Leeds United manager Javi Gracia
Many at Leeds United are ‘dubious’ about whether Javi Gracia is the right man at Elland Road, The i’s Mark Douglas reports.
The Lowdown: Gracia’s first three games
Gracia arrived in Yorkshire on a flexible contract two weeks after the club parted ways with Jesse Marsch. Since then, the Spaniard has taken charge of three games, winning the first against Southampton.
His side have scored just once and conceded three times, though, with an FA Cup exit to Fulham last week and a defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
The Latest: Update from sources
Douglas shared a story for The i in the last 48 hours regarding ongoings at Elland Road.
He said that the ‘feeling among recruitment sources’ is that Leeds have bought well but haven’t had the right man to lead the side. The report adds that ‘many are dubious’ about whether Gracia is the right man to get the ‘best out of a squad assembled to play high-octane, front foot, pressing football’.
The Verdict: Worry
Gracia has only been in the door for just over a fortnight, so knowing there are already doubts emerging from inside Elland Road inside is a worry. Leeds are once again involved in a Premier League relegation battle, with a lack of goals since the World Cup a cause for concern.
The club have netted just seven times in their last 11 top-flight games, so Gracia may need to get the best out of record signing Georginio Rutter relatively quickly if Leeds are to pull clear of the bottom three, with Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo struggling through injury over the course of the campaign.
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