Eddie Gray picks out two positives from Leeds defeat

Follow us on Google Discover

Leeds United fell to 14th in the Championship as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road.

Eddie Gray has told LUTV that Tom Pearce’s debut and Jay-Roy Grot finally scoring his first goal for Leeds were the two positives that Paul Heckingbottom could take from Saturday’s defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Despite Leeds going into the clash with the Owls off the back of a torrid run of form, Wednesday’s similarly shocking form since the turn of the year would have given the Whites hope that they could bag just their second win under their new boss.

However, it was Jos Luhukay celebrating the second league win of his tenure as Atdhe Nuhiu scored twice as the visitors came away from Elland Road with a 2-1 victory. But Gray suggested that there were still two positives for Heckingbottom to take from the game.

“There were a couple of plus points for us today: the young boy making his debut at left-back. He did okay, it was a tough debut for him. It was always going to be hard because we’re not playing particularly well. And Grot coming on and scoring his first goal for the club. That was a plus,” he told LUTV.

Pearce’s performance was an encouraging one given how problematic left-back has been for Leeds this season, and the 19-year-old may feel that he has done enough to be considered for more opportunities before the season comes to a conclusion.

As for Grot, he will be delighted that his recent form for the under-23s has translated into a piece of success for the first-team as it certainly has not been an easy term for the summer signing with many fans writing the youngster off ever becoming a decent acquisition for the side.

It does seem possible that Heckingbottom will reflect on both of Gray’s suggestions positively, but with the side’s hugely disappointing form continuing, it is unlikely that he will be looking back on Saturday’s game particularly fondly at all.