Micah Richards has praised Leeds United for their "controlled" approach during the 1-0 win over Southampton, as he claimed that the Whites had "become too predictable" under Jesse Marsch.
Javi Gracia got off to the perfect start in front of a raucous Elland Road on Saturday afternoon. Junior Firpo's 77th minute strike - his maiden goal for the club - made the difference as Leeds won their first Premier League match since November.
Thanks to respective defeats for Everton and Bournemouth as well, the Whites are now out of the relegation zone. Gracia knows that his side need to find plenty more results such as the one against the Saints if they are to have any chance of staying up come May, but the Spaniard could not have asked for a better to start to his tenure than claiming all three points against fellow relegation rivals.
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Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day after the game, Richards praised Leeds for their methodical approach to the match under Gracia, but insisted there is still work to be done in the final third.
"I think with Leeds, they always have the energy and always have the desire," he said. "But today I thought they used the width really well. [Willy] Gnonto – who normally is always in the wide positions – it was actually the full-backs who were getting into these areas.
"Leeds at times [had] become too predictable, in terms of getting the ball to the wide men and expecting them to do a trick, but today it was more controlled. They knew exactly what they wanted to do.
"They still have to work out the movement and who is going first post and who is going second post, but in terms of the intensity and the pressure – they were making them [Southampton] make mistakes.
“This bit,” Richards highlighted when Weston McKennie had the chance to square the ball to Brenden Aaronson in a two-on-one situation for Leeds, but just played the ball a fraction behind his teammate. “Going forward they just need to improve, settle yourself down take an extra touch and make the right pass.
“The goal, it comes from a free-kick. Firpo stays up, he’s in a forward position and thinks, ‘Why not?’ [shoot].”
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