Daniel Farke doesn’t agree with what one of his own Leeds United players told the media

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United’s Daniel Farke and Ilia Gruev do not agree with one another regarding a concern surrounding the club currently.

Leeds United have scored one goal in the league and none from open play and fans are concerned, but Ilia Gruev has his own view of the situation and Daniel Farke another.

Speaking via The Yorkshire Evening Post after the Newcastle United game in early September, Gruev said: “Of course we want to score more goals. I think against Everton we could score more, today we could score more.

“I think maybe it was the second-to-last pass which was a little bit missing. And to be more mature in these things. But this will come. There’s no doubt about it.

“This will come if we win the ball like today, so high, the way to their goal is really short. And this will come. We will work on it. We will train hard to get better in these terms and it will come. I have no doubt.”

• READ MORE: Ilia Gruev reveals what the Leeds United players have nicknamed him, ‘I don’t know if it’s good or not’

Daniel Farke disagrees with Ilia Gruev ahead of Wolves game

Speaking earlier this week, Gruev claims nobody expects Leeds to be prolific on their trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this Saturday.

Gruev has been impressed by Leeds’ midfielders so far, but the Bulgarian’s initial view of the second-to-last pass has been questioned. Speaking during the press conference yesterday, Graham Smyth asked Farke for his thoughts.

Smyth stated: “After the Newcastle game, Gruev thought the second-to-last pass was a bit of an issue for the side. That was his feeling, did you share that thought and did you think they were better at that against Fulham?”

Farke responded: “Sometimes, a defensive midfield player, when he analyses what was missing in the forward play, it’s also straight after a game, it’s just a phrase.

“I’m not sure if I would 100% agree to this analysing. In general, we have created more chances in comparison to Everton and Newcastle.

“We bring ourselves into good positions, sometimes there is a second-last pass missing, or a final pass, or a clinical finish.”

Gruev is relishing the added midfield competition but his manager perhaps has a better steer on the deeper tactics at play and what is an issue and what isn’t.

• READ MORE: Leeds United poll shows fans have clear winner out of Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson for Wolves

Graham Smyth believed Ilia Gruev would be sold by Leeds this summer

Speaking of Smyth and the 25-year-old Bulgarian midfielder, he believed Gruev would be sold by Leeds this summer, speaking a few weeks ago.

He said: “I went into the summer thinking they might spend a bit more, but I thought they would sell.

“I thought we’d see the departure of a Gruev or maybe even [Joel] Piroe. I certainly thought [Illan] Meslier would go.

“The club’s defence, I suppose, to not selling some players will be that fans and people like me, the players that we want them to sell are the players that would probably be hardest to sell.”

Leeds simply do not have plenty of midfield depth, so it’s probably best Gruev stayed put. Junior Firpo thinks Gruev is a ‘baller’ and him remaining in Farke’s plans was absolutely necessary in the end.