Leeds United suffering in the offing for Javi Gracia after Fulham loss
The Athletic’s Phil Hay has predicted Javi Gracia to “suffer” after Leeds United fell to a third straight Premier League defeat on the spin.
Goals from Andreas Pereira and Harry Wilson saw the Whites fall to a 2-1 defeat in West London on Saturday, leaving Leeds 16th in the league standings.
Writing in his latest column after the fixture at Craven Cottage, Hay has suggested the Spaniard will be at the forefront of the criticism.
“Gracia will suffer like everyone else in this mess because a head coach in the Premier League does not ever get off scot-free,” wrote Hay (The Athletic, 23 April).
“His experience during the past fortnight has been the equivalent of moving foxes into the hen house and though Leeds have the time and the games to fend this crisis off, it will be some achievement if anyone escapes the season with credit to show for it.”
Where to go from here?
Where do Leeds realistically go from here? It felt as if the players were intent on keeping the score down, as opposed to looking to hit the back of the net themselves. The previous two results have clearly left their mark and the result is a side which is dreadfully low on confidence.
Gracia needs players who will take the initiative. Leaders are required. Liam Cooper’s return was a big plus point. Despite the two goals, the Scot was largely impressive and gave the Whites more steal in the centre of defence.
But, we need more characters. Luke Ayling has been poor of late but he’s someone who could galvanise a team in a difficult moment. The same can be said for Adam Forshaw. In fact, the former Brentford man should be starting. Tyler Adams’ injury has left Weston McKennie and Marc Roca hung out to dry. They’re struggling to play with each other and it’s hard to see who is the dominant force in midfield.
Gracia will be aware of the significance of the situation. His job will depend on what happens during May. In fact, regardless of Leeds’ league status, the recent results could well mean the Spaniard’s fate has already been sealed.
