Leeds United midfielder coaching, contrasting touchline behaviour and off-camera Saints moments - YEP 26/2/23
Leeds United were the only team in the bottom four to celebrate victory on Saturday and moved out of the drop zone with their 1-0 victory over Southampton.
By Graham Smyth
Javi Gracia could not have hoped for much more in terms of
an Elland Road managerial debut with all that was missing from the performance
being a few more clear-cut chances. In the context of the table and in light of
how poor the visitors were, Leeds had to win, but they did, and rarely, if
ever, looked capable of losing this one. The Spaniard rushes headlong into his
next challenge, an FA Cup tie at Fulham on Tuesday, but he's off and running at
the first sound of the starter's pistol. Here's the YEP take.
Good day
Junior Firpo
Much maligned after a frustrating time of it since his
arrival from Barcelona, Firpo came back into the team due to Pascal Struijk's
concussion issue and having looked decent against Manchester United before a
poor outing at Everton, truly seized his opportunity against Southampton. He
seemed to relish the license to get wide, stay wide and go forward, getting to
the byline to produce crosses. Defensively, where he has come in for the most
criticism, he was solid. And of course he picked just about the perfect time
for his first ever Premier League goal. The celebrations were deserved. The
challenge is to replicate this performance.
Javi Gracia
What a welcome to Elland Road. An understated presence on
the touchline, Gracia was often seen communicating with his players but never
remonstrated. He cajoled rather than scolded. What Leeds need is a calm,
sensible head at such a difficult time and that is exactly what he appears to
be. His gameplan for Southampton was no-frills and effective enough to work. If
he can make Leeds solid and nick the necessary wins, he will have done the job
he told the board was possible. This was just a start, but a good enough one.
Robin Koch
Controlled a giant man. The sight of Koch leaping high over
Paul Onuachu was one to behold. Standing at 6ft 7ins, Onuachu is an imposing
figure but Koch gave him little respect in the air and prevented Saints from
playing off their targetman.
Bad day
Ruben Selles
What the newly-installed Southampton boss had planned just
didn't ever materialise on the Elland Road pitch, much to his growing
frustration. They looked generally clueless on the ball, had no outlet whenever
they got possession in the middle and struggled to hurt Leeds. They looked and
played like a relegation candidate.
Off-camera moments
French youth international pair Georginio Rutter and Sekou
Mara catching up on the Elland Road pitch, as Leeds goalkeeping coach Marcos
Abad and Saints manager Ruben Selles had a chat. The pair hail from the same
area in València.
Michael Skubala, who has remained with the first team after
his spell as caretaker, was in danger of being trampled by a stampede of tiny
mascots keeping warm by the side of the pitch before the teams came out to
prepare. When Leeds did emerge, Skubala was educated on the new pre-match
warm-up routine by Gracia's staff.
Previously, Leeds players would come out and pass a ball
back and forth with their usual partner before heading into the collective,
structured routine but they were straight into it under the new regime. They
faced partners and mixed up exercises with short passing exchanges before
putting a little more distance between each other and a little more into
sprints to swap positions.
Joel Robles, fresh from attempting free-kicks into an empty
net, almost found himself nutmegged by a cheeky pass from Mateo Joseph as the
goalkeeper walked back in from the warm-up.
When the game was underway, the two managers had very
different dispositions. Selles was bouncing on his toes and putting a huge
amount of energy into his coaching while Gracia was a calmer presence. The
Saints boss lost his rag completely with Kamaldeen Sulemana for not pressing,
the striker jogging up the pitch as his manager berated his effort for a
considerable number of seconds.
The most heated Gracia got in the first half was a quizzical
look at the fourth official, when one minute was added at the end of a first
half that held stoppages and some time wasting from the visitors.
Gracia wasn't the only Spaniard issuing instructions as the
game wore on. Marc Roca, who dished out a word of advice for Willy Gnonto prior
to the second half, was then giving Jack Harrison some wisdom before he took an
attacking free-kick. And as Roca himself prepared to come on, he was appealing
for calm from Firpo and the defenders, with Leeds a goal up.
At full-time there were justifiably intense celebrations,
although Gracia once again remained composed. Ayling was whipping up the Kop,
Firpo went looking for his family above the South Stand seating and then gave the
fans the fist pumps, to which they responded.
