Leeds United: Ilia Gruev’s best game yet
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00:00 If we look at one of the most recent matches against Cardiff City, Ilya Gruev had a fantastic performance in that game.
00:07 Obviously, lead midfield is key to the way they play, so having strength and depth there, especially with a player like that, is essential.
00:16 Yeah, very much so. He's gone under the radar a little bit, Ilya Gruev.
00:19 He came in in the summer and he wasn't one of the biggest high-profile signings, if you like.
00:24 Daniel Farke has always spoken very, very highly of him, even when he wasn't really involved or he was a new sub.
00:28 He said his time will come and he's a fantastic talent and a fantastic player and a great guy in this stat and the other.
00:33 He has started to get his chance now and Cardiff, I think, was still only his third start, so it shows how little he's been involved, really.
00:40 But definitely his best performance and I think it was interesting, like Daniel said afterwards, that basically because he was allowed to play a bit deeper in midfield,
00:47 that's sort of like number six role, really.
00:49 I mean, he can play slightly more advanced midfielder, but basically he's probably more of a holding midfielder, CDM.
00:54 And essentially what the situation with it is, is that Ampadu dropping back into centre-back because of the injuries to Stroyk and Kupers,
01:00 kind of like allowed him to go into that position alongside Kamara.
01:03 So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens with him, like whether he can sort of hold down a place in the side when everybody's fit.
01:08 It'll be difficult, but I mean, great news to have a player, you know, just that sort of strength in depth.
01:13 And the thing is with him as well, he's young as well.
01:15 You forget he's only 23 and obviously already got lots of experience with Bulgaria.
01:18 And I think somebody said about Mateusz Klik's comparison, really, about how when Mateusz Klik came in,
01:24 he didn't sort of like burst straight on the scene.
01:26 He sort of like took a bit of time to bed in and then it was like, you know, when he returned from his loan.
01:29 And it might be a sort of similar scenario with that where, you know, Gruev will just get better and better and better and sort of like a slow process, really.
01:35 But, yeah, I mean, great player to have and important to have that strength in depth, really.
01:39 And, yeah, centre midfield looks like an option they're finding, really.
01:41 and the finding really.