Elland Road humiliation: Javi Gracia’s worst Leeds moments remembered as Watford close in on deal
Leeds United fans are no strangers to Javi Gracia after the Spanish manager’s disastrous spell at Elland Road.
The 55-year-old head coach replaced Jesse Marsch in the Whites’ dugout in February 2023, with the club battling Premier League relegation.
While Gracia fondly looks back at his spell at Elland Road, supporters in LS11 have a very different opinion of his tenure.
Fans will hope Daniel Farke can avoid a similar fate in the Premier League this season, as the West Yorkshire outfit look to build themselves back up after missing out on English top-flight football for two years.
Javi Gracia has unwanted Leeds United record as Watford set to sack Paulo Pezzolano
Paulo Pezzolano could soon be replaced by Gracia at Watford, according to talkSPORT.
With the Hornets sitting 11th in the Championship, recording three wins and three losses in nine fixtures, it looks like the ex-Leeds boss is set to return to management in Hertfordshire.
The Spanish manager impressed with Watford in the 2018-19 season, finishing 11th in the Premier League and taking them to the FA Cup final.
While the West Yorkshire outfit can’t be blamed for thinking Gracia could be a decent appointment at Elland Road, it ultimately proved to be a massive failure as he lost six of his 10 league games in charge, conceding 27 goals.
Read More: Farke risks dressing room mutiny as Ao Tanaka speaks out
The former Valencia and Al Sadd manager’s tenure in LS11 started positively with a 1-0 win over Southampton at home on 25 February 2023, but it was downhill from that point.
Losing 5-1 and 6-1 to Crystal Palace and Liverpool at home in the Premier League in April 2023 meant that Gracia became the first manager to concede five or more goals in consecutive league matches in LS11.
Daniel Farke shows encouraging signs at Elland Road
Farke’s team have performed admirably in the Premier League so far this season, with 49ers Enterprises backing him for now.
Leeds are seventh in the league table after seven games, with two wins, two draws and three losses.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
There have been games against Fulham and Bournemouth that the Whites could have taken more points from if not for the goals in the final minutes.
Adam Underwood’s summer signings at Elland Road have also impressed, and supporters in LS11 expect Premier League survival under the German manager.
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