Leeds United sack ‘twist’ mooted live on Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher delivers ‘crazy’ reaction to Javi Gracia development
Jamie Carragher admitted it “sounds crazy” for Leeds United to sack Javi Gracia but wouldn’t be surprised “at all” if it now happens.
The Spaniard’s job is hanging by a thread after the 4-1 collapse at Bournemouth on Sunday (30 April) made it one point taken from 15 while conceding 18 goals in that time.
Andrea Radrizzani had been in talks with senior figures since the result against the Cherries, and as the question of a late-season “twist” arose live on Sky Sports Carragher accepted it is understandable as the Whites fans have had enough and he feels the club is heading for relegation.
Speaking live on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football after full time in the 2-2 draw between Leicester and Everton (1 May, 10.49pm): “I’ve never felt Everton would go down at any stage really. I think if they’d have lost tonight most people would have been really fearful for them but I just look at the form Leeds are in.”
Dave Jones cut in to say: “Well there could be another twist there tonight Jamie, it’s being reported Javi Gracia’s job is under consideration having only been there for a matter of weeks.”
“It sounds crazy and we never used to think this could happen in our league,” replied Carragher, “but the stakes are so high I could probably understand it, because there’s such an ill-feeling at the club right now in terms of the connection between him and the supporters. They’re not happy.
“They showed that frustration to him behind the bench I think at Bournemouth. They’ve got to create some kind of feel-good factor in the home games that they’ve got, which are really tough to bring some sort of energy and performance to try and get themselves over the line.
“I would not be surprised at all if they made that change.”
Writing on the wall
It seems impossible for Gracia to stay in a job now that it has become so obvious that opinion has turned against him everywhere.
The supporters were lost a few games back as the form fell apart and Willy Gnonto was largely left watching on as a spectator, but after Radrizzani’s emotional online response [Conor McGilligan via Twitter] to the loss at Bournemouth it looks clear that confidence has evaporated within the club.
But the bigger question is what happens after that as the hierarchy made such a mess of the last manager search, only landing on Gracia when they had failed with multiple other pursuits.
Some of the names coming out now are those which every side who has sacked a manager this year has turned there nose up at repeatedly, and hark back to the managerial merry-go-round of a few seasons ago that had largely disappeared.
Michael Skubala has already been tried and that didn’t work out, so it is a measure of how desperate things have become that the change is even in the offing.
Gracia, briefly, looked like he might have been the answer after he brought about a lift when appointed, but he was only about fifth choice at the time, so quite where on the list a replacement who arrives now would rank is anyone’s guess.
In other Leeds United news, other senior figures are now in line to be fired along with the manager after “emergency” talks.