Tony Dorigo has told the Yorkshire Evening Post that he is liking what he is hearing about new Leeds United boss Javi Gracia, and suggested that his Premier League experience makes him a really smart choice for the Whites.
Leeds brought their lengthy search for a new boss to an end on Tuesday – more than two weeks after Jesse Marsch was sacked. And it was a name few seemed to be talking about when the job came up.
Gracia has been out of work since a spell in Qatar. He has previously managed in England, doing an impressive job with Watford. Nevertheless, hardly anyone would have predicted that he would end up getting the role.
Dorigo praises Leeds appointment of Gracia
A number of names have come and gone from the frame. As reported by The Times, the likes of Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot rejected the chance to move to Elland Road.
So there is real pressure on the Leeds board. Gracia will not be blameless if Leeds fail to stay up. But it certainly appears that the club hierarchy will face the backlash should Saturday’s result not go how supporters want.
It is ultimately an appointment that a lot of fans are reasonably happy with. And Dorigo believes that he could actually be exactly what the club needs.
“It’s amazing what can happen when a new manager comes in,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “By all accounts he’s certainly a disciplinarian, which I think is good.
“He did rather well in his time at Watford and although these are new surroundings, a new situation, new players and for him a difficult job, for everyone else his arrival will be a huge lift. The players will no doubt embrace it and hopefully they can take some strength, belief and understanding into this game.”
In some ways, the turbulent search for a new manager may help Gracia a little. It is fair to say that expectations are very low. It is not the best look that he did not appear to be one of the top choices for the role originally.
Should he fail to keep Leeds up, the board will rightly bear the brunt of the criticism. We were praising them for what appeared to be a brilliant January transfer window.
But the decision making throughout the campaign has meant that what appears to be a mid-table squad is now battling against the odds to stay up.
Hopefully, we will look more like a mid-table team with Gracia at the helm. That, unfortunately, feels like the best we, or Gracia, can hope for right now.
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