‘Got Found Out A Little’ – Leeds United Star Suited By Position Feels Ex-Boss
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Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has praised Gabriel Gudmundsson, saying he is better suited as a left wing-back than at left back, highlighting his quality and energy to excel in the demanding role.
Leeds faced Norwich City on Sunday in the fifth round of the FA Cup, with the Swede recording his first goal and first assist for the club since arriving last July, helping the Whites double their lead just before half-time to make it 2-0.
The Whites went on to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory at Elland Road, booking a place in the final eight of the competition for the first time since 2003, with one former Premier League player commending Daniel Farke for steering them to this stage.
The 26-year-old has showcased his versatility, being deployed in both left-back and left wing-back roles depending on the German boss’s tactical set-up, with one ex-White claiming upon his arrival that he was among the club’s best signings of the summer transfer window.
Grayson argued that Gudmundsson is better suited to the wing-back role than as a traditional left-back in a back four, noting that he showed some defensive vulnerabilities when deployed in that position.
He highlighted the player’s energy, fitness and attacking instincts, which allow him to cover the full length of the pitch and make forward runs effectively.
The 56-year-old praised the connection between the 26-year-old and Willy Gnonto, noting how their interplay against the Canaries opened up space for the Sweden international, enabling him to get into a goalscoring position and finish with composure.
Grayson said on LUTV (18:14): “And I think this wing-back role suits him more than playing in a back four at left-back.
“I’m not saying he can’t play left-back, but he just got found out a little defensively when he was playing in that role.
“Now, playing as a left wing-back, he’s got the license and the energy and fitness levels to get up and down because it’s a demanding role, by the way.
“He’s got the quality, he likes to go on the outside, but you also see an understanding with Willy Gnonto that when Gnonto was outside, he took the inward path to be in the box.
“The good thing from the goals is the number of bodies you see in the 18-yard box, four or five at all times.
“If you can do that, even the poorest of crosses might land at a white shirt, and today that’s been the case.”
The Yorkshire side will take on the winners of West Ham vs Brentford in the next round, but Farke has insisted that merely reaching the quarter-final would mean little, stressing that Leeds United would need to lift the trophy to make a lasting mark.
With the Whites currently 15th in the Premier League and just three points above the relegation zone, focus now shifts firmly to survival, with the 49-year-old tactician having expressed confidence back in November that his side can finish 17th or higher by season’s end, but the job is yet to be done.
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