Eddie Gray believes that Leeds United goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald made a big mistake in the defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Whites suffered a 3-0 away loss at Hillsborough and it means they have dropped down to fifth in the Championship table going into the international break.
Thomas Christiansen’s side have now lost three of their last four league games and are going through a difficult run of form.
Gary was critical of shot stopper Wiedwald for the opening goal on Sunday afternoon, which set Wednesday on their way to the three points.
Gary Hooper netted the first of his two goals by reacting first in the penalty area to a knockdown, but Leeds legend Gray insisted that the goalkeeper should have smothered the ball first.
“I think it (first goal) has to go down as a goalkeeping error,” Gray told LUTV. “Players make mistakes in games, outfit players make mistakes, but when goalkeepers make an error nine times out of 10 the ball ends up in the back of the next.
“I just thought he should have came for the ball. I’m not on about making a foul challenge I just thought it was the goalkeepers ball.”
Wiedwald has endured a mixed start to life at Elland Road since his summer arrival and kept six consecutive clean sheets in the leagued during the early stages of the campaign.
However, the 27-year-old has looked far more exposed in recent games and shipped eight in his last three matches.
He struggled to deal with the physicality of the Wednesday frontline and his usually reliable possession game was also missing.
OPINION
Gray insists that Wiedwald could have done much better with the opening goal at the weekend and it could have been avoided if he had faster reactions. The incident would have been avoided if Leeds had won the first ball from a free-kick, but the header from Tom Lees steered the ball into a dangerous area for Hooper to finish. Wiedwald does appear to lack confidence in demanding his penalty area and he will be repeatedly punished in the Championship if that trend continues.