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Leeds United have appointed former Watford boss, Javi Gracia as their new head coach on a ‘flexible contract’.
Jesse Marsch was sacked by the club on February 6 and U21s coach Michael Skubala took charge as caretaker in the past three matches, but a 1-0 defeat on Saturday to relegation rivals Everton has left the club two points from safety.
Gracia, who kept Watford in the Premier League during the 2018-19 season and also led them to the FA Cup final, has been out of work since leaving Al Saad in Qatar last June.
Confirming Gracia’s appointment, Leeds said in a statement: “Leeds United are delighted to announce the club have agreed terms with Javi Gracia to become men’s first team head coach, subject to obtaining a work permit.”
“The experienced 52-year-old has agreed to a flexible contract at Elland Road.”
Leeds host rock-bottom Southampton in a crucial fixture on Saturday.
It remains to be seen whether Gracia will get the chance to oversee a full season in charge of Leeds. There is much to be done before that even becomes a consideration and it is no secret the 52-year-old was not their first choice to succeed Jesse Marsch.
But, given the circumstances, and while some Leeds supporters will need convincing over his credentials for the role, it is not difficult to see how the club’s decision-makers landed on him.
Gracia brings considerable experience, for a start, the former midfielder’s managerial career taking in spells in charge of 12 different clubs in five different countries, and two themes are consistent right across them.
“Above all, his teams are very organised, with a big commitment to helping each other,” said Unai Emery, a former team-mate and long-standing managerial opponent of Gracia’s, back in 2018.
Those traits were certainly evident at Malaga, where he secured back-to-back top-10 finishes in La Liga on a tight budget, taking points off Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the process, and again in the 2018/19 season at Watford, a side, like Gracia’s Malaga, defined by their togetherness, diligence and discipline.
They are qualities Leeds will need if they are to stay in the Premier League this season. His team were too open, too easy to beat and, ultimately, too vulnerable to the threat of relegation.
Marsch succeeded in one aspect of his tenure by ensuring Leeds retained Premier League status last season and that will be Gracia’s top priority.
Forty-four per cent stakeholders 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of San Francisco 49ers, have an option to own 100 per cent of the club and Elland Road stadium before January 2024 and while relegation would not necessarily scupper the deal, it would affect Leeds’ valuation and throw a spanner in the works of the current agreement, which depends on the club staying up.
Gracia must quickly figure out how to prevent Leeds from losing games they should have won, or at least have gained a point.
Marsch’s last match in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest earlier this month, was typical of the pattern under the American.
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