According to reports in the national media, the Leeds United board are in discussions about Javi Gracia’s immediate future at the club. The hierarchy watched on as the lifeless Whites were torn apart by Bournemouth in alarming fashion on Sunday afternoon and with four games remaining it seems they have a choice to make.
Stick with Gracia and trust that he can turn things around and defy the odds that are now stacked against the club, or twist and hope a new voice can provide enough of a boost to get them over the line. With just four Premier League games remaining, the challenge of keeping Leeds in the top flight looks massive, but which way will the hierarchy go?
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of a change at the Elland Road helm.
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Stick
It’s not working for the Spaniard right now, that is for certain. Gracia managed to get a tune out of this squad over his first six and a half games in charge at Elland Road, but he’s lacked the answers to arrest the slide since and Leeds look as though they’re in freefall.
It’s only natural that the head coach’s position comes under scrutiny in such situations and it’s probably fair to say Gracia wouldn’t expect anything else, particularly given the manner of recent defeats and what’s at stake. But, who else is out there and who would be able to change it?
Michael Skubala appears to be an obvious option for the hierarchy. The coach did his reputation no harm at all during his three-game stint in the job before Gracia’s arrival, but it’s a lot to put on someone who is so inexperienced at first-team level.
Alternatively, Leeds could favour an external candidate who will look to instil an immediate feel-good factor. Given the situation Leeds find themselves in and the size of the task at hand, options will be severely limited.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but any new man would be stepping into an unfamiliar set-up, where confidence is low and pressure high. The odds on such a gamble paying off look slim at this stage.
Twist
Anyone who sat through Leeds’ limp performance at Dean Court on Sunday will suspect the damage has already been done when it comes to their survival chances. They seemed to lack heart, determination and ideas as they simply crumpled on the south coast and with just one month left to go, the threat of relegation is looming large.
They’re only going one way under Gracia and the Spanish head coach failed to find the answers and pinpoint his side's escape route when speaking to the press after the contest on Sunday. What harm could a roll of the dice do at this stage, then?
If there’s a way in which the Whites can instil a bit of hope and breathe energy into the squad over the next week or two then exploring certainly makes a lot of sense. A new, enthusiastic voice might just be able to provide that.
Of course, the level of opposition Leeds face over the remaining four games is hardly ideal, but one shock win might be enough at this stage and there are huge doubts about whether Gracia has what it takes to deliver that right now.
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