Leeds United head coach Javi Gracia ‘won't allow for self-pity’, according to Dean Jones, who believes the Spaniard needs to be ‘ruthless’ over the coming months.

The Lowdown: Relegation battle

The Whites’ sole focus is now on Premier League survival after they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Fulham in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

Gracia got off to the perfect start in the top flight with a 1-0 win over Southampton, with a trip to Chelsea next on the agenda.

Leeds are currently just one point clear of the relegation zone, with Everton, Bournemouth and Southampton making up the bottom three.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Gracia, hearing that he’s a ‘pretty reasonable man, as football managers go’. However, the journalist said the head coach won’t accept ‘self-pity’ or ‘substandard’ performances, adding that he needs to be ‘ruthless’.

"He is a pretty reasonable man, as football managers go, as far as I understand. But, at the same time, he won't allow for self-pity and he won't accept substandard performance levels.

"That's probably what this team needs right now. There's got to be a ruthless nature to the way he goes about this.

"I think, judging by the fact that he's been taken on a contract that some managers wouldn't have signed, to be fair, it seems that he is willing to take on this challenge."

The Verdict: Straight to the point

Gracia was straight to the point after the loss to Fulham in midweek, saying his side weren’t clinical enough and that he’ll look to resolve that issue on the training ground.

That is good to see, and overall, Leeds have made a positive start to life under the new head coach. Defensively, Leeds haven’t given their opponents a 'big chance' under Gracia, the first time that has happened in successive games since 2020.

Should he solve the club’s problems in the final third, then you’d like to think Leeds will have a good chance of remaining in the top flight, which may result in the Spaniard sticking around in Yorkshire.