As he travelled back from west London last weekend, Javi Gracia had a firm idea of what he needed to focus on this week in training. Of course, there are plenty of things Gracia needs to improve if he is to make his mark at Leeds United, but finishing will have been the word he circled over and over again during his video analysis of the fixture against Chelsea and the FA Cup clash at Fulham a few days prior, too.
Leeds found Chelsea to be a tough nut to crack at Stamford Bridge and they struggled to create the same amount of chances they did at Craven Cottage. Opportunities still fell their way against the Blues, but Leeds allowed them to fall by the wayside as they lacked the clinical edge required.
Struggling to score is not a new problem for Leeds, who have failed to find the net in five of their last seven Premier League outings, but if they are to retain their place in the top flight, it’s one they need to solve and quickly.
As a result, it comes as no surprise to hear Gracia has prioritised attacking drills at Thorp Arch this week in an effort to see United rediscover that killer instinct and poise. The head coach will hope to be boosted by the returns of Patrick Bamford and top scorer Rodrigo this week from injury and that will certainly help when it comes to improving their fortunes in front of goal in the coming weeks.
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Even if they aren’t ready to take on Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, though, Gracia will hope his hard work on the training ground will pay dividends and he’s keen to see key men take more responsibility.
“I don’t think we have to talk about it, we have to do it,” the Spaniard said in his pre-match press conference. “Everybody knows in the last game we missed some chances but we created chances and that’s something good for us.
“Now we have to be focused on trying to finish better. This week we did many different exercises to improve and try to finish better. The moment in the game is the moment in the game, it’s different to training sessions and you have to show in that moment your character and composure to finish.
“What I can do is try to support my players to give them the confidence they need and I’m sure with the work they are doing in the next games we can see the difference.”
Asked who has been the most impressive in front of goal in training, Gracia laughed: “I can’t tell you that, it’s a secret! Maybe Brighton will put a close mark on the best finisher!
“No, all of them try to improve and it’s not only about the strikers, it’s about all the team to attack, defend and have the balance we need. Only doing all these things well we have some chances in the next game.”
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