Leeds United fans should show faith in Matt Grimes to come good.
QPR’s Massimo Luongo in action with Leeds United’s Matt Grimes
Leeds United have had a mixed start to the season, but for one of their new signings in particular it has been very underwhelming.
Matt Grimes signed on loan from Swansea City for the season, and was picked to start the first game against QPR.
Leeds fans won’t need reminding of the outcome of that fixture, a 3-0 loss, and Grimes has been reduced to a bit-part role ever since.
Matt Grimes
He started last night’s game against Luton Town in the EFL Cup, and did not impress. He was over-eager to do so, and was booked after just 23 seconds.
This left him on a disciplinary tightrope for the rest of the game, and playing in a rotated side, the whole attack were out of sync, and failed to click.
So it has not been a positive start for Grimes, and it has not been helped by the way two players in a similar age range have seized their chances.
Fleetwood Town’s Victor Nirrenold and Leeds United’s Ronaldo Vieira in action
Ronaldo Vieira, 18, has kicked on better than could have been imagined, and Kalvin Phillips, 20, has also surpassed early expectations.
Grimes, 21, is an England youth international from a Premier League club who has played in the Championship with Blackburn before, so it is understandable that it is underwhelming that he is being outplayed by Phillips and Vieira.
With the shadow of Lewis Cook lurking after his sale to Bournemouth, Grimes’ poor early form has put him in a difficult spot.
With Liam Bridcutt a certain starter, Grimes faces an uphill battle to win a place, but is clearly rated by manager Garry Monk, who knows him from Swansea.
The fear may be that Leeds have signed another Tom Adeyemi, a player with promise but one destined to end up in reserve, but it is too early to write the youngster off, and if he acclimatises and kicks on, he could yet become a real asset to the side as the season progresses.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
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