.

Amazing. You couldn't make up stuff like that. Just shows how little actual input Farke has actually had on our season and it is all just circumstances dictating.