Javi Gracia not interested in excuses as he looks to 'change the dynamic' - Yorkshire Post 29/4/23

Leeds United were handed another excuse this week, maybe two. Javi Gracia just swatted them away in Friday’s pre-match press conference.

Stuart Rayner

Luis Sinisterra's season is over, the ankle ligament damage his sustained against Leicester City expected to keep him out for eight weeks whether or not he needs surgery to replace it.

To be without a winger who has scored three times in six games is a big loss and will increase the pressure on coach Gracia because if you took a straw poll of supporters, the overwhelming favourite to replace him would be Willy Gnonto, yet the Spaniard seems not to be a fan and is growing increasingly agitated at the number of questions trying to figure out why.

It might not be the only injury a coach already without Tyler Adams has to contend with in an absolutely vital match at Bournemouth on Sunday, either. Max Wober missed Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Leicester City, and Friday's training session. Gracia says he does not know if the Austrian centre-back will be fit to play at Dean Court or not.

It is a very bad time to be missing key players.

Midweek results only served to tighten the noose. Bournemouth's win over Southampton feels like it has all but taken them out of the relegation battle, seven points clear of the bottom three with only five matches to play.

Leeds are definitely not, a point above the trapdoor and now level points with Nottingham Forest after their surprise victory over Brighton and Hove Albion. The only consolation is that the three teams in the bullet seats at least do not play before Leeds this weekend, although Everton, Leicester or both will pick up points on Monday.

So a coach under increasing fire – former striker Jermaine Beckford waded in on Friday to say neither he nor Gnonto understood why the Italian is being cold-shouldered, and they speak for many – could easily feel sorry for himself.

To his credit, Gracia is not interested in excuses.

"It's tough to lose key players but I prefer not to complain, be positive, give value to all the players I have," says the former Watford coach.

"I have enough players to compete better and I try to work with them to find a way to get the results we need to achieve our target at the end of the season.

"In recent games we've always had some players out and knowing that I always try to choose the best shape and the best XI. I also know players coming off the bench are deciding all the recent games.

"You could see from the midweek games there are many players injured. You have to be ready because all of them are going to be important."

A winter World Cup which extended and condensed some seasons and made others stop-start has added to the problems, but Gracia does not think anything at Thorp Arch has added to the problem.

"I don't think it's something physical, it's the stage of the season, the stress, the schedule," he says of the spate of injuries.

"In all Thursday's games there were injured players (missing), it's not only about one team. It's about the competition, the games we have to play.

"If we speak about Luis you can see he was injured after a tackle. This injury came like that but muscular injuries are coming from all these things."

The schedule has also made it harder for teams who run into problems, as Leeds have since their early-April victory over Forest, to think their way out of them. Playing on a Tuesday, then a Sunday this week feels like a bit of a luxury in that respect.

"We didn't have much time to work between Fulham and Leicester, two days, and now we have more days to prepare," stresses Gracia.

"At this moment of the season with this busy schedule we can't always do it (prepare properly) but we have to adapt, not complain at all and try to to prepare as well as possible."

But there is one thing aggravating him at the moment.

"You've asked me about Willy many times and I always tell you the same (thing)," he says in response to the big question.

"Willy's an exceptional player with an amazing character and it's a pleasure to work with him every day. But I have to make decisions thinking in what is the best for the team. In the last game I decided to play with that substitution to play with Cree Summerville (as Sinisterra's replacement) but I'm sure in the next games Willy will have chances to show what a good player he is.

"It's about what I think is better for the team. To compare one with the other is not fair, I don't think.

"I try to choose what is best for the team in that moment. I think both can help us and both are going to help us for sure."

There is a shot back too.

"When I arrived we were in a worse position and we got 11 points in 10 games," he points out.

"We are focused on trying to produce our best in these five games left, starting with Bournemouth."

Having slogged for 16 years to get back into the Premier League, there is a big job to be done to stay there. The recriminations and post-mortems will have to wait.