Leeds United’s 2024 season has seen marginal players rise to prominence.
During the latter few months of 2023, Daniel Farke had found a pretty settled starting XI, but back-to-back losses over the festive break pushed him to reconsider.
Patrick Bamford, Junior Firpo, and Willy Gnonto have all stepped up to the bat in recent weeks, but there is one player who sticks out.
That’s Ilia Gruev. Gruev had only started two games in four months after joining from Werder Bremen on deadline day in the late summer, but he has not appeared in any tournament since a 3-0 FA Cup triumph over Peterborough United in January.
The jury was still out on Gruev at the time, but after Tuesday night’s win, pundit Jon Newsome said on BBC Radio Leeds that he had really turned it around.
Newsome celebrates Gruev’s revival.
He commented, “He has truly impressed me. When he first arrived, I noticed that he struggled a little and did not appear to have legs; he appeared to struggle to go about the park.
“He doesn’t appear to be having trouble getting around the park anymore.” Because of how he uses the ball and his knowledge of his surroundings, he always has a pass to make. Outstanding.”
His current efforts make it even more perplexing as to why he did not receive more opportunities in the first half of the season. According to Sofa Score, his pass completion rate has only gone below 90% once in nine starts.
Gruev stated that he struggled at Leeds at first, but it is now difficult to picture a starting XI without him.
Dominic Matteo has even compared the 23-year-old to David Batty, highlighting the influence he has had on Leeds’ form in recent weeks.
