Many Leeds United fans will question Daniel Farke’s inability to get the club promoted last season and perhaps, even his lack of tactical flexibility but the numbers show he is doing everything he can.
Leeds became the first side to reach 90 points and fail to get promoted from The Championship. In that time, Leeds have raked in money despite clauses from the previous regime still having a lasting effect.
Yet, Farke has kept Leeds competitive and one of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League at the second attempt under the German. Indeed, Farke and Leeds have been excellent in the window.
The likes of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Sam Byram, Manor Solomon are all brilliant signings for Leeds. Farke has also nurtured youth, making Archie Gray a £40m player and Mateo Joseph is showing form.
Ilia Gruev is enjoying the best footballing year of his career
But Ilia Gruev might just be the most-underrated of them all. The 24-year-old joined Leeds last summer from Werder Bremen for a bargain £4m, a Farke signing and not a transfer made by the transfer team.
A player Farke has admired for some time from while working in Germany, like Nadiem Amiri, Ao Tanaka and others. But it took the Bulgaria star some time to break into the Leeds side following his arrival.
However, at the halfway point last season he finally got a run in the team when Ethan Ampadu moved into the middle of the defence. He grabbed it with both hands, adding a screen in front of the defence.
The stat that makes Gruev completely undroppable for Leeds
He might have cost a small amount, and he might not do anything spectacular other than curling in a free-kick against Norwich in a play-off semi-final. But, one stat Gruev boasts is nothing but spectacular.
Since the turn of the year, Gruev has played 33 times for club and country. Of those 33, 29 for Leeds and four for Bulgaria and in that time he has helped club and country keep an enormous 19 clean sheets.
A rate of one clean sheet every three games is standard, one every two is immense. Anything above that is incredible and that is the level Gruev is operating at, after two clean sheets with Bulgaria last week.
His role is underrated given he does not do anything that jumps off the page. But Gruev’s intelligence, combative element and passing is crucial to Leeds and Bulgaria shutting out the opposing team’s attack.
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