It’s safe to say that Ivo Grbic hasn’t had the most brilliant of starts to his Sheffield United career since signing in January.
The Croatian goalkeeper was brought in by Chris Wilder as the club’s new number one and conceded five on his debut against Brighton after being thrown in at the deep end. Wilder took responsibility for that, insisting it was his call.
Of course, in the game after, Grbic was then selected against Crystal Palace but left the field with a concussion, much to his annoyance at the time.
And speaking to the Croatian outlet Vecernji List, Grbic has revealed how he was far from happy with the club doctor at the time, before realising the correct decision had been made.
“When I got hit, I thought it was no big deal. But the club doctor saw that something was wrong and forbade me to continue the match. According to my answers to his questions, he noticed the symptoms of a concussion. We even had a small conflict on the field because I wanted to continue the game. But when I came to the bench, I immediately felt a headache and dizziness. The doctor was right and it’s good that I listened to him,” Grbic said
Grbic is expected to get the nod again tonight when United face Arsenal at Bramall Lane.
The Croatian has conceded 14 goals in the four games he’s taken part in so far and a clean sheet against a rampant Gunners side would go down just nicely tonight.
Grbic the long-term option for Sheffield United
Chris Wilder signed a goalkeeper for good reason and while his time in Sheffield hasn’t gone to plan as yet, Grbic should be a solid enough signing in the long-term.
Wes Foderingham has yet to sign a new contract and it might even have been taken off the table for all we know. On that front, it was vital that the Blades tied down a goalkeeper for next season and beyond.
Hopefully, Grbic can now get a clear run at things and make a name for himself at Bramall Lane.
The task doesn’t get much harder than facing Arsenal tonight. But if he can put in a decent enough performance in front of the home fans, then it provides a solid base for him to build on going into next season.
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