Chris
Daniel Farke vowed to play the long game with Ilia Gruev as he explained the midfielder’s lack of minutes since arriving at Leeds United.
The Bulgaria international has made just two appearances since joining from Werder Bremen in a reported £5.2million (Florian Plettenberg) deal on 31 August.
Those two outings came as a substitute, totalling just two minutes on the field combined against Millwall and Watford in Leeds’ past two games.
As a player with 10 caps for his country and 33 Bundesliga games under his belt, Gruev would have been hoping for more regular action at his new club.
“It’s not like an urgent case, an emergency case where we are urged to throw him too early into the mix,” Farke said at Thursday’s [28 September] press conference when asked about Gruev’s lack of minutes
“I much prefer this situation that step by step he can be integrated but I know already right now whenever I need him and he’s always ready to go and he’s a top-class guy, a humble guy.
He has an impressive CV for such a young guy, so with Ilia I am more than happy at the moment.”
Farke may be more than happy, but that is unlikely to be the case from the player’s perspective.
Archie Gray and Ethan Ampadu have impressed in holding midfield this season, the latter starting all eight Championship matches.
Gray was left out for the first time this season against Watford last weekend, but it was Glen Kamara who got the nod, not Gruev.
In many ways, that just shows the depth Farke has available in that area of the field right now with everyone fit and firing.
But Farke cannot continue giving the 23-year-old just a few seconds here and there.
If Gruev is to be ready to start games if that “emergency” situation arises – i.e. a couple of those aforementioned names getting injured or suspended – he needs to be match ready.
That is not the case right now, and it seems unlikely it will change for the trip to Southampton on Saturday [30 September].
Gruev will have to remain patient for now, but the longer he is made to wait for a chance to show his qualities, the more frustrated he will grow.
