Leeds United produced their worst performance of the season in a 4-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers last night.
The Whites had a major opportunity to apply the pressure on Ipswich Town ahead of their two games in hand but crumbled under the pressure and were dismantled in the capital.
It was apparent very early on that Leeds were not at the races and that was reflected in both of the goals they conceded in the first half, which were so avoidable from a defensive point of view.
Daniel Farke revealed he was tempted to hand Liam Cooper a start last night due to his experience, but it is difficult to say whether that would’ve made a difference.
There wasn’t really a single good individual performance in a Leeds shirt, with those that remained in the stadium at full-time reacting angrily towards the players.
BBC pundit says Ilia Gruev looked really slow for Leeds
Leeds built the base of their run between the turn of the New Year and March international break on an extremely strong defensive record.
Farke’s side conceded just three goals in 13 matches, but have looked extremely shaky since the resumption of the season. Leeds have shipped seven in the last two.
Sky Sports commentator Don Goodman was scathing of Ilia Gruev for his involvement in both of QPR’s opening two goals, twice allowing the player to cut inside and get an easy shot away.
And now pundit Jon Newsome has doubled down on that criticism on BBC Radio Leeds, claiming he produced a ‘terrible’ performance, while also looking worryingly slow.
“He was terrible, I thought he was terrible. I don’t think he is blessed with pace, so he struggles to cover the ground. He played deep. Because he was tight, people got on top of him.”
Gruev’s form has dropped since return from injury
Gruev had to be patient for his opportunity at Leeds following his summer arrival from Werder Bremen, but took his chance with two hands when he came into the team in January.
Willy Gnonto says it was a chance Gruev worked really hard for and that was certainly evident in his performances, with his ability to shield the back four a big part of Leeds’ defensive success.
However, the 23-year-old picked up an injury on international duty with Bulgaria at the worst possible time in March, which caused him to miss games against Watford and Hull City.
Since returning, Gruev has been unable to recapture that form, though having said that, it is the case for much of Leeds’ squad.