From the outside looking in, you could say that Javi Gracia hasn’t had the best of starts to life at Leeds United.
The Spaniard has failed to steer Leeds clear of danger as of yet, and with just a handful of games to go this season, the former Watford boss needs to see an upturn in form.
While Gracia hasn’t impressed onlookers, within Leeds it sounds as though he has plenty of admirers.
Indeed, speaking on Michael Calvin’s Football People Podcast, Patrick Bamford made it very clear that he’s been very impressed by Gracia so far, stating that he actually reminds him of Marcelo Bielsa with his attention to detail and how he sees the game.
Gracia is like Bielsa
Bamford gave his verdict on his manager.
“He’s very meticulous. He’s not too dissimilar to Marcelo in terms of the detail and how he sees the game. I’ve had a lot of managers, but he’s the calmest manager. He takes the pressure off, he’s always calm, he knows how to keep the players calm and make sure everyone is level-headed and ready. I’ve been really impressed with him and how he is around and his coaches have been brilliant,” Bamford said.
Not getting the results
It’s all well and good to say that Gracia is a bit like Bielsa in the way he sees the game, but he’s not getting the results.
Indeed, just like Bielsa, the Spaniard’s backline is leading goals, and while he may be drilling down into the finest points of the game, he’s not coming up with the solutions.
Leeds haven’t won any of their last four games, and if their form doesn’t turn around soon, they’re going to be relegated.
