Leeds United boss Daniel Farke will be cringing at new arrival Ilia Gruev’s mistake while on international duty, as the midfielder presented the ball on a plate for his opponents to score the opening goal of the game.
According to a tweet from Leeds All Over, Gruev, who was representing Bulgaria against Iran, gave the visitors the lead when he attempted to head the ball back to the custodian, allowing Iran’s Nihammad Mohebi to tap it in.
Although the midfielder was showing off his versatility by playing on the left of a back three, a blunder like this won’t have Leeds supporters anxiously expecting his arrival.
It seems somewhat typical for Gruev’s stint at Leeds to have begun with a mistake – although thankfully not on his arrival at the club. Fans will be hoping that he’s getting these types of sloppy errors out of his system before arriving at Thorp Arch.
The positives to take from his performance in Bulgaria’s defeat are that he has displayed an ability to play in a number of positions, so could fill in at centre-back should that become a necessary role for him due to injuries or any other circumstances that Leeds could face this season.
It should also be noted that, despite the mistake costing them a goal, the rest of the defence and the goalkeeper didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory, so one would hope the Leeds squad would cope with the situation slightly better.
Gruev is a newcomer to Elland Road after leaving German club Werder Bremen late in the transfer season for a rumoured fee of around £4 million [Daily Mail, August 31]. The move was done as they sought to add midfield insurance.
In other Leeds United news, the 49ers kept their word regarding the transfer window.
